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  1. #1
    securitywyrm is offline Advanced Beginner
    Windows 7 64bit Access 2010 64bit
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    97

    How do I set an Excel file so that Access can edit its contents?

    I've got a linked excel table, but none of my forms are able to edit the data. I just get 'This recordset is not updateable." I remember there was something about changing a 'deny readwrite" property, but it's been awhile and I'm on a ridiculous time crunch to clean filthy data.



    Any help would be appreciated.

  2. #2
    isladogs's Avatar
    isladogs is offline MVP / VIP
    Windows 10 Access 2010 32bit
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    Jan 2014
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    Somerset, UK
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    5,954
    It is not possible to edit Excel files in Access. The functionality was removed about 20 years ago due to a legal issue.
    IIRC You get an error something like 'updating linked tables in this ISAM are not supported'
    Colin, Access MVP, Website, email
    The more I learn, the more I know I don't know. When I don't know, I keep quiet!
    If I don't know that I don't know, I don't know whether to answer

  3. #3
    securitywyrm is offline Advanced Beginner
    Windows 7 64bit Access 2010 64bit
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    Quote Originally Posted by ridders52 View Post
    It is not possible to edit Excel files in Access. The functionality was removed about 20 years ago due to a legal issue.
    IIRC You get an error something like 'updating linked tables in this ISAM are not supported'
    What the hell... wouldn't any patent from 20 years ago be expired at this point?

    It's excel and access, how can one updating the other be a lawsuit?

    Portugal. Of course. Patent troll capital. Hue hue all the way to the bank.

  4. #4
    isladogs's Avatar
    isladogs is offline MVP / VIP
    Windows 10 Access 2010 32bit
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    The work round is of course to import the Excel file as an Access table, edit it then export back to Excel
    Colin, Access MVP, Website, email
    The more I learn, the more I know I don't know. When I don't know, I keep quiet!
    If I don't know that I don't know, I don't know whether to answer

  5. #5
    Micron is offline Virtually Inert Person
    Windows 10 Access 2016
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    Jun 2014
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    Ontario, Canada
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    12,737
    M$ "stole" the idea from the developer and didn't/wouldn't pay for licensing. They lost the court case and had to remove the capability, which they did via Office updates. So if you were using it (as was I) things broke. Interesting that after losing, they could have done the right thing and paid, but that's why I call them M$.

    Suggest you keep the linked table (which will provide automatic synching) and copy the data from it to a local table in your db. If you don't want to over-write or duplicate data, prevent that in your query/table design.
    The more we hear silence, the more we begin to think about our value in this universe.
    Paraphrase of Professor Brian Cox.

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