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Alteryx Designer Desktop Knowledge Base

Definitive answers from Designer Desktop experts.

How to Enable Microsoft Excel Binary, Excel Legacy, Access (accdb) for In/Out tools

clarab
Alteryx
Alteryx
Created

How To: Enable Microsoft Excel Binary, Excel Legacy, Access (accdb extension) for In/Out tools

 

The following formats may not be found in the "File Format" option in the In/Out tools and require a separate installation from Microsoft:

  • Microsoft Excel Binary (.xlsb)
  • Microsoft Excel Legacy (.xlsx)
  • Microsoft Access (.accdb)

 

Note that these drivers do not come with our installation but from Microsoft Office or separate driver installation.

 

Environment

  • Alteryx Designer
    • All versions

 

Procedure

1. For Alteryx Designer version up to 2021.1, you will need to use Microsoft Acess Database Engine 2010 Redistributable (32-bit). To download this driver, go to Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable  
From Alteryx Designer version 2021.2 onwards, Microsoft Access Database Engine 2013 is supported. You may download this from Microsoft Access 2013 Runtime  
Microsoft Office 2013 went out of support in April 2023. Alteryx launched support for MS Access 2016/2019 as part of version 2022.3.1_Patch3  and 2023.1. To download the drivers, go to Microsoft Access 2016 Runtime or Microsoft 365 Access Runtime
2. Follow the instructions to download the installer.
3. Run the installer.
4. After installation, you should be able to find the Excel Binary, Excel Legacy, and Microsoft Access (.accdb) options in the Input Data tool and the Output Data tool.

clarab_0-1578965990081.png

 



Comments
lepome
Alteryx Alumni (Retired)

Please note that you need to install the Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable 32-bit driver.  If you also need the 2016 Redistributable installed to support other software, then what you can do is to (and the order matters here) install the 2016 64-bit, and then install the 2010 32-bit. 

 

You cannot install two different redistributables of the same "bitness" without errors, so this might involve uninstalling a driver or two first.

Sureshpa
7 - Meteor

Team,

 

I have installed, but also unable to read.

 

same error showing.

 

lepome
Alteryx Alumni (Retired)

A tip from another Community user:

If you get messages saying that you cannot install the Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016 Redistributable of either "bitness" because you have the other "bitness" Office products currently installed and at the bottom of these messages they mention Click-to-Run Extensibility Component, this link and this link may be helpful to you.

 Can't install 32-bit.pngCan't install 64-bit.png

terpguy80
6 - Meteoroid

I can confirm LisaL's very good comment that the 2010 version of the Microsoft Access Database Engine must be used and not the 2016 version in order for .xlsb files to work in Alteryx.  I first installed the 2016 version and it didn't work.  After installing the 2010 version, it worked.  Thanks Lisa!

AndySemlerZB
5 - Atom

Confirmed: installed 2010 version and it immediately solved this issue. 

Mahadeva
8 - Asteroid

Hi All, @clarab 

 

We are using Alteryx Designer version 2020.4 in one of our Azure servers for development which has Microsoft Access database engine 2010.

Since Microsoft has stopped supporting the 2010 version and below, we are requested by our infra team to upgrade the database engine to Microsoft Access database engine 2016 or 2019.

 

Based on the information that other users have provided in this post, Microsoft Access database engine version 2010 is mandatory to read Microsoft Excel Binary (.xlsb) files as input.

 

Hence, would like to know if there are any impacts on the existing workflows or features in Alteryx due to this engine update.?

 

Appreciate your help and support in advance.

clarab
Alteryx
Alteryx

@Mahadeva For 2020.4, we only support MS Access Engine 2010 (32-bit). If you replace this with version 2016, you will likely be unable to use Excel Binary in Designer anymore.

lepome
Alteryx Alumni (Retired)

@Mahadeva 
As noted in my comment, you can use both the 32-bit 2010 and a 64-bit 2016.  Using only 2016 will limit the capabilities of Designer.

Mahadeva
8 - Asteroid

Appreciate your quick response. Thank you. @clarab @lepome 

Mahadeva
8 - Asteroid

Hi @lepome @clarab 

 

Would like know if Alteryx 2021.3 support Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016 version. If so, is Excel Binary option enabled to read .xlsb files by default.

Due to security concerns, we cannot have Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 version in our systems.

 

Appreciate your quick response.

lepome
Alteryx Alumni (Retired)

@Mahadeva 
Empirically, 2016 does not work.  2013 does if you are running 2021.2 or later.  I think 2013 works whether you use the 32-bit or the 64-bit, but I have not explicitly tested that.

Mahadeva
8 - Asteroid

@lepome Thank you Lisa. Appreciate your quick reply.