XL: "Unable to Write to Database" Error with Template Wizard
ID: Q171579
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The information in this article applies to:
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Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
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Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
SYMPTOMS
If you use a template created by the Template Wizard to create a new
record in a database, you may receive the following error message:
Unable to write to database. Make sure database is not protected and
has valid field data-types.
CAUSE
This problem may occur if all of the following conditions are true:
- You are using a Microsoft Access database.
-and-
- The table in which you save the records has a primary field.
-and-
- The data type for the primary field is set to Number instead of the
AutoNumber default type.
NOTE: The data type for the primary field is set to number if you
created the database in Microsoft Access.
-and-
- In the Template Wizard, you do not link the primary field to any cells
on the worksheet.
When you use a template created by the Template Wizard to create new
records in the table, any fields of the Number type that are not
explicitly linked to worksheet cells receive a value of zero each time you
save a new record. Therefore, if the primary key is set to the Number data
type and you try to save the second record to the table, you receive the
error message described in this article. This behavior occurs because the
primary key cannot have the same value (in this case zero) in multiple
records in the same table.
This behavior is by design of the Template Wizard in Microsoft Excel.
RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, change the data type of the primary field to
AutoNumber. After you do this, Microsoft Access generates a unique number
for this field for each record in the table.
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 enter 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, click the Office
Assistant, type "template wizard," click Search, and then click to view
"What is the Template Wizard with Data Tracking?"
NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the
Standard toolbar. If Microsoft Help is not installed on your computer,
please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q120802 Office: How to Add/Remove a Single Office Program or Component
Additional query words:
XL97
Keywords : kberrmsg kbinterop kbtool xlwiz xladdins
Version : :; Win95:7.0,7.0a
Platform : Win95
Issue type : kbprb