Formula from /xl/calcChain.xml part Error Excel

[mccartycp]

Hi everyone, 

I have found a few other people who experience this issue, but wasn't able to determine the cause or the fix. (The .xml error message is attached).

This usually occurs when we write to an excel workbook that has some additional add-in in play. Could this be what is causing this error? I don't know if that content it removed was necessary to the workbook or the add-ins that might be using it. 

Thanks for your help!

[fmvizcaino · Accepted solution]

Hi @mccartycp ,

I had this type of error before using a different tool and it was related to a graph, so it was only a matter of finding it (not so easy). But for your problem, maybe there is an easier solution below:

See if after that, the error happens once again.

1. Change the Excel file's extension from .xlsx to .zip.
2. Unzip the contents and go to /xl/ folder.
3. Delete caclChain.xml.
4. Re-zip the contents of the folder.
5. Change the extension from .zip back to .xlsx.
6. Open the xlsx file. Upon opening the file, if Excel will not find calcChain.xml, it will recalculate the formulas and will re-create the calcChain.xml file.
7. Refresh and save the file.

Best,

Fernando Vizcaino

[mccartycp]

Thanks so much for that - it solved the issue! The workbook was filled with Pivot Tables and that sounds similar to your previous situation. In layman terms, could explain to me exactly what the XML Calc does and are the implications of deleting it like that something that I'll have to look out for?

[fmvizcaino]

Hi @mccartycp ,

The Calculation Chain part specifies the order in which cells in the workbook were last calculated. It only records information about cells containing formulas

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/open-xml/working-with-the-calculation-chain

I think this xml file is used to optimize the calculations in your excel file by letting excel know the order of all the calculations. Since the file isn't needed, I think excel is able to create everytime by testing the faster way of doing the calculations.

Best,

Fernando Vizcaino

[WeiJianWEE]

Hi,

Thanks for the suggestion. It did solve the initial problem. However, we will need to keep reusing the same output file (prior period) as the input files (current period) again. It's impossible to ask the user to keep manually deleting the calChain.xml. Is there anyway for Alteryx to automatically delete this calChain.xml when they output to the excel file please or any alternative to it?

Thanks and regards,

Wei Jian 

[Kelly_Oleson]

Thank you for your solution!  It worked for me!

[KdnD]

Hi @fmvizcaino ,

Is there a way for Alteryx to do these tasks for the output files?