External table is not in the expected format

[ASENGER22]

could someone help me , when I import excel from outlook mail with formate xls it does not work before extractionafter extraction

[AbbasG]

@ASENGER22 May be you can try to change the file extension to .xlsx

[ladyjez]

the file where I'm getting the error was on .xlsb

When I changed to .xlsm, my power bi file refreshed without errors

[ASENGER22]

I am importing the attachment directly on daily basis  from emil so how can I add a new step to change Xls to xlxs

[v-yinliw-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @ASENGER22 ,

There are some ways to solve the problem, you can try them:

1.Install Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0.Drivers.

2.Check the OBDC Definition:To fix this Excel External table is not in the expected format error, check for the ODBC definition within the ODBC Manager. This is to verify whether the right driver is been used or not as per the file extension.

3.Enable the data connection:

Sometimes this problem of the external table is not in expected format error also occurs due to the disabled data connection option.

For enabling this data connection on a temporary basis, simply tap the “Enable Editing” or” Options” button.

If you wish to open only the safe Excel data files and needs to automatically enable the content. Then follow the below-mentioned steps:

• Activate MS Excel, tap the File option from the menu.
• Hit the Options>Trust Center>Trust Center Settings.
• On the other hand, choose the External Content After that tap on the “Enable all Data Connections (not recommended)” option.
• Hit the OK After that take the exit from the application and reopen your Excel spreadsheet.
• You won’t see the “Data Connections have been disabled” message on your screen after making these steps.

Hope this helps you.

Best Regards,

Community Support Team _Yinliw

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[ameer_memon]

Can you please elaborate step 1 and 2 with screenshots?

[hasnain_ahmad]

Thanks, the solution works.