WD97: Error Merging with Outlook CSV, TSV File

You receive the following error message when you attempt to merge using a comma separated value (CSV) or a tab separated value (TSV) data source exported from Microsoft Outlook 97 for Windows.

When you export the data from Microsoft Outlook, some of the fields are not exported. For example, all of the header fields are exported, but empty data fields are dropped, resulting in fewer fields for some data records than are present in the header record.

To work around this problem, use any of the following methods.

Method 1: Export File from Outlook as CSV or TSV

When you export the file from Outlook into either CSV or TSV format, follow these steps:

1. On the File menu, click Import and Export.
2. Select Export To A File and click Next.
3. Select the folder you want to export from. For example, select the Contacts folder. Click Next.
4. In the Create A File Of Type list, select either Comma Separated Values (Windows) or Tab Separated Values (Windows), and then click Next.
5. Type a name for the new file in the Save Exported Files As box, and click Next.
6. Click Map Custom Fields, select the default map, and then click OK.
7. Click Finish.

Method 2: Attach the CSV File Using ODBC

NOTE: This method does not work with TSV files. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: To attach the CSV file using ODBC, start Word, and then follow these steps:

• On the Insert menu, click Database, and then click the Get Data button.
  
  -or-
• Open the mail merge main document and follow these steps:
  1. On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.
  2. In the Mail Merge Helper, click the Get Data button, and then click Open Data Source.

Select the CSV file you want to use, click to select the Select Method check box, and then click OK.

In the Confirm Data Source dialog box, select Text Files Via ODBC, and then click OK.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the products listed at the beginning of this article.