Microsoft KB Archive/190186

= ACC: Errors Refreshing Linked Text File via Linked Table Mgr =

Article ID: 190186

Article Last Modified on 1/23/2007

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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 Q190186



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



SYMPTOMS
When you try to refresh a link to an external text file by using the Linked Table Manager from within Microsoft Access, you may receive one of the following error messages:


 * Application-defined or object-defined error.

-or-
 * The text file specification ' Link Specification' does not exist. You can't import, export, or attach using the specification.



CAUSE
The Linked Table Manager requires an information file called Schema.ini to determine the characteristics of the text file, such as column names, field lengths, and data types. Text files linked through the Link Text Wizard do not use the Schema.ini to determine the characteristics of the file.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, you must first create a Schema.ini file and link the external text file by using the TransferText method in a macro or in a Visual Basic for Applications function.

NOTE: The Schema.ini file must reside in the same folder as the text file(s) it describes.

For more information about creating a Schema.ini, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

149090 ACC: How to Use Schema.ini for Accessing Text Data

155512 ACC: How to Create a Schema.ini File Programmatically



Steps to Reproduce Behavior

 * 1) Start Microsoft Access, and open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
 * 2) Click to select the Employees table.
 * 3) On the File menu, click Save As/Export.
 * 4) In the Save As dialog box, click "To an External File or Database," and then click OK.
 * 5) In the "Save Table 'Employees' In" dialog box, select the folder to which you want to export the file.
 * 6) From the Save As Type list, select Text Files. Type Emp.txt in the File Name box. Click Export.
 * 7) When the Text Export Wizard starts, click Finish.
 * 8) On the File menu, point to Get External Data, and then click Link Tables.
 * 9) From the Files Of Type list, select Text Files. Point to the folder selected under step 5, and click to select Emp.txt. Click Link.
 * 10) When the Link Text Wizard starts, click Finish.
 * 11) Close and re-open Microsoft Access.
 * 12) Open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
 * 13) On the Tools menu, point to Add-Ins, and then click Linked Table Manager. Select the Emp table check box, and then click OK.

Note that you receive one of the error messages mentioned in the "Symptoms" section.

Keywords: kbprb KB190186

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