Works: Word Processor Cannot Merge Records from Works Spreadsheet Document Saved As Excel

When you create a Microsoft Works Spreadsheet document, and you then save the document as a Microsoft Excel 97-2000 (*.xls) file, the .xls file cannot be used as a mail merge data source by Works Word Processor.

This behavior occurs because Works does not assign a sheet number to the spreadsheet when it is saved as an Excel 97-2000 (*.xls) file.

To work around this issue, save the spreadsheet as an Excel 5.0/95 (*.xls) file. This file type is compatible with Excel 97-2000 and with Works Spreadsheet, and it can also be used as mail merge data source with Works Word Processor.

To save a Works Spreadsheet document as an Excel 5.0/95 ( *.xls) file and use it as a mail merge data source, follow these steps:

1. Start Works Spreadsheet.
2. Type the following data in a new spreadsheet:

   A1: NAME  B1: CITY  C1: STATE
   A2: Gary  B2: Gary  C2: Indiana
   					

3. On the File menu, click Save As.
4. In the Save as type box, click Excel 5.0/95(*.xls).
5. In the File name box, type test.
6. Click Save.
7. Start Works Word Processor.
8. On the Tools menu, point to Mail Merge, and then click Open Data Source.
9. Click Merge information from another type of file.
10. In the Files of type box, click Microsoft Excel(*.xls).
11. Locate and click the test.xls file, and then click Open.
12. When the message about using entries in the first row appears, click Yes.
13. In the Name box, type Sheet1, and then click OK.
14. Place the insertion point where you want the NAME field to appear, click NAME, and then click Insert.
15. Repeat step 14 for CITY and STATE.
16. Click View Results to view the merge results.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.