Access crashes when importing dbf file

  • Thread starter Thread starter Steve
  • Start date Start date
S

Steve

I'm using Access 2003 and when I try to import a dbf file, Access crashes on
me. I've already tried repairs and uninstall/reinstall of Office but that
hasn't resolved the issue. I also am up to date on all service packs and
updates. Not sure what to try next.
 
I want to add that when I say crash, I mean it simply disappears without any
warning or error messages.
 
Steve said:
I'm using Access 2003 and when I try to import a dbf file, Access crashes
on
me. I've already tried repairs and uninstall/reinstall of Office but that
hasn't resolved the issue. I also am up to date on all service packs and
updates. Not sure what to try next.
Click to expand...
 
Any dbf file or just a particular file? If it's a particular file or file(s),
I'd try to find another dbf file from a different system and try to import it.
 
This is with any dbf file.

Jerry Whittle said:
Any dbf file or just a particular file? If it's a particular file or file(s),
I'd try to find another dbf file from a different system and try to import it.
Click to expand...
 
Did you also try a different computer? Or importing the dbf to Excel first?
The original dbf format was simply a fixed-length text file. If all else
fails, you could try importing it as fixed-length text. If I remember
correctly, the first character is a blank for a good row and a '*' for a
deleted row. The rest of the row is your data fields.
 
I'm using Access 2003 and when I try to import a dbf file, Access
crashes on me. I've already tried repairs and uninstall/reinstall
of Office but that hasn't resolved the issue. I also am up to
date on all service packs and updates. Not sure what to try next.
Click to expand...

Make sure the .dbf file name is eight characters or less.
ISTR that the import code balks at long file names on .dbf files.
 
Bob Quintal said:
Make sure the .dbf file name is eight characters or less.
ISTR that the import code balks at long file names on .dbf files.
Click to expand...

Good point! I'd forgotten that but I also seem to remember now that Bob
mentions it. You might also try a local folder with no spaces in the folder
names, and maybe no more than 8 characters for the folder names too. It's
been a while since trying to remember back to DOS days.
 
Thank you for the responses. This happens with all dbf files and all mdb
files on my computer. It works fine on other computers though so the issue
is just on my computer. Yes, I can import other file formats like Excel
files. So I could bring the dbf into Excel then from Excel to Access,
however, I perform this operation quite often so I would like for it to work.
When Access crashes, it creates the .ldb file and I have to open Access
again and close it for the .ldb to disappear.
And yes, I am using a dbf file w/less than 8 characters in the name and
there are no spaces in the path name...which is local.

If by "linking" you mean opening vs importing the dbf in Access then that
doesn't work either...it also crashes Access.
 
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