Error when trying to upload 5gb text file through 'Get external data'

[fedyazar]

The title says it all. I have a 5gb tab-delimited text file that I want Access to upload. When I try, the Import Text Wizard says, simply, 'Bad file name or number.' I've tried splitting the file into chunks with Gsplit and uploading it piecemeal. That's giving a whole different set of errors.



Any and all advice = many thanks and much appreciation.

Fedyazar

[ssanfu]

Access has a maximum file size of 2 GB minus overhead. Your text file is 5 GB. Hmmmm.


You could try linking to the text file, then use queries to copy data you need from the text file to one or more tables.

You could write VBA code to open the text file and read line by line, processing as required. Might (probably) take a lot of time.


If you meed more space or you want to import more 5 GB files, SQL Express (free) can handle 10GB......

[Micron]

I believe the max db size for 2007 (and maybe all thereafter) is 2GB, so I think you will not import all of it using any approach. Did you consider linking to it as a table instead? You'd need to stay below the max field limit (255). Another approach might be to bust it up into Excel files and link to those as tables.