Unexpected error from external database driver 1

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• Have you figured out which of the KB’s caused this?

  I’m getting the same problems. Trying to find a needle in the haystack at this point.

• Hi AnikonTheNet, 

  That solved my issue.

  Thanks.

• The xlsx format works but xls cannot be used: System.Data.OleDb.OleDbException (0x80004005): Unexpected error from external database driver (1). This happened after kb4041691 installed…
  

• I am running Win 7 Pro sp1.

  The MS Seq update installed on 10-11-17 is KB4041681, I believe caused errors you mentioned on all my machines that got the update. My Access programs fail when writing to Excel files.

  I’ve never uninstalled an update before and am not very knowledgeable on it so a little scared.

  I changed the updates to download but to ask me when to install because this update caused havoc here and really can’t wait a week for the fix.

  If I say uninstall to KB4041681 on my computer, will it affect anything else. What I mean by that is when I did the uninstall of Win10 it caused some of my programs not to run, like msbackup. Is there anything else I would need to do?

  Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated.

• I got the same kind of error. I am using JET Engine to connect .xls and ACE engine to connect .xlsx files. Yesterday(Oct 10, 2017) all of the sudden, my program can not connect .xls file (See below error details). If I uninstall Microsoft update, may be
  later it might install back again since there is always auto update on in all computers. Is there any other solution than uninstalling Microsoft update?

  Also, I cannot convert file .xls file to .xlsx files since there will huge works only just converting before connect through program. Is there any better solution?

  ERROR DETAIL

  Unexpected error from external database driver (1).
     at System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnectionInternal..ctor(OleDbConnectionString constr, OleDbConnection connection)
     at System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnectionFactory.CreateConnection(DbConnectionOptions options, DbConnectionPoolKey poolKey, Object poolGroupProviderInfo, DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnection owningObject)
     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.CreateConnection(DbConnectionOptions options, DbConnectionPoolKey poolKey, Object poolGroupProviderInfo, DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnection owningConnection, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.CreateNonPooledConnection(DbConnection owningConnection, DbConnectionPoolGroup poolGroup, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.TryGetConnection(DbConnection owningConnection, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal oldConnection, DbConnectionInternal& connection)
     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionInternal.TryOpenConnectionInternal(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionClosed.TryOpenConnection(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionInternal.OpenConnection(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory)
     at System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection.Open()
     at MyFunction()
  Microsoft JET Database Engine

  ---

  support and search

  • Proposed as answer by

    Friday, October 13, 2017 5:35 AM

• Hi, i am using IIS7 on window 2010 server.

  i am having same error, by solution is build on VS 2010 (dotnet framework 4.0).

  i do not want to un-install the  updates as it will re-installed again.

  is there any other solution for this either changing in code or setting on window.

  Thanks

• For Windows 7 the two KB’s that are causing this issue are KB4041681 and KB4041678. The two both affect the Microsoft JET DB Engine. Uninstalling both fixed the issue. The descriptions of both are listed below.

  KB4041681 — support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4041681

  This security update includes improvements and fixes that were a part of update KB4038803 (released September 19, 2017) and resolves the following issues:

  • Addressed issue with docking and undocking Internet Explorer windows.
  • Addressed issue with form submissions in Internet Explorer.
  • Addressed issue with URL encoding in Internet Explorer.
  • Addressed issue that prevents an element from receiving focus in Internet Explorer.
  • Addressed issue with the rendering of a graphics element in Internet Explorer.

  • Addressed issue where USBHUB.SYS randomly causes memory corruption that results in random system crashes that are extremely difficult to diagnose.

  • Security updates to Microsoft Windows Search Component, Windows kernel-mode drivers, Microsoft Graphics Component, Internet Explorer, Windows kernel, Windows Wireless Networking, Microsoft JET Database Engine, and the Windows
    SMB Server.

  KB4041678 — support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4041678

  • Security updates to Microsoft Windows Search Component, Windows kernel-mode drivers, Microsoft Graphics Component, Internet Explorer, Windows kernel, Windows Wireless Networking, Microsoft JET Database Engine, and the Windows SMB Server.

  • Proposed as answer by
    BDK Support
    Thursday, October 12, 2017 5:47 PM

• I found the same on Windows 7. To fix, I had to uninstall KB4041681 and KB4041678.

  On Windows 10, I had to uninstall KB4041676.

  • Proposed as answer by
    Adam Pilon Laflamme
    Wednesday, November 1, 2017 12:18 PM

• The same to me, i had to uninstall KB4041676 on Windows 10 and KB4041681 on Windows 7.

  I use jet.OLEDB.4.0 on a ADODB.Connection to convert dbf file through odbc driver Micorsoft dBase Driver (*.dbf) to xls file (Excel 8.0).

• Definitely this is the solution. Thank you so much…

  I uninstalled : https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4041681/windows-7-update-kb4041681

  • Edited by
    ibrahimates
    Thursday, October 12, 2017 7:45 PM

• Is there any way to know whether Microsoft intends to fix this, and if so when?

• Having the same problem here.  Had to delete the Security Update KB4041681 to restore functionality.  I also cannot convert file .xls file to .xlsx files as there are several thousand workbooks that would need to be converted.

  I really think Microsoft needs to roll back the change. I don’t like skipping Security updates on my boxes.  I am also concerned that it will be incorporated into future updates and other updates will need to be uninstalled.

  BTW, the answer to not having the update re install is to «hide» it.  Just uncheck the update and then right click on it and select «Hide Update».  I tested and it doesn’t appear to show up on the list again.  This
  could change however as some updates become mandatory and cannot be skipped or hidden.

• The same to me, i had to uninstall KB4041676 on Windows 10 and KB4041681 on Windows 7.

  I use jet.OLEDB.4.0 on a ADODB.Connection to convert dbf file through odbc driver Micorsoft dBase Driver (*.dbf) to xls file (Excel 8.0).

  I am using the same to convert .dbf to .xls.

  using Windows 10

  However I can’t get KB4041676 to uninstall. Keep getting an error that «Not all of the updates were successfully uninstalled.»

  Any suggestions?

  • Edited by
    Larryk240
    Friday, October 13, 2017 6:42 AM
    added Windows 10

• Yep, I had to uninstall KB4041681 on several W7 64-bit workstations as it broke one of our financial applications and some of it’s importing functionality. 

  • Edited by
    Alan Blitz
    Friday, October 13, 2017 2:52 PM

• If you have Windows Auto Update ON, next day it will be the same issue since it will reinstall again later.

  I just found temporary solution without uninstalling this update. In my case, I open the xls file and run the program which connects this xls file for the processing and it went well. Please open the file before processing xls or csv files. Your scenarios
  might be different but in my case it resolved. Again this is just the temporary solution. I still need to dig into this for permanent solution.

  ---

  support and search

• I have the issue with a Domino application. I uninstalled and then hid the update for Server 2012. Still getting the error. Accounting Dept is trying to upload AmEx information via xls. I had already tried saving as a .xlsx but the program won’t see that
  file type. At a loss, here!

• how to uninstall updates on 12/10/2017.

• Thanks, I had deleted the Security Update KB4041681. Now, there is no error. 

• If you have Windows Auto Update ON, next day it will be the same issue since it will reinstall again later.

  I just found temporary solution without uninstalling this update. In my case, I open the xls file and run the program which connects this xls file for the processing and it went well. Please open the file before processing xls or csv files. Your scenarios
  might be different but in my case it resolved. Again this is just the temporary solution. I still need to dig into this for permanent solution.

  ---

  support and search

  It will not reinstall if you hide it.  See my previous post.

• The same to me, i had to uninstall KB4041676 on Windows 10 and KB4041681 on Windows 7.

  I use jet.OLEDB.4.0 on a ADODB.Connection to convert dbf file through odbc driver Micorsoft dBase Driver (*.dbf) to xls file (Excel 8.0).

  I am using the same to convert .dbf to .xls.

  using Windows 10

  However I can’t get KB4041676 to uninstall. Keep getting an error that «Not all of the updates were successfully uninstalled.»

  Any suggestions?

  Make sure you have no other pending updates.  If so, complete them first and then try rebooting and uninstalling again.

  If still unsuccessful, you can download the standalone package here:
  http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Search.aspx?q=KB4041676

  You should be able to run the package from a cmd prompt with the «/uninstall» option.  If that still doesn’t uninstall it, try running the package and then uninstalling via the control panel.  (In windows 10 you can just search for
  the Control Panel and you can launch it from the search results) 

• using Windows 10

  However I can’t get KB4041676 to uninstall. Keep getting an error that «Not all of the updates were successfully uninstalled.»

  Any suggestions?

  Make sure you have no other pending updates.  If so, complete them first and then try rebooting and uninstalling again.

  If still unsuccessful, you can download the standalone package here: http://catalog.update.microsoft.com

  You should be able to run the package from a cmd prompt with the «/uninstall» option.  If that still doesn’t uninstall it, try running the package and then uninstalling via the control panel.  (In windows 10 you can just search for
  the Control Panel and you can launch it from the search results) 

  Still no luck. Now I get a component corrupt error when I try to uninstall with the Admin cmd prompt.

  I have several Excel templates that I use to move data from Access to Excel. I converted the templates to .xlsx and 2 of 3 work OK. The 3rd scrambles my data, and I get a Cannot Expand Named Range error. Still working on it.

  Ended up pointing to version (4.0.9801.0) of msexcl40.dll as described by Vetor and Mirzaee.

  Was able to revert back to .xls. Perfect ! Thanks to all!

  • Edited by
    Larryk240
    Tuesday, October 17, 2017 4:13 AM

• I too had a similar issue importing XLS data into Access after Oct 11, 2017. Uninstalling the KB4041681 update seemed to fix that problem.   Thanks for the tip on hiding  the  update.

  • Edited by
    Twdoherty
    Monday, October 16, 2017 1:15 PM
    correction

• For the moment i changed my approach to the problem.

  Since i need to convert dbf to xls, i read all the dbf content in a memory variable string:

  -field by field with horizontal tab character (ASCII char 9) between each field

  -record by record with carriage return character (ASCII char 13) between each record

  Then put it in the Windows clipboard.

  Then paste it in a selected cell of a ActiveSheet of a newly created Excel workbook through excel.application OLE client.

  It’s quick and safe for me, for the moment, until Microsoft fixes the problem, or someone else of course :).

• Hi Paul,

  I had to delete this  KB4041681 and it worked perfectly fine. 

• Having the same issues here across Win 7 and Win 10. Rolling back the update across the entire office isn’t really feasible at this time without major hassle. 

  Any updates from MS about a potential fix?

• I resolved the issue on my end by changing the connection string replacing Jet Engine to ACE engine. I works on windows 7 and windows 10 OS.

  Old Connection String

  Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data
  Source=c:myfile.xls;
  Extended Properties=«Excel
  8.0;HDR=Yes;IMEX=1″;

  New Connection String

  Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data
  Source=c:myfile.xls;Extended
  Properties=«Excel
  8.0;HDR=YES»;

  After that I also installed AccessDatabaseEngine 2007 (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=23734 )

  Hope this will help yours as well.

  ---

  support and search

  • Proposed as answer by
    Vtor Serg
    Monday, October 16, 2017 2:28 PM

• Hi all. The problem is the same. Here I found useful information. Helped me. Rolled file on version, in my case: 4.0.9756.0

  https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/55b1d633-b715-491e-917e-b7cb01ae0523/error-in-windows-update-kb4041681-unexpected-error-from-external-database-driver-1?forum=sqldataaccess

  As mentioned in forums.embarcadero.com/thread.jspa?messageID=902557&tstart=0 and forum.kanors-emr.org/showthread.php?tid=571&pid=2652#pid2652, the KB4041681 installs version 4.0.9801.1 of msexcl40.dll.

  1. Find prior version (4.0.9801.0) of msexcl40.dll

  2. Place in another directory. They suggest the application directory, but since in the next step you will modify registry to point to this older version, it can probably go anywhere.

  3. Update registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREWow6432NodeMicrosoftJet4.0EnginesExcelwin32 to point to the location from step 2.

  We have tested with Primavera 8.3.3 export to Excel function, and this solved the issue. As this is a third-party app we could not fix the app itself and needed this workaround.

  • Proposed as answer by
    etyler
    Wednesday, October 25, 2017 9:29 PM

• Having the same problem on Win2008 R2 Std. server with ODBC for 32bit ( from SysWow64 folder)  error massage «ODBC Excel Driver Failed Unexpected error from external database driver»

  Uninstalling the updates KB4041681 and KBKB4041678 solved the problem. ODBC working perfect now.

  These 2 updates should be not approved on WSUS ( if your server/station is Domain member in your organization and your company having WSUS server) until Microsoft Solution.

•  

  the below link will 100% solve this problem..i test it and it works perfectly

  the person who send this solution is:fred.schulz who is user of this site also but system dont allow me to send his link

  1. Find prior version (4.0.9801.0) of msexcl40.dll

  2. Place in another directory. They suggest the application directory, but since in the next step you will modify registry to point to this older version, it can probably go anywhere.

  3. Update registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREWow6432NodeMicrosoftJet4.0EnginesExcelwin32 to point to the location from step 2.

  • Edited by
    Mirzaee.nash
    Monday, October 16, 2017 4:59 PM

• Just tried replacing v4.0.9801.1 of msexcl40.dll with v4.0.9801.0
  as suggested and it solved the problem after I closed/reopened my Access database.

  One difference, for me the Win32 reg entry points to «C:…OFFICE11msaexp30.dll» and another entry Win32Old points
  to «C:WindowsSysWOW64msexcl40.dll».

  I tried deleting Win32Old and pointing Win32 to my older msexcl40.dll but then as Access started, it came up trying to fix install
  problems. So I put Win32 back the way it was and pointed Win32Old to my older msexcl40.dll, and this worked fine.

  Thanks heaps guys for solving the problem. I preferred this option over uninstalling KB4041681
  Security Rollup.

  • Edited by
    ddkesq
    Monday, October 16, 2017 8:35 PM

• Hi 

  The solution work for me.

  I didn’t need change extension .xls to .xlsx. 

  Thanks 

•  

  the below link will 100% solve this problem..i test it and it works perfectly

  the person who send this solution is:fred.schulz who is user of this site also but system dont allow me to send his link

  1. Find prior version (4.0.9801.0) of msexcl40.dll

  2. Place in another directory. They suggest the application directory, but since in the next step you will modify registry to point to this older version, it can probably go anywhere.

  3. Update registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREWow6432NodeMicrosoftJet4.0EnginesExcelwin32 to point to the location from step 2.

  Thanks, this worked perfectly!

  ---

  Visit my sites: http://www.umair.me AND http://www.microsoftarena.net

• I resolved the issue just replacing Jet Engine to ACE engine. I works on windows 7 .

  Old Connection String

  Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data
  Source=c:myfile.xls;
  Extended Properties=«Excel
  8.0;HDR=Yes;IMEX=1″;

  New Connection String

  Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data
  Source=c:myfile.xls;Extended
  Properties=«Excel
  8.0;HDR=YES»;

• 1. how to uninstall the updates on 12/10/2017?

  2. Can’t work.  

• Where are you guys finding version 4.0.9801.0? None of the usual DLL download websites seem to have it.

• I got it from a disk image taken a couple of months ago. Have uploaded using Firefox’s new Send facility,

  https://send.firefox.com/download/768fcdba8a/#gT27gjugGpRFuoasan9RMQ

  md5: 19966aba714d3169bcb1c5613ee843d7
  sha-1: 602cef7dda6730fa6c50d18390fed58268ea9992

• Sorry it says the link expired. If you could post it again you would be doing me a tremendous favor. Thank you!

• The official statement with the KBs that cause the problems is…

  «Microsoft is working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.»

  ---

  Wayne H

• IMT_KING. Any reason you dropped the IMEX=1?

  ---

  Wayne H

• Thanks, this worked perfectly!

  ---

  Visit my sites: http://www.umair.me AND http://www.microsoftarena.net

  your welcome

• I also had the issue with update KB4041685 (not yet mentioned) https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4041685/windows-81-update-kb4041685

  In the known issues it says: 

  Installing this update may cause applications that are based on the Microsoft JET Database Engine (Microsoft Access 2007 and earlier versions or non-Microsoft applications) to fail when creating or opening Microsoft Excel .xls files. The error message is, “Unexpected error from external database driver (1). (Microsoft JET Database Engine)."

  and the solution:

  Download and install the Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable, and then change the DB connection strings in Microsoft Excel to use ACE as a provider. Example: Change Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0 to Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0.

  That worked for me.  I didn’t have to uninstall any updates.

  • Edited by
    Magovannen
    Wednesday, October 18, 2017 3:30 PM
    Solution worked

• Where are you guys finding version 4.0.9801.0? None of the usual DLL download websites seem to have it.

  I am running Win 10, and found multiple instances of msexcl40.dll on my system. One of them was 4.0.9801.0

  just copied it to a different location, the used the registry to point to it.

• I found the same on Windows 7. To fix, I had to uninstall KB4041681 and KB4041678.

  On Windows 10, I had to uninstall KB4041676.

  I have several computers at work that I manage. Uninstalling KB4041676
  fixed the computers running Windows 10 version 1703, which is great!

  BUT… for a computer running Windows 10 version 1709 (Fall Creators Update),
  KB4041676 is no longer displayed under «Installed Updates,» therefore I can’t uninstall that update. Perhaps it’s rolled up in another update. I don’t know what update to uninstall to fix the problem (if there is one). Now I regret
  installing the Fall Creators Update.

  If anybody can find a solution for Windows 10 version 1709, please post the solution. 

• Did some research and found this:

  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4041693/windows-81-update-kb4041693

  Download and
  install the Microsoft
  Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable, and then
  modify the DB connection strings in Microsoft Excel to use ACE as a provider. Example: Change Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0 to Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0.

• Can you upload it again please?

• thank you so much. this solved it for my ssis packages.

• Can you upload it again please?

  Try this one

  https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ajop4HCRJmopfLxSabA80N3QhGY

• Sorry it says the link expired. If you could post it again you would be doing me a tremendous favor. Thank you!

  Try this one

  https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ajop4HCRJmopfLxSabA80N3QhGY

• Sorry it says the link expired. If you could post it again you would be doing me a tremendous favor. Thank you!

  Try this one

  https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ajop4HCRJmopfLxSabA80N3QhGY

  You’re a saint! Thank you!

• Sorry, just a newbie and probably just a dumb question.

  Did the MS Access install but my connection string does not have the same reference as is shown in the documentation.

  This is what mine looks like in the connection property window in Excel 

  DBQ=C:BDR33activity.xls;DefaultDir=C:BDR;Driver={Driver do Microsoft Excel(*.xls)};DriverId=790;FIL=excel 8.0;MaxBufferSize=2048;MaxScanRows=8;PageTimeout=5;ReadOnly=1;SafeTransactions=0;Threads=3;UserCommitSync=Yes;

  Using win 10 and Excel 2013

  Linking to an XLS file.

  Connection type is a database query

  Sorry guys, just new at this and pulling my hair out…..

  Thanks for any help….

• Has Microsoft confirmed that the file msexcl40.dll doesn’t contain the vulnerability? Also when you reverted this file does the update get re-dectected as needed?

  ---

  Carl

• For Win Server 2012, It is KB4041679 and /Or Rollup KB4041690
  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4041690

  For Win 7, It is KB4041678 and/or Roll up KB4041681
  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4041681

• We’re using third-party software, so we can’t modify the connection string.

  Prior to the Fall feature update (Windows 10 Version 1709) using the prior version of msexcl40.dll worked
  fine to be able to import .xlsx files again (still can’t import .xls), but after the Fall feature update I found it was sufficient to just install Microsoft
  Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable and reboot. No need to mess around with the .dll files or the registry editor.

  Get the Windows 10 Fall Creators update here:

  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

  • Edited by
    Browly
    Wednesday, October 25, 2017 6:17 PM
    Hidden characters appeared

• Seems to be best choice rather than rolling back an update.  Was easy to follow.  Nice job.  Worked with SQL server Import/Export utility after these steps.

• Hey, thanks mate. Removing kb4041691 on win10 helped. Been beating my head around this for over a week now.

• Changing the connection string in my dtsx package (as mentioned above) worked for me.

  Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data
  Source=c:myfile.xls;Extended
  Properties=«Excel
  8.0;HDR=YES»;

• This worked, thank you…

• Hi
  Where exactly do you change the provider string?

  I have been reading about this for days and we have several people with this issue which I have resolved by finding the older .0 MSEXCL40.DLL file and adjusting the registry for JET 4.0 Engine Excel to point to this .0 DDL file (and not the new .1 version). 
  It has solved the issue for every user but I would like to understand where to change the provider string for the JET to ACE change … but I fear we do not use a suitable package?  Crystal Reports, Excel 2010 and 2013 and 2016 and some Excel Parser software
  in use, no SQL.

  Any guidance on offer would be appreciated.

• This is caused by kb4041681 update.

  On kb4041681 article page: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4041681/windows-7-update-kb4041681

  We can read in Known issues in this update that:

  Installing this update may cause applications based on the Microsoft JET Database Engine (Microsoft Access 2007 and older or non-Microsoft applications) to fail when creating or opening Microsoft Excel .xls files. The error message is, “Unexpected error
  from external database driver (1). (Microsoft JET Database Engine)».

  And there is workaround and solution: 

  This issue has been resolved in KB4052234. This solution will also be available in the November 14, 2017 release.

  Note: HotFix KB4052234 was released just yesterday (2 Nov 2017)

• And there is workaround and solution: 

  This issue has been resolved in KB4052234. This solution will also be available in the November 14, 2017 release.

  Note: HotFix KB4052234 was released just yesterday (2 Nov 2017)

  KB4052234 doesn’t exist anymore. Too many bugs.

  https://askwoody.com/tag/kb-4052234/

• I Changed my code to use openxml method instead of OLE DB to handle excel files. It solves the issue.

• replacing the connection string to ACE provider as mentioned solved the issue. thank you.

  Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data
  Source=c:myfile.xls;Extended
  Properties=«Excel
  8.0;HDR=YES»;

• Hi, Where
  exactly do you change this string?

• Where is the string located?

• KB’s for respective OS

  KB4041681 — Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
  KB4041693 — Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012
  KB4041691 — Windows 10 Version 1607 and Windows Server 2016
  KB4041676 — Windows 10 Version 1703

  ---

  Anish

• I’m having the same problem with my Windows 10 version 1709 don’t what update was installed to cause this problem therefore cannot uninstall.  I have spent nearly two days trying to resolve this. Tried downloading MS Access database engine 2016 as was
  suggested in one of the many forums to no won’t download the 32 bit version because I have 64 bit version of office on my machine which is not the case.  

  What I do know is that KB4048955 was suppose to resolve this for Win 10 V 1709 but when I try to download it message received indicates it is not applicable to my machine.  I’m using SQL Server 2017 and just try to import a simple excel file and receive
  this message:

  Unexpected error from external database driver (1). (Microsoft JET Database Engine)

  Don’t have much else to offer other than the KB4048955 download which is suppose to fix the issue.

  ---

  Gloria McManus

• Where did you replace the connection string?  Can I do this in SQL Server 2017?

  ---

  Gloria McManus

• Today I ran into a similar problem (after more MS updates), but this time
  the error was slightly different.

  «An error occurred in the external database driver.»

  Furthermore, it was for an Excel *.xlsx file. not *.xls. The code in question had already been updated to account for the previous problem for *.xls files, introduced by previous MS patches, but even with the fixes for that issue, I am still
  running into this very similar problem all of a sudden (after things had been working fine since late last year).

  It doesn’t seem to be a coincidence that the new problems started to happen after a new round of new MS updates (it’s pretty much the first thing to check when code that worked great suddenly stops working).

  Unfortunately on the problem system, a whole slew of updates were installed (maybe 2 dozen or more, many related to Office) and I don’t have the necessary rights on the target system in order to experiment with which one is causing the problem this time.
  Plus it would take a month of Sundays probably to try to narrow it down, given that so many were installed and I am working through a painfully slow RDP connection (I’m virtually on the opposite side of the planet to the problem system).

  For reference, the updates that appear related to MS Office, that were installed before this problem surfaced, include:

  KB2596825,
  KB2825645,
  KB4011715,
  Microsoft Office Access Runtime and Data Connectivity 2007 Service Pack 3 (SP3),
  KB967642 (yes, only 6 digits),
  KB4011715 (yes, in the list twice),
  KB4011707 (64-bit),
  KB3213649,
  KB3213641,
  KB3114874 (32-bit),
  KB3114874 (64-bit),
  KB4011707 (32-bit),
  KB3213646,
  KB2553338 (64-bit),
  KB4011656,
  KB2553347 (64-bit),
  KB2553347 (32-bit),
  KB2596904
  KB2553338 (32-bit)

  I also noticed in Control Panel (this was on a Windows 8.1 system) that the «Microsoft Office Access database engine 2010» was listed as «installed» on the same date as the MS updates (2-16-18), and what’s more, it was listed TWICE. I
  am guessing it was modified in some way by the patches.

  So I removed the install (twice) and installed the latest access database engine (2016), and the problem seems to be resolved. So I am not sure whether this is now working because the new engine includes a fix, or I just wiped out the effect of the update
  that caused the breakage, and hence it will come back. I hope this work around will survive the next round of updates.

  Interested to hear if anyone else has seen similar issues (with *.xlsx files), because unlike last time this happened where it was all over the web, I can’t seem to find any hits on this new issue.

  EDIT: Installing the Access Database Engine 2016 solved the problem, but created new problems (with older Access files). Going back to 2010 (clean install) to see if that works.

  EDIT2: Going back to the Access Database Engine 2010 worked. Now to see whether that is a permanent fix, or whether the next time the machine updates we’ll be back to the same problem.

  EDIT3: It’s not a permanent fix. When the updates get re-applied the bug returns.

  EDIT4: Turns out the patches seem to introduce a new limit on the length of the path that the *.xlsx file can be at. Automated unit tests that run against a couple of branches (that have deeper root paths) fails, whilst the trunk stream still passes (less
  deep root path). Everything was working before the patches. Feels like a bug created by the patches? Or a deliberate change? Going to guess that not many people will run into this issue since the paths that we have are quite long. But certainly not impossible
  for a user to run into. If I can find the time I will consider raising a support case. Seems like a real bug.

  EDIT5: After digging further I have understood the cause properly. The problem is definitely triggered by the patches (not sure which ones in that large list, but one problem machine was triggered by a smaller subset of those patches; can provide that list
  if anyone needs it). That said, it seems like the real issue is that the connections to read-only *.xlsx paths fail, whereas previously they would work. This is not so bad because previously, and given that our tests test a wide range of different Excel, Access
  etc file versions, it was already established that *.xls and *.xlsx files already needed to be writeable in at least some cases (seems somewhat random), so the general approach was to make all Excel files writable before running tests. As it turns out, due
  to a peculiarity in our test configuration with trunk code stream and branch code stream tests executing on a single automated build machine, the test could, under certain circumstances, be working against a copy of the *.xlsx file that was read-only (instead
  of the normally expected writeable one). So this, coupled with the patches that seem to now require the file to be writeable (or certain new specific files to be writeable), is what has caused the problems I have been seeing. As it turns out, for end users
  the issue is neither here nor there, because we would have always encouraged/recommended to users to connect to writeable files, as it seems there is no deterministic way to know whether a connection will work or fail with a read-only file.

  TL;DR. The patches (or at least some of them) DO change the connection behavior to at least some *.xlsx files, but the changed behavior is not inconsistent with previously observed behavior. That is, there’s a chance (with no clear reason behind it) that
  connecting to a read-only excel file will fail. It seems that the randomness has just changed! Either way, we generally recommend to users to connect to writeable files, which avoids needing to know which files will work read-only and which ones won’t. It
  seems like connecting to read-only files is probably not something that should be relied on in any case.

  ---

  Wayne H

  • Edited by
    Wayne Hartell
    Friday, March 2, 2018 3:41 AM