After recent windows updates, we now receive error noted in subject line when trying to use "Project API Builder". Other forums point to this impacting older excel format (.xls). Any solutions other than uninstalling windows updates until functionality returns?
I've been following a discussion on Windows forum about this. There are several suggested solutions/workarounds there:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/45ebe780-967e-4748-a146-9ec7a15626dc/unexpected-error-from-external-database-driver-1?forum=itmanager
One easy workaround seems to be to have the Excel sheet open in Excel when you try to do the import. A more permanent "fix" seems to be suggested in the "known Issues" section of the Windows update itself:
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 its lists is:
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.
Hope that helps!