Problem:
When CHARTrunner attempts to read from an Excel 2007 XLSX workbook file, an error message that contains the words “External table is not in the expected format” is encountered.
CHARTrunner must use the ACE database engine in order to read data from files in Microsoft Office 2007 format, like the XLSX Excel workbook file.
This error stems from a bug in the ACE database engine. If the Excel 2007 workbook contains a worksheet dedicated to a single Excel chart (also called a “chart sheet”) the error occurs.
The ACE database engine is installed as part of the Microsoft Office 2007 installation. Or, if you do not have Microsoft Office 2007, the ACE database engine can be installed using the free “2007 Office System Driver: Data Connectivity Components” from Microsoft.
Microsoft has released a hotfix that corrects this error in the ACE database engine.
Solution:
If you already have Microsoft Office 2007 installed.
Follow these steps:
- If you have not yet installed Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 1 (or higher), the SP1 must be installed before applying the hotfix. The hotfix will refuse to install unless it detects SP1 components.
Details for getting Office 2007 SP1 can be found here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949585 - Download the hotfix here and install it:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;968861
If you are using the “2007 Office System Driver: Data Connectivity Components”.
Customers who do not have Microsoft Office 2007 can install the free “2007 Office System Driver: Data Connectivity Components” from Microsoft. The ACE database engine is included in this install. This allows CHARTrunner to fetch data from Office 2007 file formats (like XLSX workbooks) without having to purchase Microsoft Office 2007.
Follow these steps:
- Download the latest “2007 Office System Driver: Data Connectivity Components” from here (link to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=7554F536-8C28-4598-9B72-EF94E038C891&displaylang=en). If you previously installed the 2007 Office System Driver, uninstall it and then install from this download to ensure that you have the most recent version (currently version 2). The hotfix will not install with version 1 of the 2007 Office System Driver.
- Install the Data Connectivity Components SP2. The following link describes this service pack and has a download link. The hotfix will not install unless this has been installed:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;957262 - Download the hotfix and install it:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;968861
