In mail merge, when I attempt to select the excel file, it brings up a window
called "Data Link Properties." It automatically selects "Microsoft Jet 4.0
OLE DB Provider." When I click "test connection" it gives the message "Test
connection failed because of an error in initializing provider. Catastrophic
failure." This causes word to shut down.

Hi ?B?SGFsaSBDbGV2ZWxhbmQ=?=,

In mail merge, when I attempt to select the excel file, it brings up a window
called "Data Link Properties." It automatically selects "Microsoft Jet 4.0
OLE DB Provider." When I click "test connection" it gives the message "Test
connection failed because of an error in initializing provider. Catastrophic
failure." This causes word to shut down.

word 2002 or 2003? Are all Service Packs installed?

This sounds to me as if something is damaged (or missing) in the installation.
Possibly a problem with MDAC (Microsoft Data Access Components).

As a stop-gap measure, if you activate "Confirm conversions on open" in
Tools/Options/General, then start linking up to the data source again, you
should get a list of connection methods. If you choose ODBC can you successfully
connect to the Excel data source?

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-)

I was able to fix the problem by going to Graham Mayor's website. It was the
"confirm conversions on open" problem. Thank you so much for the response.

Hali

"Cindy M -WordMVP-" wrote:

Hi ?B?SGFsaSBDbGV2ZWxhbmQ=?=,

In mail merge, when I attempt to select the excel file, it brings up a window
called "Data Link Properties." It automatically selects "Microsoft Jet 4.0
OLE DB Provider." When I click "test connection" it gives the message "Test
connection failed because of an error in initializing provider. Catastrophic
failure." This causes word to shut down.

word 2002 or 2003? Are all Service Packs installed?

This sounds to me as if something is damaged (or missing) in the installation.
Possibly a problem with MDAC (Microsoft Data Access Components).

As a stop-gap measure, if you activate "Confirm conversions on open" in
Tools/Options/General, then start linking up to the data source again, you
should get a list of connection methods. If you choose ODBC can you successfully
connect to the Excel data source?

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-)