Parse Error When Connecting to XLSX File

Chris_

I have a MS Excel xlsx file I'm trying to bring into Alteryx and whenever I connect to it I get the following error:

"Corrupt File: XML parse failure - cell has no column definition"

However, I have no issues opening this file in MS Excel or other ETL toolsets.

The file has about 15 tabs, no special characters in worksheet or workbook names, and no merged columns/rows.

This file is an auto-export from a source system and the only format that is available is xlsx.

Any thoughts would be very helpful.

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Aguisande

Hi @Chris_

Do a simple test for me please: rename your .XLSX file to .XLS and try again.

Or change the Excel type to Excel Legacy.

Chris_

@Aguisande wrote:
Hi @Chris_
Do a simple test for me please: rename your .XLSX file to .XLS and try again.
Or change the Excel type to Excel Legacy.

Changing the file type from XLSX to XLS does nothing to eliminate the error.

When I change the type in the connector to Excel Legacy it doesn't give the error but it brings in an entire sheet of nulls (even though it does bring in the correct number of columns and rows though).

AMalkin

I have the same exact issue. The Excel file I'm using is being generated by another RPA tool. The only solution we found was to literally open the Excel file, and re-save over the existing file. Only then it works, and I have no idea why.

himantkhurana

The error mentioned occurs sometimes when the excel sheet is protected.Please make sure the excel you are using is not protected. You can modify the excel and unprotect it.

unknown

I have the same issue. I have extracted .xlsx file from Power BI which published in web. When I tried to analysed the data I am experiencing this issue.

unknown

The solution that worked for me is by deleting the first two rows of the file.

amadra

**Update**

I found the issue and a solution.
Issue -> Power BI server automatically downloads the excel in legacy format.
Solution -> Import the Power BI export in Excel legacy format within the input tool.

In case you don't see the excel format, then you may need to enable the Microsoft excel legacy format.

The legacy format will allow you to import the file. You may need to import the file from line 3 (in case you have filters applied on Power BI export - which take up the first two lines).

dleonardi

Thanks @amadra I will try this out the next time I'm using something exported from Power BI. But I do see the Excel Legacy format in the Input tool and makes sense this should work. Just opening and saving the file must have been converting it to a regular .xlsx file instead of legacy I suppose.

flying008

Hi,@dleonardi @amadra

If you always get *.xls from PowerBI Server or other system, maybe you can use script run event before run to convent or save-as input's xls file.

AndrewPowell

Appreciate this thread is now getting a bit old but just had the same issue with a file before realising there was a group set on the rows in the worksheet. Ungrouped in Excel, saved and and the file imports fine.

Not going to be the case for every file that fails to import of course but thought I'd add this in case it helps anyone else.

ankur13agrawal

Hi,We are facing the same error,did you managed to find a solution for this

ankur13agrawal

Hi
I am facing the same error,did you managed to find a solution for it

MaciejG

Try opening and saving all of the files that are giving you this error.
Here is a quick python loop to do that for you (you can also do it manually if there are just a few files):

import os

from openpyxl import load_workbook

from openpyxl.workbook.workbook import Workbook

folder_path = "your folder path"

for filename in os.listdir(folder_path):

if filename.endswith(".xlsx"):

file_path = os.path.join(folder_path,filename)

wb = load_workbook(file_path)

wb.save(file_path)

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