The basic problem is that when you connect to Excel using the default method
in Word 2003 (OLEDB), the OLEDB provider tries to determine what kind of
data is in each column. If the first few rows are numeric, it decides that
the column is numeric, then deals with non-numeric values the way you
describe.

Workarounds?
a. Revert to the DDE connection method (requires Excel to be present).
Check Word Tools|Options|Genereal|Confirm conversion at open, reconnect and
choose the DDE method when offered. You will only be able to access the
sheet you last opened.
b. If there are fewer than 63 (or so) columns, copy/paste your Excel sheet
into a Word document and use that as the data source.
c. (Maybe) Insert about 25 columns containing text-only data in the
required column at the top of the sheet, reconnect, eliminate those records
when you merge.

Peter Jamieson

"v-ger" wrote in message
...
In a Word doc, merging simple Excel (2003) data (Address, ZIP, etc.) one
of
my field codes inserts the number 0 in the doc rather than the data I have
in
the column when it is a complicated number (e.g., 24-B). Where I have
simple
numbers (single or multiple digits - doesn't matter) it inserts the data
just
fine. I can view which ones are going to be changed to 0's when the "Mail
Merge Recipients" window pops up during the merge.

I have changed the cell formatting for the entire column to numbers,
general, text, etc. but that hasn't helped. If I import it into a Word
text
file w/table that will fix it, but the Excel wksheet is under constant
revision week to week, so importing each time isn't a good workaround.

Does anyone know how and why the merge changes my data? Why does it
change
just the records that aren't simple numbers? Word & Excel 2003 on XP Pro,
merging to single page doc from single worksheet, about 250 merge records
/
approx 10 columns. I did not create either the doc or the spreadsheet
myself, but inherited them from someone who is having this issue in hopes
that I might help them - but I cannot figure it out. Please, if you know
what the issue is...

Thank you very much!