Microsoft Access error

brenda1519 · 11-03-2009, 09:41 AM

I am trying to automate some financial reporting for one of our staff members. He receives 48 emails every quarter with an excel file attached with that division's figures. He was manipulating the data so every one was in exactly the same cells then copying and pasting to a workbook which had links to the summary.

What I have done is link the 48 spreadhsheets to an access database and queried on the results. My idea is that when he receives the email all he has to do is save as "*.xls" and overwrite the current file. Then in Access he refreshes the linked tables and runs the query. No manipulation of the files is needed and it is (theoretically a five minute procedure instead of a five day procedure).

Everything works with the sample excel files but when I "save as" from the email attached file and then try to refresh the linked tables in access I get the following error message:
****$ is not a valid name. Make sure it does not include invalid characters...

I have not changed the file name as I am overwriting the sample excel file that work fine. If I open the email attachment, copy, and paste the data into the existing sheet and resave it works fine but not the route I was hoping for!

Sorry for the long winded message but I was trying to be clear on what I am attempting to do :). Thx for any help! Brenda

aurelius2000 · 11-04-2009, 02:35 PM

Make sure the file name does not have any odd characters. Check for these characters in the file name:

\/:*?"<>|

If none of those characters are in the name of the file, then the more likely problem is converting from the email attatchment to an xls file. That is my sugggestion.

The invalid characters reference in the error refers to the characters i provided. Hope this helps!

11-03-2009, 09:41 AM	#1 (permalink)
brenda1519 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 1 OS: XP	Microsoft Access error I am trying to automate some financial reporting for one of our staff members. He receives 48 emails every quarter with an excel file attached with that division's figures. He was manipulating the data so every one was in exactly the same cells then copying and pasting to a workbook which had links to the summary. What I have done is link the 48 spreadhsheets to an access database and queried on the results. My idea is that when he receives the email all he has to do is save as ".xls" and overwrite the current file. Then in Access he refreshes the linked tables and runs the query. No manipulation of the files is needed and it is (theoretically a five minute procedure instead of a five day procedure). Everything works with the sample excel files but when I "save as" from the email attached file and then try to refresh the linked tables in access I get the following error message: ***$ is not a valid name. Make sure it does not include invalid characters... I have not changed the file name as I am overwriting the sample excel file that work fine. If I open the email attachment, copy, and paste the data into the existing sheet and resave it works fine but not the route I was hoping for! Sorry for the long winded message but I was trying to be clear on what I am attempting to do :). Thx for any help! Brenda

11-04-2009, 02:35 PM	#2 (permalink)
aurelius2000 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 145 OS: Windows XP SP3/Windows Vista SP2	Re: Microsoft Access error Make sure the file name does not have any odd characters. Check for these characters in the file name: \/:*?"<>\| If none of those characters are in the name of the file, then the more likely problem is converting from the email attatchment to an xls file. That is my sugggestion. The invalid characters reference in the error refers to the characters i provided. Hope this helps!