Source Excel spreadsheet linked to MS Access won't recognize text entries

[Tala8]

I have the source Excel spreadsheet linked to a MS Access Database where it is used to generate reports, billing etc.  AppSheet apps work great and update to the source Excel spreadsheet, but there are some long text fields, that, if entered via the app on my phone (or even the test app on my computer) I get an error in Access when I try to open the linked table in Access: "External table is not in the expected format." When I delete the text in the source Excel spreadsheet, it opens just fine.  If I enter the same text directly into the source Excel spreadsheet, the linked table in Access also opens fine.  Only when I enter the text via the app is when it bombs the linked table in Access.  It's like the app is adding some weird format that Access doesn't recognize.  

[AleksiAlkio]

I would test this with small steps so you could identify the reason. For example what happens if you type just one word, does it work then? When you add more text, when does it start to show that error? Is it because of some specific string or how long it is?

[Tala8]

Hi!  So I figured out that Access errors-out because the Excel spreadsheet has not been saved after Appsheet app enters data.  Unless I manually open the spreadsheet, save it, and close it, Access can't use it.  Any ideas on how to automate this?

[Mauricio_Bick]

Try creating a bat file and use windows task scheduler to run every x minutes.

Hope this helps.

[Tala8]

Thanks so much!  I created a bat file to save and close but then realized that it would get overwritten every time MS ACCESS exports the massaged data (because there is quite a bit of syncing that needs to be done between the app data and any MS Access data.  Exporting is the only way to have the updated data available for the app.

[Tala8]

Thanks.  You were right to suggest that.  The problem turned out to be that the data loaded via AppSheet isn't "saved" and so MS ACCESS doesn't see it.  If I open Google Sheets and manually save, then MS ACCESS can utilize the data entered via the App.

[AleksiAlkio]

Good to hear!