Microsoft KB Archive/168870

= ACC97: Can't Export If File Name Is More Than 60 Characters =

Article ID: 168870

Article Last Modified on 1/19/2007

-

APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Access 97 Standard Edition

-



This article was previously published under Q168870



Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.



SYMPTOMS
When you try to export a Microsoft Access table or query that has a file name longer than 60 characters to Text, the export fails, and you receive the following error message:

Export Text Wizard

The database engine can't find

' '.txt

Make sure it is a valid parameter or alias name, that it doesn't include invalid characters or punctuation, and that the name isn't too long.

If you click OK to the message, you receive the following message:

  Export Text Wizard

An error occurred trying to export data from table

' .'

The data was not exported.



CAUSE
Microsoft Access has a limitation of 64 characters (including the dot (.) and the extension) for file names.



RESOLUTION
If you want to use a file name that is longer than the limit, first export the file as Text with a shorter name, and then rename it to the longer name.



Steps to Reproduce Behavior

 * 1) Open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
 * 2) Select the Customers table in the Database window.
 * 3) On the Edit menu, click Copy. On the Edit menu, click Paste. In the Paste Table As box, type a table name that contains more than 60 characters, and then click OK.
 * 4) Select the copy of the table in the Database window. On the File menu, click Save As/Export.
 * 5) In the Save As box, click "To an External File or Database," and then click OK.
 * 6) In the "Save Table '' In" dialog box, select Text files in the Save As Type box, and then click Export.
 * 7) When the Export Text Wizard opens, click Finish. Note that you receive the error message mentioned in the "Symptoms" section.

