MS-Access 97 is used to generate a TEXT datasource - then via automation
loads MS-Word 97 connected to this text data source.

This TEXT datasource contains ONE record - with over 300 fields and this
process has been working fine with Win 98 and Win 2000 for years (just keeps
going regardless of how many fields added).

The client just updated a PC with Win XP but kept their Word97 software
license as its all they need, and now the same process fails to recognise the
data source.

I can easily open and connect when MS-Word 97 is running on a Win98 or Win
2000 PC - but MS-Word 97 refuses to connect to the data source on the XP
machine.

I have discovered that if I reduce the number of fields to exactly 256 - it
connects fine - if I increase the number of fields to 257 it fails.

Has anyone seen this problem and if so how can it be resolved?