Import Spec does not exist

[Phil Trumpy]

I have an Access 2003 database that imports a number of different text files
once per week into various tables. These files have changes made to the
layouts now and then, in which case, I usually start a manual import, change
the Import Spec accordingly and save it over the other one. Now, I normally
do this in a test version and then when I am ready to make the change in the
live DB, I copy and paste that spec from the test copy to the live copy. It
has always worked fine.

Well, recently, there have been file layout changes to 3 of the files I use.
Now, for these files, I get an error stating that the import spec does not
exist and I cannot do the import. I have unhidden the system tables and can
see the import specs there, but I cannot use them.

I have two questions:

1) Is there any way to fix this issue in the database without importing all
objects to a new blank database and recreating the import specs?

2) What could have caused this. This issue will happen all the time as
people are constantly asking for changes made to these .csv files. I don't
want to go through this every time a layout changes.

Thanks in advance for your time. I am using Access 2003 on a Windows XP Pro
Service pack 2 machine.

 

[Brian]

Not sure what caused it, but you could manually delete the import specs (do a
DB backup first, then start a manual import and use the Delete option in the
Advanced where where you normally modify the specs), do a compact/repair,
then import them from your test system. Just make sure the test system has
only the necessary specs so you don't get extras, then uncheck everything
except Import/Export Specs during an import from the test to the live. This
will re-import just the specs - probably less work than importing everything
else to a new DB>

 

[Brian]

....or you might first try exporting just the specs to another blank DB to see
if they export correctly.

 

[Phil Trumpy]

Brian,

Thanks for the reply. I got this to work shortly after posting this message
and haven't checked back until now. I can't remember exactly what I did, but
it did involve importing the specs into a new DB. After that, they worked as
always. Very strange.