[Shawna]

Hi There,
Something has happened and I can't figure out what and where it all went
wrong.

I have an access database with tables, queries and forms. I had a command
button in my form to go to MS Word. When that opened, I would start the
mail merge task and everything would be ok.

My problem now is when I get to the step where I select my recipients and
pick my access database, I get an error message saying "The data source
contains no visible tables." I then select OK and a select a table pop up
box appears. I choose to show views. My query then shows. I select that
query BUT nothing happens. I get another error "Word is unable to open data
source"

How can I fix this so that it works the way I want/need it to. If I only
open MS word and start the mail merge process from there, everything works as
expeected. Why is it so different when I go through my access form to get to
word?

Any help would be appeaciated. Thanks in advance.

[Peter Jamieson]

Which version of Word?

My problem now is when I get to the step where I select my recipients and
pick my access database, I get an error message saying "The data source
contains no visible tables." I then select OK and a select a table pop
up
box appears.

Does the title of this dialog box say "Select Table"? If so, is there an
"Options" button in the bottom left corner? Or what?


If I only
open MS word and start the mail merge process from there, everything works
as
expeected.

Is the first dialog box that you see when you try to connect the same as the
one you see when you start from Access?

(As background, Word 2002/2003 try to connect to Access in 3 different ways.
If one doesn't succeed, Word tries the next:
a. using OLEDB
b. using ODBC (this displays the "Options button"
c. using DDE (this displays "Tables" and "Queries" tabs and a "View SQL"
button.

There may be several reasons why an OLEDB connection could fail, but e.g.
a. OLEDB does not "see" some query types (such as parameter queries)
b. some tables/queries may not be visible if one of the affected tables is
locked in Access (this is a guess on my part). It sounds unlikely in this
case, but if for example the table definition is open in Access, that might
prevent OLEDB from either seeing the table or (more likely) letting you
connect to it.

Peter Jamieson

"Shawna" wrote in message
...
Hi There,
Something has happened and I can't figure out what and where it all went
wrong.

I have an access database with tables, queries and forms. I had a command
button in my form to go to MS Word. When that opened, I would start the
mail merge task and everything would be ok.

My problem now is when I get to the step where I select my recipients and
pick my access database, I get an error message saying "The data source
contains no visible tables." I then select OK and a select a table pop
up
box appears. I choose to show views. My query then shows. I select that
query BUT nothing happens. I get another error "Word is unable to open
data
source"

How can I fix this so that it works the way I want/need it to. If I
only
open MS word and start the mail merge process from there, everything works
as
expeected. Why is it so different when I go through my access form to get
to
word?

Any help would be appeaciated. Thanks in advance.

[Shawna]

I'm using MS Word 2003.

Also yes there is an options box on the bottom left of the pop up and I can
select to add queries. When I pick my query and carry on with the next step,
I get the message " Word is unable to open data source" The query is not a
parameter query and I dont have anything else locked in other places of the
database.

"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

Which version of Word?

My problem now is when I get to the step where I select my recipients and
pick my access database, I get an error message saying "The data source
contains no visible tables." I then select OK and a select a table pop
up
box appears.

Does the title of this dialog box say "Select Table"? If so, is there an
"Options" button in the bottom left corner? Or what?


If I only
open MS word and start the mail merge process from there, everything works
as
expeected.

Is the first dialog box that you see when you try to connect the same as the
one you see when you start from Access?

(As background, Word 2002/2003 try to connect to Access in 3 different ways.
If one doesn't succeed, Word tries the next:
a. using OLEDB
b. using ODBC (this displays the "Options button"
c. using DDE (this displays "Tables" and "Queries" tabs and a "View SQL"
button.

There may be several reasons why an OLEDB connection could fail, but e.g.
a. OLEDB does not "see" some query types (such as parameter queries)
b. some tables/queries may not be visible if one of the affected tables is
locked in Access (this is a guess on my part). It sounds unlikely in this
case, but if for example the table definition is open in Access, that might
prevent OLEDB from either seeing the table or (more likely) letting you
connect to it.

Peter Jamieson

"Shawna" wrote in message
...
Hi There,
Something has happened and I can't figure out what and where it all went
wrong.

I have an access database with tables, queries and forms. I had a command
button in my form to go to MS Word. When that opened, I would start the
mail merge task and everything would be ok.

My problem now is when I get to the step where I select my recipients and
pick my access database, I get an error message saying "The data source
contains no visible tables." I then select OK and a select a table pop
up
box appears. I choose to show views. My query then shows. I select that
query BUT nothing happens. I get another error "Word is unable to open
data
source"

How can I fix this so that it works the way I want/need it to. If I
only
open MS word and start the mail merge process from there, everything works
as
expeected. Why is it so different when I go through my access form to get
to
word?

Any help would be appeaciated. Thanks in advance.

[Peter Jamieson]

Can you have a look at the following article and try to apply the changes to
the Windows registry that it suggests:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/825765/en-us

(Sorry, I'm not sure that will be enough, but I think it's the best place to
start).

Peter Jamieson


"Shawna" wrote in message
...
I'm using MS Word 2003.

Also yes there is an options box on the bottom left of the pop up and I
can
select to add queries. When I pick my query and carry on with the next
step,
I get the message " Word is unable to open data source" The query is not
a
parameter query and I dont have anything else locked in other places of
the
database.

"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

Which version of Word?

My problem now is when I get to the step where I select my recipients
and
pick my access database, I get an error message saying "The data source
contains no visible tables." I then select OK and a select a table
pop
up
box appears.

Does the title of this dialog box say "Select Table"? If so, is there an
"Options" button in the bottom left corner? Or what?


If I only
open MS word and start the mail merge process from there, everything
works
as
expeected.

Is the first dialog box that you see when you try to connect the same as
the
one you see when you start from Access?

(As background, Word 2002/2003 try to connect to Access in 3 different
ways.
If one doesn't succeed, Word tries the next:
a. using OLEDB
b. using ODBC (this displays the "Options button"
c. using DDE (this displays "Tables" and "Queries" tabs and a "View SQL"
button.

There may be several reasons why an OLEDB connection could fail, but e.g.
a. OLEDB does not "see" some query types (such as parameter queries)
b. some tables/queries may not be visible if one of the affected tables
is
locked in Access (this is a guess on my part). It sounds unlikely in this
case, but if for example the table definition is open in Access, that
might
prevent OLEDB from either seeing the table or (more likely) letting you
connect to it.

Peter Jamieson

"Shawna" wrote in message
...
Hi There,
Something has happened and I can't figure out what and where it all
went
wrong.

I have an access database with tables, queries and forms. I had a
command
button in my form to go to MS Word. When that opened, I would start
the
mail merge task and everything would be ok.

My problem now is when I get to the step where I select my recipients
and
pick my access database, I get an error message saying "The data source
contains no visible tables." I then select OK and a select a table
pop
up
box appears. I choose to show views. My query then shows. I select
that
query BUT nothing happens. I get another error "Word is unable to open
data
source"

How can I fix this so that it works the way I want/need it to. If I
only
open MS word and start the mail merge process from there, everything
works
as
expeected. Why is it so different when I go through my access form to
get
to
word?

Any help would be appeaciated. Thanks in advance.