OK, I have to be quick and will be offline for a few days:
a. Word mailmerge always needs a connection to a data source. If you are
not making it programmatically, then it was already set up in the Word
document.
b. In Word 2002, the default connection method would be OLEDB. Although my
tests here suggest the tabs should get through, my test data may be too
simple to reveal the problem.
c. It may be worth making the connection using one of the other methods -
in Word, check Tools|Options|General|"Confirm conversions at open", go
through the data source selection, and choose either DDE or ODBC when
offered. However, unfortunately you may also encounter problems related to
DDE or to the fact that the data source is already open.

If what you are actually doing is a "roll-your-own" merge where your Excel
VB code is placing data in the Word document, then that may be the source of
the problem. If you're doing that, I suggest you post a new message showing
the code you're using.

Peter Jamieson

"mike_mike" wrote in message
...
I'm using 2002 word and i'm not connecting to excel. I'm
running the word mail merge from excel VB code , and opening word up from
there..


"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

Which version of Word? When I try to do this in Office 2003, the tabs
come
across no matter which way I connect to Excel (DDE, OLEDB, ODBC). (They
do
/not/ come across if I just copy/paste into Word, unless I use Edit|Paste
Special and choose, e.g. RTF formatted text rather than HTML format).

Peter Jamieson
"mike_mike" wrote in message
...
Hi

i standard letter with merge codes
{address}

Dear sir

These companies are in breach..
{mydata}

I want to all the following data into {mydata}
2005 tab Company 1
2006 tab company 2

I am merging from excel how do i get the tabs into word as they seem to
be
turning to spaces? I do have them in the excel using char(9) in the
source
data ..I do not want to use a list/catalog/directory merge just a
standard
letter.