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  1. #1
    MaineLady is offline Advanced Beginner
    Windows 7 32bit Access 2013
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    Aug 2014
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    Appending data from Excel to existing Acess Database

    I can't seem to import an excel file into an access database. I have done this in the past but, apparently, I'm doing something wrong now.



    I select external data - file - excel file - (identify the file) - select append - hit OK

    and nothing happens.

    Thank you, in advance...
    Janice Fournier

  2. #2
    JoeM is offline VIP
    Windows 7 32bit Access 2007
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    Jun 2012
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    I find importing Excel files into Access to be a very fickle thing. Access and Excel try to communicate and figure out the data type of each field based on the first 10 records. If it guesses wrong, it usually doesn't work, and there is very little indication of what the issue is.

    For this reason, I rather dislike trying to import Excel files into Access. I usually end up exporting my Excel file to a tab-delimited text file, and import that into Access, where I can tell it the data type of each field.

    Out of curiosity, what happens if instead of importing your Excel file, you tried linking it to a new table in Access? Does that work?
    If it does, can you then copy the data over to your "real" data table via an Append Query?

  3. #3
    MaineLady is offline Advanced Beginner
    Windows 7 32bit Access 2013
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    Thanks... I'll try that. The weird thing is that I have imported this file multiple times in the past.

  4. #4
    JoeM is offline VIP
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    The weird thing is that I have imported this file multiple times in the past.
    Yes, but differences in the data can lead to a wrong "guess" on Access's part.
    I have spent many maddening hours myself trying to figure out why certain Excel files load and others don't.
    I try and save myself the headache and not import Excel files directly anymore.

  5. #5
    MaineLady is offline Advanced Beginner
    Windows 7 32bit Access 2013
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    I tried converting to text, tab delimited and the same thing keeps happening. I go through the steps and when I click the OK button nothing happens.

  6. #6
    orange's Avatar
    orange is offline Moderator
    Windows 10 Access 2010 32bit
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    Perhaps you could post a zip file containing your database and the excel file for readers to "experiment".

  7. #7
    MaineLady is offline Advanced Beginner
    Windows 7 32bit Access 2013
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    Appending Excel file

    Quote Originally Posted by orange View Post
    Perhaps you could post a zip file containing your database and the excel file for readers to "experiment".
    Sent zipped files to someone who told me he saved my excel file as a .xlsx VS .xlsm and it imported fine... I did the same thing and it still didn't work.

    I am working with someone at Microsoft now.

  8. #8
    orange's Avatar
    orange is offline Moderator
    Windows 10 Access 2010 32bit
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    Glad you have M$oft looking into it. You can zip and attach files within the forum if/when necessary.
    Good luck.

Please reply to this thread with any new information or opinions.

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