XL2000: Error Message When You Refresh External Data Query or Connect to External Database Source (231078)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 2000
This article was previously published under Q231078

SYMPTOMS

When you refresh an external data query or try to connect to an external database source, you may receive the following error message:
Could not find installable ISAM.
When you click OK, you are prompted to select a directory. However, the external data query is not refreshed or the external database source is not connected to. When you click Cancel, you are unable to refresh the external data query or connect to the external database source.

CAUSE

This problem can occur if the following conditions are true:
  • You have previously connected to a FoxPro database from Microsoft Excel 97 by using the Microsoft FoxPro ODBC driver.

    -and-
  • You install or upgrade to Microsoft Excel 2000.

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, create a new connection or a new query to the external FoxPro database by using the Microsoft Visual FoxPro or Microsoft FoxPro VFP ODBC database drivers. To select the Microsoft Visual FoxPro driver while you are creating a new query, follow these steps:
  1. On the Data menu in Microsoft Excel, point to Get External Data, and then click New Database Query.
  2. On the Database tab, select the Visual FoxPro Database driver in the Choose Data Source dialog box.
  3. If the database to which you are connecting is in Visual Fox Pro format (.dbc), click Visual FoxPro database (.DBC) in the Configure Connection dialog box. If the database is in an earlier version of FoxPro (2.5 or 2.6), click Free Table directory in the Configure Connection dialog box.
  4. Click Browse, and then navigate to the folder that contains the FoxPro tables or database (.dbc).
  5. Click OK to connect to the database and continue creating the database query.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/5/2003
Keywords:kbbug kberrmsg kbnofix KB231078
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.