Joining tables

[SLouq]

I am trying to join and .xlsx table to an attribute table so I can copy features from the Excel table. However

when I go to bring the Excel table into my map, I get the, 'Failed to Connect to database error. An underlying database error occurred. Class not registered.' So I googled the error message and it said you need to download the Microsoft driver for your computer. So I downloaded the 'Accessdatabaseengine_X64.exe' driver from the Microsoft website and installed it on my computer. Then I tried bringing the .xlsx document into my map again but still got the same error message. 

How can I resolve this? Should I try installing the 32 bit version and see if that works? 

[JoeBorgione]

My suggestion would be to use the excel to table tool first and then join the resulting table.

[StephanieSnider]

I agree with Joe.  Even though you can join directly to an Excel sheet, I find it causes more unexpected errors.  As someone that does tech support, this is a common problem that our GIS users see.  Import excel to table first, then join.

[SLouq]

I ran into another issue. 

The table I am trying to join has x, y coordinates in it and I need to geocode some new points in the Excel table in my map.

The way I usually do this is by just right clicking the Excel table in the TOC and Display XY coordinates but since I can't bring the  Excel sheet in my map, I can't do this. Can you still use your method to geocode x, y coordinates?

[JoeBorgione]

Yep;  I try to avoid using Excel worksheets as a data source as much as I can.  Convert it to a table and you are good to go.

[SLouq]

the Table to Table conversion tool doesn't even let me add the Excel table as an input. It gives me the above error message.

[JoeBorgione · Accepted solution]

And you're using ArcMap, but you  have a Windows 10 64 Bit os, right?  You can try the 32 bit version but you're on you own.  I don't even know if ArcMap will recognize .xlsx worksheets.

This is one of the many problems that goes away when you migrate from ArcGIS Arcmap and to ArcGIS Pro. 

[SLouq]

Thank you for that suggestion! 

I can just do what I want in Pro

[JoeBorgione]

The agency I work for is strictly an ArcGIS Pro shop; I don't even have ArcMap installed, and haven't for nearly 2 years.  My motto is go Pro or go home....

[Waffle_House]

You might need to silent install the 32-bit driver (from command line as opposed to from the GUI) in order to allow ArcMap which is a 32-bit program to connect to excel.