Knowledge Base

ACC2000: Can't Export If File Name Is More Than 60 Characters

Article ID: 199271

Article Last Modified on 6/24/2004

Microsoft Access 2000 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q199271

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

SYMPTOMS

When you try to export a Microsoft Access table or query that has a file name longer than 60 characters to a text file, the export fails, and you receive the following error message:

Export Text Wizard

The object name <'table or query name'> you entered doesn't follow Microsoft Access object-naming rules.

If you click OK to the message, you receive the following message:

Export Text Wizard

An error occurred trying to export data from table <table or query name'> The data was not exported.

CAUSE

Microsoft Access has a limitation of 64 characters, including the dot (.) and the extension for file names.

RESOLUTION

If you want to use a file name that is longer than the limit, first export the file as a text file with a shorter name, and then rename it to the longer name.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

Open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
In the Database window, click Tables under Objects, and then select the Customers table.
On the Edit menu, click Copy. On the Edit menu, click Paste. In the Paste Table As box, type a table name that contains more than 60 characters, and then click OK.
Select the copy of the table in the Database window. On the File menu, click Export.
In the Export Table <'table name'> To dialog box, select Text Files in the Save as type box, and then click Save.
When the Export Text Wizard opens, click Finish. Note that you receive the error message mentioned in the "Symptoms" section.

REFERENCES

For more information about the limits of file names in Microsoft Access, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type Guidelines for naming fields, controls, and objects in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

Additional query words: prb The object name table or query name you entered doesn t follow Microsoft Access object naming rules

Keywords: kbprb KB199271