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MS Access 2013 Import / Export wizard functions don't work:

Anonymous
2015-03-13T20:08:05+00:00

MS Access Import/Export functions no longer work (not sure when they stopped):

  1. Open MS Access and select "External Data" on the menu bar.
  2. On the ribbon, select Import > Text File"

3, Use "Browse" button and select the appropriate delimited text file for input.

  1. Get the "Get External Data - Text File" menu box.
  2. Select radio button option: "Import the source data into a new table in the current database"
  3. Click OK.
  4. The menu box disappears, no subsequent screen to ask for fixed/delimited format or the delimite appears, instead nothing is imported.
  5. Same or similar result for "Export > Text File" no delimiter inquiry and no export occurs.

I verified that the MS Access Wizards are present:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\Root\Office15\ACCWIZ\

ACWZDAT12.ACCDU

ACWZLIB.ACCDE

ACWZMAIN.ACCDE

ACWZTOOL.ACCDE

ACWZUSR12.ACCDU

UTILITY.ACCDA

I used the MS Office 2013 online repair facility and no change.

Yes, I tried the following article and it did no good:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2739501

I then uninstalled MS Office 2013 and re-installed it - again no change.

My next step will be to tray and re-install Windows and then Office 2013.

Additional notes:

Friday, March 13, 2015 from (1:48 pm until 2:30 pm U.S. Central time - I called and talked to the Billing office who said MS Access should be covered under the Assure agreement, and transferred me back to Support.  Support said it is not covered and wants $499 per phone call (issue) for any Office module.  I told them to transfer me back to billing, and I confirmed I wanted to cancel and get my money back on the MS Assure Support agreement. Billing asked me to try again, and said they would stay on the line, and tell Support it was covered - and if Support continued to refuse to support MS Access issues, they would cancel my Support agreement and refund all my money.  Support then confirmed that a Microsoft Assure agreement DOES NOT over MS Office or any of its modules.   Four more transfers later (each person said it wasn't their problem and they could not help, someone else needed to handle it), I finally got my agreement cancelled and a refund.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Access | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-03-22T18:55:59+00:00

    This most certainly helps.  It was just last week that I tried to use the Text Export Wizard and instead received the error message that it was not accessible.  I just now uninstalled Windows update KB3085515 and the TE Wizard has been restored!

    Thank you very much, Peter, for this valuable post.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-03-17T02:46:17+00:00

    I don't know if this helps, but I had the same problem with Access in Office Professional 2010.  After pulling my hair out for many hours, I traced the problem back to a recent update KB3085515.  After I uninstalled this everything was fixed again.  I would guess that there was a similar update for Office 2013. 

    I wonder if Microsoft will make a contribution to my funeral costs for the early grave to which they are consigning me.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-05-13T15:04:38+00:00

    I am having the same problem as outlined above. Currently using Office 365 Pro Plus. Tried uninstall/reinstall with no success. Uninstalled all prior Office (2007) and components. Converted from Access 2007 databases to Access 2013 database. At this point will need to re-install Access 2007 in order to run the import functionality as I cannot find an answer to this issue in any boards.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-03-15T20:04:57+00:00

    Thank you Daniel! - for taking the time to look at my notes. I'm continuing my analysis and pondering of workarounds.

    "MS Access 2013 adventures in import / export" - Chapter Two: Additional diagnostics reported and basic software/harware environment info

    Additional diagnostic testing:

    1. Prior to this PC, on an entirely separate PC using OS Windows 7, MS Office 2010, MS Access 2010 - I used and maintained an MS Access db (of my own creation) where the Import/Export wizards worked fine.  I created and saved a variety of imports/exports.  I copied this database to my personal memory stick, and then to this new PC's hard drive. After conversion to 2013 format on this PC, all of these pre-existing imports/exports in this database are present and still work just fine.  It is only when I now try to create any NEW import or export for "Text Files" that I get the previously reported issue.
    2. I open up a brand new db instance, unrelated to any other previously existing db, and get the same results: when I try to create any NEW import or export that I get the previously reported issue (no import or export of text files).
    3. For the time being, I give up on creating new "Text Files" import/exports, and try Excel imports/exports.  Curiously enough, Excel export works fine and gives me a useable file.  Import does not work at all giving me a similar result

    to "Text Files"

     a. Open MS Access and select "External Data" on the menu bar.

     b. On the ribbon, select Import > Excel"

     c, Use "Browse" button and select the appropriate Excel file for input.

     e. Select radio button option: "Import the source data into a new table in the current database"

     f. Click OK.

     g. The menu box disappears, no subsequent screen to ask for anything.  Import table is NOT created, but "<filename>_ImportErrors" is created showing an expected 32 field truncation errors.

     Repeating these steps for "append" rather than "new table":

     a. Open MS Access and select "External Data" on the menu bar.

     b. On the ribbon, select Import > Excel"

     c, Use "Browse" button and select the appropriate Excel file for input.

     e. Select radio button option: "Append a copy of the records to a table": and in drop-down box select: "<table_to_be_appended_to_name>"

     f. Click OK.

     g. The menu box disappears, no subsequent screen to ask for anything.  Specified table is NOT appended to and "<filename>_ImportErrors" is not created.

    1. So out of curiosity, I try XML format just to see what will happen for XML imports/exports.  XML export works fine and gives me a useable XML file.  Import does not seem to want to allow me to import to specify the table I want to append to, so I would have to study it more to understand if XML importing will work.  Main issue is that "Text Files" and "Excel files" are still problematic.
    2. Next steps I will ponder:

     a. Wait a few days and see if anyone from the MS Community can advise me better.

     b. Possibly find someone trustworthy who can take a copy of my MS Access db, build the exports I need, and then give the database back. This is a short term solution.

     c. Go to the next level: backup the hard drive files, re-install OS Windows 8 system from scratch from Dell recovery stick, then re-install MS Office 2013 and see if the problem is resolved - before installing any other software.  Then re-check that the functionality is still present after re-installing each subsequent software package (i.e. AVG, Adobe Reader, Windows Essentials, etc.)  If functionality is restored and remains after each of these installs, I can theorize that this issue is not linked to them and must have been caused by some other activity which I missed.

     d. Wave my Ravenclaw scarf at the PC screen while chanting a Viking curse on behalf of the Norse gods.  It has worked on occasion.

     e. Need to ponder further.  the Game is Afoot.  This is definitely a two-pipe problem.  I can't seem to find Watson anywhere when I need him most.

    Software environment:

    OS Name Microsoft Windows 8.1 - Version 6.3.9600 Build 9600 (supplied with brand new PC in 2013)

    Microsoft Office Professional 2013 (purchased online from MS web store in 2013) Version 15.0.4693.1002 [as listed in "Add/Remove" program list]

    Microsoft Access 2013 (15.0.4691.1000) MSO (15.0.4693.1001) 32-bit [as listed in "MS Access > File > Account > About Access"] part of Microsoft Office Professional 2013

    Do you have multiple versions of Office/Access installed on the same machine?   NO.

    Even if you uninstalled the prior version?  No previous versions used or uninstalled that I am aware of.

    Other versions of either OS, MS Office, or MS Access or any other Office module installed on this PC: Not to my knowledge

    Possible exceptions:

    1. "Windows Essentials 2012" (Version 16.4.3528.0331 was installed for free from MS web page to use Photo Gallery - which appears to have installed:

     a. "Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Tools for Office Runtime" (Version 10.0.50903)

     b. "Microsoft SQl Server 2005 Compact Edition (EMU)" (Version 3.1.0000)

     c. "Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x64 Redistributable (Version 10.2.40219)

     d. "Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x86 Redistributable (Version 10.2.40219)

    1. "AVG Internet Security 2015" was licensed and installed:

     a. "Visual Studio 2012 x64 Redistributables (Version 14.0.0.1)

     b. "Visual Studio 2012 x86 Redistributables (Version 14.0.0.1)

    1. Java 8 Update 31 (Version 8.0.310))

    Hardware environment:

    System Manufacturer Dell Inc.

    System Model Inspiron 660

    System Type 64-bit operating system; x64-based PC

    Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3330 CPU @ 3.00GHz, 3001 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)

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  5. Anonymous
    2015-03-15T00:45:33+00:00

    Sorry to hear about your problems.  Very odd. I have tried numerous times to reproduce your issue following the steps you outline and never encounter the problem you describe.

    Normally I'd advise you to try an Office Repair.

    Out of curiosity, what is your Access build version?  2013 (15.0.4701.1001) ....

    Is this a stand alone version or is this part of Office365?  Where did you get it from?  What version of Office do you have?

    Do you have multiple versions of Office/Access installed on the same machine?  Even if you uninstalled the prior version?

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