arcgis desktop failed to load data from excel table

[ShuhongYan]

I installed ArcGIS Desktop 10.61 but get the following error when trying to add an Excel table:"Failed to connect to database. An underlying database error occurred. Class not registered". When I was using ArcGIS 10.5, it didn't have this issue. I saw there were some posts regarding to this issue a long time ago and get resolved. I tried to follow up the solutions and all the answers are out of date.

Is there anyone who can share the latest answer? I really appreciate your help!

Thanks,

Shuhong

[shan_sarkar]

Shuhong,

You need to download & install

Download Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016 Redistributable from Official Microsoft Download Cent... 

or

Download Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable from Official Microsoft Download Cent... 

depending on your version of MS Office.

Make sure you close all arcgis sessions before installing it.

I hope this helps!

~Shan

[MattHeineman]

Hi all, I found this post and wanted to add I was having the same issues as Shuhong, but when I downloaded and ran the MS Redistributable drivers, it did not solve anything. ArcCatalog and ArcMap still will not allow me to see MX Excel 2016 xlxs worksheets.

[V_StuartFoote]

As Curtis notes, and per Esri in Understanding how to use Microsoft Excel files in ArcGIS—Help | ArcGIS Desktop  for Desktop you need the Microsoft OLE DB Provider for Jet 4.0 support provided in the Office 2010 drivers, the Office 2016 build does not suffice for Desktop. But it is the correct DB provider to use .XLSX sheets in ArcGIS Pro.

[curtvprice · Accepted solution]

There's a really good article in the docs about this, including good information on how Excel files are handled in ArcMap.  (The help article includes the link to the Office 2010 driver.)

Understanding how to use Microsoft Excel files in ArcGIS—Help | ArcGIS Desktop 

For the good of the thread here is the equivalent Pro article. Pro does not require the driver.

Work with Microsoft Excel files in ArcGIS Pro—Excel | ArcGIS Desktop 

[RichardDaniels]

You need the Microsoft Access Database Engine components 2010, version 14.0. The 2007 version work as well but that version has conflicts with versions of Office > 2016 (i.e., if you open Access it will upgrade any installed 2007 engine components to the 2016+ version -rebreaking the fix).

See:

Download Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable from Official Microsoft Download Cent... 

[curtvprice]

Yes -- the 2010 link is the one linked in the Esri Docs I linked. 

Thanks for bringing up the 2007/Office 2016 issue. Hopefully, the Esri link as it will stay updated with the software as we move forward and some other driver may be needed for ArcMap and Pro and future versions of Office. I wish this wasn't so complicated.