Error: Failed to run external program

[mosellecu]

I am trying to upload a workflow whose first step is to run a macro to convert input files from.xls to .xlsx. However, I am getting the following error for each of the input xls files on the Alteryx Server:

"Tool #5: Record #1: Tool #1: Failed to run external program "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\excelcnv.exe": The system cannot find the file specified. (2) (Tool Id: 34)"

The xls files are all in the correct path, and this error does not occur when I run the workflow on Alteryx Designer.

Do note that I also added Office Access Database Engine 16.0.x64 for this workflow to run on Designer (if this will have an impact on the error of running on UAT)

Please help me troubleshoot.

[gabrielvilella]

Usually the Office tools are not installed on the Server machine, which is required for this process you are doing. You need to contact the IT team to see if it is possible to have them installed there. 

[NicolasSz · Accepted solution]

I had the same issue in the past. You need to install excel in your server. If you are not managing the server yourself, as @gabrielvilella said, you need to contact your IT department so that they can install it. 

They might ask why you need to have excel in the server ( which is not best practice) and then you can explain that you only need excelcnv.exe to convert from xls to xlsx. 

When you run the workflow in your Designer it's running within the context of your PC which most probably already have excel installed, thats why you dont have this error.