A Visual Basic project is designed to connect to an excel
spreadsheet using the datalink object found in the Vb
toolbox. When trying to connect to the spreadsheet at
design time, I get the error "Can't Find Installable
ISAM", followed by failure to connect. Also on start-up,
VB programs using the ado excel object to create excel
spreadsheets invoke this error message.

Microsoft associates this error with Access (Knowledge
Base article 150494) and recommends, among other things
checking the paths for the ISAM drivers found in the
MSACC20.ini file, however this file can't be found.

I am not using Excel, not Microsoft Access. Why do I get
this error?

Hi John,

have a try with google newsgroup search:

http://www.google.at/groups?num=100&...*&b tnG=Suche

or search yourself for exact phrase in groups *excel* for
Find Installable ISAM
at
http://www.google.com/advanced_group_search?hl=en

arno

"John Young" wrote ...

I am not using Excel, not Microsoft Access.

Complete this phrase: "I am using ..."

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I am trying to connect to Excel, not Access. The OS is Windows NT, and
the file was created using Excel 2003.
The program was created in VB6. I discovered more information on MSDN
which recommended installing Visual Studio Service Pack 6 in order to
correct the ISAM error. I did this, but am still getting the ISAM error
when I try to connect the data object to the Excel spreadsheet. Various
articles recommend modifying VB.ini or App.ini to make sure the path to
the ISAM libraries are present, however these files do not include any
paths similar to what is presented in the articles.

Interestingly, running the same program under Windows 2000 does not
generate the ISAM error. Note: neither the App.ini or Vb.ini files
vary between the operating systems.


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John Young wrote ...

I am trying to connect to Excel, not Access. The OS is Windows NT, and
the file was created using Excel 2003.
Interestingly, running the same program under Windows 2000 does not
generate the ISAM error.

The 'Could not find installable ISAM' error message can appear for all
sorts of reasons. The most obvious is getting the connection string
wrong e.g. change

Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;
Data Source=C:\Tempo\db.xls;
Extended Properties='Excel 8.0;HDR=Yes' ' << correct

to

Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;
Data Source=C:\Tempo\db.xls;
Extended Properties='Excel8.0;HDR=Yes' ' << error

If the same code works on another machine then you have to look at the
differences between the machines. If you are using a DSN rather than a
connection string, check both DSNs are the same.

The next obvious way of creating the aforementioned error is to change
something in the registry e.g. change

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Jet\4.0\ISAM Formats\Excel
8.0\Engine=onedaywhen

So there could be an issue with the registry. I can't think of any
applicable ini files.

Hopefully, looking for differences will highlight the problem before
you resort to rebuilding the machine.

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