ACC2000: Error Message When You Attempt to Import or Link Certain File Types by FTP (207827)

Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

This article applies to a Microsoft Access database (.mdb) and to a Microsoft Access project (.adp).

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to import or link certain types of files from a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) site in Microsoft Access, you may receive an error message.

If you try to import or link a table from an Access database, you may receive the following error message:

Not a valid file name.

If you try to import or link a text file, you may receive the following error message:

Bad file name or number.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur because, for text files, Access uses an Open File command to populate the wizard with data; the Open File command does not support FTP.

For Access databases, this behavior is by design. Access does not support importing or linking an Access database through an FTP server.

NOTE: Access online Help explains that you cannot import or link through FTP to an Access database; however, Help does not mention that you cannot import or link text files through FTP. For Help topic locations, see the "References" section.

RESOLUTION

To work around this issue, copy or move the file to a local hard disk, floppy disk, or network drive, and then import or link the file.

You can import a text file from an FTP site if you use the TransferText action or method and import the file through a Visual Basic for Applications macro.

MORE INFORMATION

Some types of files, such as dBASE (.dbf) files, can be linked or imported by FTP, but text (.txt) and Access database (.mdb) files cannot.

Steps to Reproduce the Behavior

The following example assumes that you are using Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) with Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows NT.

Create a text file on an FTP site that you can access, such as C:\Inetpub\Ftproot.
Start Access and open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
On the File menu, point to Get External Data, and then click Import.
Select Text Files in the Files of type box.
Type the path to your FTP server in the File name box, for example, FTP://localhost.
Select your text file, and then click the Import button.

REFERENCES

For more information about importing or linking data from FTP sites, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type import or link (read-only) data on an ftp or http internet server in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

For more information about importing or linking data from local files, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type import or link data and import database objects in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.