Microsoft KB Archive/162582

= ACC: "Could Not Find Object" Error Importing MS Excel File =

Article ID: 162582

Article Last Modified on 1/19/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Access 95 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Access 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q162582



Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.



SYMPTOMS
When you try to import or link a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, if you click Show Named Ranges in the Import Spreadsheet Wizard or the Link Spreadsheet Wizard, you may receive the following error message.

In Microsoft Access 97

The Microsoft Jet database engine could not find the object ' '. Make sure the object exists and that you spell its name and the path name correctly.

In Microsoft Access 7.0

Couldn't find object ' '.

You may also receive this error if you use a macro or a Visual Basic for Applications procedure to import or link the spreadsheet.

NOTE: This error message has also been found to occur if a Microsoft Access 2.0 database is converted to Microsoft Access 7.0 or 97, and it includes a TransferSpreadsheet macro action or Access Basic code with a Range argument that contains the sheet name along with a named range. For example: DoCmd.TransferSpreadsheet acExport, 8, "MyTable", "C:\MyFile.xls", True, "MySheet!MyRange"



CAUSE
The named range you selected in the Import Spreadsheet Wizard or the Link Spreadsheet Wizard is longer than 64 characters. Although Microsoft Excel allows a name of up to 255 characters, the Microsoft Excel ISAM driver that Microsoft Access uses to import or link spreadsheets truncates a range name to 64 characters. The import or link fails because Microsoft Access cannot find the truncated range name in the spreadsheet.

The reason for the 64-character truncation is that Microsoft Access uses the name of the range as the table name in your database, and table names are limited to 64 characters.



RESOLUTION
There are two ways to work around this behavior.

Method 1
Open the spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel and define a name for the range that contains 64 characters or fewer. You do not need to delete the existing longer name. Then, when you use the Import Spreadsheet Wizard or the Link Spreadsheet Wizard in Microsoft Access, select the shorter defined name.

Method 2
Use the TransferSpreadsheet action in a macro or the TransferSpreadsheet method in a Visual Basic for Applications function to import or link a specific range in the spreadsheet. In the Range argument, specify the range by address rather than by name, for example "A1:E32." The following sample Visual Basic for Applications function demonstrates this method: Function ImpByAddress Docmd.TransferSpreadsheet acImport, acSpreadsheetTypeExcel97, _ "test", "c:\My Documents\Book1.xls",, "A1:E32" End Function



Steps to Reproduce Behavior
 Open a new, blank workbook in Microsoft Excel. In cell A1 type the word test and in cell B1 type the word Excel . Select cells A1 and B1, and on the Insert menu, point to Name, and then click Define. In the Define Name dialog box, type the following in the Names In Workbook box:

You_can_access_the_Microsoft_Knowledge_Base_from_the_Microsoft_Web_site

Click OK. With cells A1 and B1 still selected, again point to Name on the Insert menu, and then click Define. In the Define Name dialog box, type the following in the Names In Workbook box:

Access_the_Microsoft_Knowledge_Base_from_the_Microsoft_Web_site

Click OK. Save the workbook as C:\Test.xls, and close it.</li> Start Microsoft Access, and open the Northwind sample database.</li> On the File menu, point to Get External Data, and then click Import.</li> In the Import dialog box, select Microsoft Excel (*.xls) in the Files Of Type box, select C:\Test.xls, and then click Import.</li> In the Import Spreadsheet Wizard, click Show Named Ranges, and then select this range:

You_can_access_the_Microsoft_Knowledge_Base_from_the_Microsoft_Web_site

Note that you receive the error message. Select this range:

Access_the_Microsoft_Knowledge_Base_from_the_Microsoft_web_site

Note that the Wizard continues because you selected a named range fewer than 64 characters long.</li></ol>

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