Microsoft KB Archive/171899

= "Syntax Error in FROM Clause" When Getting External Data =

Article ID: 171899

Article Last Modified on 1/20/2007

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APPLIES TO


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

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This article was previously published under Q171899





SYMPTOMS
When you use Microsoft Query or Access 97 to return external data to a worksheet in Microsoft Excel or when you view returned data in Microsoft Query, you may receive the following error message:

Microsoft Query
Syntax error in FROM clause.

Access 97
This data source contains no visible tables.



CAUSE
This problem occurs if the following conditions are true:  You attempt to retrieve data from a Microsoft Access database.

-and- The path to the database or the database name itself contains a period (.), for example:

C:\My.Test\Northwind.mdb

-or- You attempt to retrieve data from a Microsoft Excel workbook.

-and- The table range in the workbook is called "Database".



WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, change the path to the database so that it does not contain any periods, for example:

C:\MyTest\Northwind.mdb C:\My Test\Northwind.mdb

NOTE: You may use a period before the file name extension (.mdb in this case).

Or, rename the table range in the workbook to a name other than "Database".



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

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MORE INFORMATION
When the file name path contains a period, the path is qualified incorrectly by Microsoft Query. As a result, the Structured Query Language (SQL) statement for the data you are retrieving is incorrect, and you receive the error message in the "Symptoms" section.

Additional query words: XL97 XL7 7.0 msquery get external data create new query XL

Keywords: kbbug kberrmsg KB171899

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