Word/Excel 2010 Merge: Getting “External table is not in the expected format” error

We are just attempting to do a mail merge via Word 2010. If you utilize Excel files that was initially saved when using 2007 or if new files, 2010 got the error message: External table not in the expected format. If we go back and open the Excel file and "save as" Excel 97-2003 file, then the combination works. Is there anything we can do to change this situation? It affects all computers in our university that just upgraded to Windows 7 / Office 2010.

If Excel requests for the password, As far as I know, that's the only way you can open an Excel workbook with a password protected as a mail merge source, and if so, you have to do the same in 2007 (must go to the Word Office key Word Options-Advanced-General and check "Confirm file format conversion on unlock", after that cgo via the connection procedure and choose DDE when provided. And I have to say in my experience there are more troubles in 2007, for example, DDE do not even offer all the 255 columns that were possible on a sheet of Excel 2003.

Has there been a fine response for this trouble? The answer stated does not look to address the trouble Excel is not asking for a password. As well, Office 2010 does not look to play fine with any Adobe products. It looks to be far more unwieldy to save items out into the PDF format (just way to do is manifold clicks to print to PDF or send to one note to save as PDF, as opposite to the earlier easy save as function.). Very aggravated at the new office package!

If there at a standstill isn't a way out to this trouble, the following worked for me. I had the similar trouble with the Office 2010 mail merge using Excel and Word. After that, I executed a mail merge by means of Word and Access. After that I observed I could execute the Excel and Word mail merge lacking trouble. I reimaged my test computer with Windows 7 and Office 2010. Performed similar mail merge by Excel and Word and had similar trouble. I started Access and then exited. I can currently achieve the mail merge with Word and Excel with no trouble.

Here I also wish to add something in this case. Opening and after that closing Access looks to be the key. There have to be something which Access runs that Word truly necessitates making the mail merge procedure work with Excel. With any luck next edition will see a fix to this trouble, what to people that don't have Access do (a few of my clients plunge into these circumstances)? I will have to memorize to get them to save their Excel sheets at 97-2003 editions.

I don't memorize having any trouble on this particular one. Are you utilizing Access quite often anyhow, or was this the primary time you ran it on that particular machine? I as well speculate whether people who have shaped a new Recipients catalog from within the Word Mail merge function at a few point would as well pass up this trouble (because that utilizes Jet to manipulate the data source).