ACC1x: MS Access Hangs Importing Big Lotus 1-2-3 Spreadsheets

• Microsoft Access version 1.0

SYMPTOMS

Your computer stops responding ("hangs") when you are attempting to import a large spreadsheet (more than 64,000 cells) into Microsoft Access.

CAUSE

The Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet import option in Microsoft Access is limited to 64,000 formatted cells. By default, Lotus 1-2-3 formats all cells with the general format if they are not explicitly set to some other format by the user. As a result, if a Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet to be imported has more than 64,000 cells, then Microsoft Access cannot import it and the system may hang during the import process.

RESOLUTION

To import a Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet with more than 64,000 cells, you must first split the spreadsheet into separate spreadsheets so that the number of cells in each does not exceed 64,000.

The spreadsheet must be split--importing subranges from large spreadsheets does not eliminate the problem.

STATUS