Input Tool (From Excel File) Keeps Changing Field Name to "00:00:00" after a few runs

[Dsimps92]

Hi All,

I have a workflow that is using an Input Tool to load some data from an Excel File. I am then writing over that data later in the program. Everything works fine for a few runs, but eventually I keep ending up with this issue where Alteryx is showing the Field Name as "00:00:00" despite the field name in the excel file itself still being "COLLECTION POINT TIME STAMP". Any Idea why this keeps happening? Once the issue starts happening, I have to delete the input tool and create a new one for the workflow to run again. It then works fine again for a couple runs.

[apathetichell · Accepted solution]

are you outputting over a column with existing formatting? is your range correct? are you using output data with keep column headers selected? do you have a select tool before the output data? can you share the configuration?

Lots of questions here - you'll probably need to provide more workflow details before someone can suggest a fix.

[Dsimps92]

Ah, you led me to a solution. The data in the column is a date, but Alteryx is outputting the Field Name as a Date too. That seems odd it would do that, even despite me having "Preserve Formatting on Overwrite" and a range specified. Either way, thanks! 

[apathetichell]

my hunch was that you had the range off by 1 or something - and that you were writing the data into the header - when you meant to skip your header and start your range at row 2... It could be a slew of things though - glad you got it solved.

[robwalks]

I've just been having this same issue, randomly some of my columns were being renamed to 00:00:00 and variants of this such as 00:00:00_1 etc., which was driving me crazy.

I fixed it by changing the input file type to "Microsoft Excel Legacy" which resolved the issue immediately! Thought it might help others that come across the same issue.