I'm tring to import from Excel into SQL Server and get the dreaded "Data for
source column...is too large for the specified buffer size." The source
value > 255 bytes, destination column datatype is ntext. Per KB281517 I
changed the registry entry TypeGuestRows = 0, even rebooted, but the problem
persists.

Note that my data source is Excel which doesn't give me the option of
selecting OLE DB as a provider type. Also, the source file is of 33K rows
and I don't know which source row is the offender. I changed Options > File
type from 7.0 format and checked the rest of the boxes but I don't get the
any info in the .txt trace file about the source (says it's unavailable).

Thanks for any help!

Dana,

What about breaking the vicious circle by saving the Excel as a flat file?

Ilya

"Dana" <Dana (AT) discussions (DOT) microsoft.com> wrote

Hi Dana,

"Dana" <Dana (AT) discussions (DOT) microsoft.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:CDD53B93-E33E-4731-AD41-866E01805353 (AT) microsoft (DOT) com...
have you tried to insert some extremly long dummy data in the beginning of
the file to force the buffer detection in the right way?
Scanning 33k rows to guess the buffer sizes is not very efficient, even
when it would work.
This would also be the way to force buffer detection for text files.

But normaly setting a value of 0 should work.Which version of MDAC and SQL
Server do you use?

Helge