[Adding xls] Having issues with adding .xls files to a project

[StevenDeckard]

Specs:

• ArcGIS Pro Desktop v.3.0.1
• Windows 11
• .NET v.6.0

Good morning,

I'm trying to create a very basic map by bringing in an edited .xls file.

I'm attempting to add the file in via folder connection. When I get to the folder and the specific file, I hit refresh on the .xls and I'm unable to drag it into my contents. 

This is then followed by a buffering icon and the ArcGIS Pro program "sort of" freezes. I'm able click some buttons but they don't actually work. Perhaps a more appropriate way to describe it is  "soft freeze."

I'm including a screenshot of what I'm seeing, but I don't think that would help much.

[DanPatterson]

Check your drivers

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

and it is always best to use the real tool than relying on shortcuts

Excel To Table (Conversion)—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

it handles more than can be accomplished by a drag and drop

[StevenDeckard]

I'll give this a shot and let you know how it goes.

[StevenDeckard]

I went ahead and:

• Checked my Win Drivers (all good)
• Tried to add the .xls file via the "Add Data" method (no good)
  • It's stuck refeshing the file, trying to find it when I select it.
• Official Refresh Excel Tool (no good, it's stuck during the buffering)
  
  • Same as above.
• I've even tried a different file format .xlsx
  • No dice.

I'm not sure if you'd be interested in trying it out yourself. It literally shouldn't take more than 2-3 minutes.

I'll be attaching the .xlsx file here. For whatever reason, the Esri Community boards won't let me attach a plain .xls

I have a hunch that it's either:

• Some unforeseen incompatability issue with v.3.0.1 and excel files

or

• Something is wrong with my PC and how I installed Pro.

[DanPatterson]

Spin it does... so on to plan 2.

Save excel to *.csv

Arcpro, add standalone table (the csv ) to the project

Table to table if you want it as a gdb table.

See attached and see if anything is amiss

[StevenDeckard]

---

@DanPatterson wrote:

Spin it does... so on to plan 2.

Haha. I see that you're also running into the "buffering" issue. Unless you have some idea as to why it's not adding into Pro for some reason, I'm convinced it's a bug of some sort.

I appreciate your help with this. The .CSV is infact a workaround and does work for me on my end.

Alas, my assignment requires that I "take screenshots" of the joined tables that I'm working with:

• One screenshot of a joined table between the shapefile and the .csv
• One screenshot of a joined table between the shapefile and the .xls

If you are really itchin' to figure this out, the original file given to me was a jumbled up .txt file, where I had to open it into excel, clean it up, and save it as two files: a .csv and a .xls

After that, that brings us to where this problem started to begin - the adding of the .xls file into Pro.

I've attached the .txt file to this reply.

Seriously, thanks for your help so far and I don't expect you to really look into this any further (unless you're feeling personally invested at this point).

[DanPatterson]

As a former teacher, I suspect you have more than needed to document 😉

Perhaps make another file and demonstrate the principles then document this issue and what you followed to try to solve it.  It may be something in the actual file itself, but I don't see anything obvious

[RanelSuurna1]

There is a similar situation with ArcGIS Pro 3.0.0 as well. I am using Windows 10 Enterprise. The problem started with patch installation, but unfortunately after Pro 3.0.1uninstall and pure 3.0 re-install did not solve the trouble. All necessary drivers are installed, too. Suggestion to use csv instead of Excel`s native xls/xlsx is not a solution - previously this functionality worked normally.

[StevenDeckard]

---

@RanelSuurna1 wrote:

There is a similar situation with ArcGIS Pro 3.0.0 as well. I am using Windows 10 Enterprise. The problem started with patch installation, but unfortunately after Pro 3.0.1uninstall and pure 3.0 re-install did not solve the trouble. All necessary drivers are installed, too. Suggestion to use csv instead of Excel`s native xls/xlsx is not a solution - previously this functionality worked normally.

---

I'm both relieved and upset to know that I'm not the only one experiencing this issue. I'm wondering if there is a way to get the attention of an official ESRI community board member to look at this post? I'm new to the community board.

I'm also in agreement that the .csv is not necessarily a replacement as solution. I've noticed, sometimes adding in tables from an .xls and .csv produce slightly different results (not sure if it's supposed to, but that's been my experience at least).

[DanPatterson]

Attention to technical issues is done by filing an "issue" with Tech Support.  They don't search Community for reported cases as a matter of course.  As for "slightly" different results, that normally boils down to how excel displays numbers (often with limited decimal representation) and how they are actually exported.  The csv version is exporting the actual numbers