Data Type Mismatch

Question

I have several Access 2013 databases into which I import Excel data to process (and subsequently export) - all manually (no macros).

One day (yesterday) - this process stopped working.  

When I try to import, I get a "Type Mismatch" Error pop-up.  When I click OK, I get an incompletely formed window with "mx_FrmMain" in the title bar, a white field across the top, a blank field in the middle with vertical and horizontal slide bars, a gray field at the bottom and 4 buttons "Cancel" "<Back" (which is greyed out), "Next>" and "Finish".

Clicking "Next" results in "The expression you entered refers to an object that is closed or doesn't exist" (which makes sense since no data was imported, no table was created).

It doesn't matter whether I attempt to import files that used to work in the past, a simple and small data set (3 rows, "a", "b", "c" as the column headers and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 spread across 3 columns and 2 rows).  I get the same error.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled all of Office 2013.  Immediately upon re-install - it seemed to work (that is, the "type mismatch" error message didn't occur, but something wasn't right with the data.  (It appeared that "0" (zero) values were being imported incorrectly - I ran out of time to debug.  When I came in this morning, when I started Office, I got a "configuration in process" message (that I didn't get yesterday).  After that, I was back to where I started yesterday - no import - Type Mismatch Error.

If I start with a completely blank database, the import from Excel works fine.  If  I copy the queries in from an older database - everything runs fine.  But, when I attempt to import new data into that database, I get back to the "Type Mismatch" error.  I don't understand why the import doesn't work if queries are present.

I am using Windows 7 Enterprise - Version 6.1 (build 7601: Service Pack 1)

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013 - Version 15.0.4859.1000 32-bit

Office 2013

Answer 1

Have you tried doing an import on another PC?

Answer 2

Linking gives the same error "Type Mistmatch"

Answer 3

Have you tried just linking and then appending the data?

P.S. - Formatting just changes the display, not the data in the cell.

Answer 4

I select the Excel icon from the "Import and Link" ribbon.  The "Get External Data - Excel Spreadsheet" window opens.  I choose the file I want by selecting "Browse".  I have "Import the source data into a new table in the current database" selected.  When I select "OK", I get the error.

So, if it is a new table - there shouldn't be any pre-defined data types in Access.

The data fields in Excel have been explicitly (by me) formatted as "number", "date", or "text".

The problem is this used to work - until this week.  I've changed nothing in either the formatting or content of the source Excel file or the Access database.  I've tried importing new data into a new copy of the database.  I've tried importing old data into an old copy of the database and the error is the same.

I don't think it is a data type/format problem.  Something about how Access is processing incoming data when there is already content in the database is new.

Answer 5

Are you importing directly to a table? If so, check the datatypes of the fields in the table. It looks like you are only importing numeric data so each of the fields should be a numeric datatype