Excel "External table is not in the expected format."

Question

"External table is not in the expected format." typically occurs when trying to use an Excel 2007 file with a connection string that uses: Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0 and Extended Properties=Excel 8.0

Using the following connection string seems to fix most problems.

public static string path = @"C:\src\RedirectApplication\RedirectApplication\301s.xlsx";
public static string connStr = "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=" + path + ";Extended Properties=Excel 12.0;";

Thanks for this code :) I really appreciate it. Works for me.

public static string connStr = "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=" + path + ";Extended Properties=Excel 12.0;";

So if you have diff version of Excel file, get the file name, if its extension is .xlsx, use this:

Private Const connstring As String = "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=" + path + ";Extended Properties=Excel 12.0;";

and if it is .xls, use:

Private Const connstring As String = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & "Data Source=" + path + ";Extended Properties=""Excel 8.0;HDR=YES;"""

(I have too low reputation to comment, but this is comment on JoshCaba's entry, using the Ace-engine instead of Jet for Excel 2007)

If you don't have Ace installed/registered on your machine, you can get it at: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/download/details.aspx?id=13255

It applies for Excel 2010 as well.

Just add my case. My xls file was created by a data export function from a website, the file extention is xls, it can be normally opened by MS Excel 2003. But both Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0 and Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0 got an "External table is not in the expected format" exception.

Finally, the problem is, just as the exception said, "it's not in the expected format". Though it's extention name is xls, but when I open it with a text editor, it is actually a well-formed html file, all data are in a <table>, each <tr> is a row and each <td> is a cell. Then I think I can parse it in a html way.

I had the same problem. which as resolved using these steps:

1.) Click File

2.) Select "save as"

3.) Click on drop down (Save as type)

4.) Select Excel 97-2003 Workbook

5.) Click on Save button

I had this same issue(Using the ACE.OLEDB) and what resolved it for me was this link:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2459087

The gist of it is that installing multiple office versions and various office sdk's, assemblies, etc. had led to the ACEOleDB.dll reference in the registry pointing to the OFFICE12 folder instead of OFFICE14 in

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE14\ACEOLEDB.DLL

From the link:

Alternatively, you can modify the registry key changing the dll path to match that of your Access version.

Access 2007 should use OFFICE12, Access 2010 - OFFICE14 and Access 2013 - OFFICE15

(OS: 64bit Office: 64bit) or (OS: 32bit Office: 32bit)

Key: HKCR\CLSID{3BE786A0-0366-4F5C-9434-25CF162E475E}\InprocServer32\

Value Name: (Default)

Value Data: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE14\ACEOLEDB.DLL

(OS: 64bit Office: 32bit)

Key: HKCR\Wow6432Node\CLSID{3BE786A0-0366-4F5C-9434-25CF162E475E}\InprocServer32\

Value Name: (Default)

Value Data: C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE14\ACEOLEDB.DLL