XL2000: "Unable to Write to Database" Error with Null String (214370)

SYMPTOMS

If you are saving a template that was created by using the Template Wizard in Microsoft Excel, you may receive the following error message:

Unable to write data to database. Make sure database is not protected and has valid field data-types.

and you cannot save data to the database.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when all of the following conditions are true:

You are saving your data to a Microsoft Access database.

-and-
One of the fields in your Access database is linked to a worksheet cell that contains a formula.

-and-
The formula returns a null string ("").

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, modify the worksheet formula so that it does not return a null string ("").

For example, if the worksheet contains the following formula

   A1: 1   B1: =IF(A1=1,"","not 1")

and cell B1 is linked to a field in your database, you receive the error message when you try to save data. To prevent the message from appearing, change the formula in cell B1 to the following:

   =IF(A1=1," ","not 1")

NOTE: The only difference between the two formulas is that the second one contains a space between the quotation marks.

MORE INFORMATION

The Template Wizard with Data Tracking add-in creates a template that links selected cells in a workbook to fields in a database. When you base a new workbook on the template and type data in the linked cells, Microsoft Excel creates a new record in the database and copies the data to the corresponding data fields.

REFERENCES

For more information about the Template Wizard with Data Tracking, click Microsoft Excel Help on the Help menu, type What is the Template Wizard with Data Tracking? in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.