Distributed Queries in SQL Server, data from XLS - excel

Question

I would like to create a view in SQL Server 2008 that displays the data contained in an Excel file.
I do not want to use the import data as these data are updated.
I found this: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321686/en
I made these commands to enable some options :
sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1
RECONFIGURE
GO
sp_configure 'ad hoc distributed queries', 1
RECONFIGURE
GO
But when I try to read the Excel file with this query:
SELECT * FROM INTO XLImport3 OPENDATASOURCE ('Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0', 'Data Source=C:\Documents and Settings\jconnor\Desktop\Test.xlsx') ... [Sheet1$]
I back (it's a translation from french) :
The OLE DB provider " Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0 " for linked server " (null) " returned >message " Unspecified error " .
Msg 7303 , Level 16 , State 1, Line 1
Unable to initialize the object data source OLE DB provider " Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0 " for >linked server " (null) " .
Does someone have any clue ?
Thank you in advance

Answer 1

Kal,
So your main error is likely this;
OLE DB provider "MICROSOFT.JET.OLEDB.4.0" for linked server "(null)" returned message "Unspecified error".
Msg 7303, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
Cannot initialize the data source object of OLE DB provider "MICROSOFT.JET.OLEDB.4.0" for linked server "(null)".
I would check some permissions.
Check the permissions on the Temp folder
This is needed because the provider uses the temp folder while retrieving the data. The folder can be one of the below based on whether you use a local system account or network domain account.
For network accounts, folder is
\Windows\ServiceProfiles\NetworkService\AppData\Local\Temp
and for local system account its \Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Temp
Right click on this folder and give it read write access to the account (or group) executing the code. That solved the error for me.
Also
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/spike/archive/2008/07/23/ole-db-provider-microsoft-jet-oledb-4-0-for-linked-server-null-returned-message-unspecified-error.aspx
This is because the SQL Server Service is trying to write the temp DSN to the temp folder for the login that started the service, in this case the Admin/Admin login.
The temp folder is something like: C:\Documents and Settings\Admin\Local Settings\Temp
.15 As mentioned, the OleDbProvider will always execute in the context of the user who initialized it, in this case User/User.
.16 User/User has no rights on this folder (C:\Documents and Settings\Admin\Local Settings\Temp).
If running FileMon when the SQL is executed, we can see the following:
(Actually, try using Process Monitor - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645)
sqlservr.exe:000 QUERY INFORMATION C:\DOCUME~1\Admini~1\LOCALS~1\Temp ACCESS DENIED Attributes: Error
So to summarize so far:
The SQL Server service is started as Admin/Admin, when the select is made, the OleDb provider is invoked by User/User.
Now the OleDb provider attempts to create a temporary DSN in the temp directory. This will be the temp directory for the SQL Server service (Admin/Admin)
but the user (in this case User/User) does not have write permissions on this folder. And the error occurs.
There are two ways to resolve this.
Option 1:
Log out of the machine and log in as the account that starts the SQL Server Service (in this case Admin/Admin) then start a command prompt
and type “set t” (no quotes), this will show something like:
TEMP=C:\DOCUME~1\Admin\LOCALS~1\Temp
TMP=C:\DOCUME~1\Admin\LOCALS~1\Temp
these are the environment variables set for %TEMP% and %TMP%, so go to that folder and right click and select Properties -> Security,
then add the user, in this case User/User, note that the default for the user is Read&Execute/List Folder Content/Read, this not enough, you have to select Write as well.
Log out, and log in again as User/User and rerun the command from SSMS. This time it should work.
Option 2:
Log on as Admin and change the TEMP and TMP variable to, for example, C:\Temp, basically this moves the Temp directory out of the Documents and Settings folder.
However, you must restart the SQL server for this to take effect.
So basically, what happens is that when SQL Server starts, it uses the Temp folder of the startup account (Admin/Admin) but the MICROSOFT.JET.OLEDB.4.0 will always execute
as the user who calls the SQL command (User/User) and this will fail unless this user does not have Write access to that temp folder.
Without knowing all setups out there, perhaps option 2 is the preferred solution since with option 1, you will have to add ALL the users that will invoke the provider which may not be practical.
Also, when changing the startup account for the SQL Server service, then the TEMP directory for that account will be used, and you will see the error again until you, again, give write permissions for all the users on this TEMP folder...or a user group (preferred).