XL: "Database Range Not Defined"/Data Missing Saving to dBASE

ID: Q31817

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, if a database is not defined on the worksheet, you may receive one of the following error messages when you save a worksheet to the dBASE (.DBF) file format:

Database range is not defined
-OR-
No list found. Select a single cell within your list and Microsoft Excel will select the list for you.
Also note that only the data that is in the database range is saved to the .DBF file. (Other data on the worksheet are lost when you save the file in this file format.)


CAUSE

In Microsoft Excel, you must define a database on the worksheet before you save it in the dBASE file format.


WORKAROUND

To define a database on a worksheet so that you can save it in a dBASE file format, follow these steps:

  1. On the Microsoft Excel worksheet, select the range that contains the database.


  2. In Excel 5.0 and later, click the Name Box, type Database and press ENTER. (This is equivalent to creating a defined name called Database).

    In Excel 4.x and earlier, click Set Database on the Data menu.


  3. Save the file in the dBASE file format you want.


NOTE: When you add records to an old .DBF file, you must remember to extend the database range so that the new data can be saved.


MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Excel for Windows version 2.x, you can save a file in the dBASE II and dBASE III file formats. In Microsoft Excel for Windows versions 3.0 and later, you have the added capability of saving a file to the dBASE IV file format.

For more information about how files are saved to dBASE file format in Microsoft Excel versions 5.0 and later, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q46228 :Data Lost When File Saved in .DBF File Format

Additional query words: 2.00 2.01 2.10 2.20 2.21 3.00 4.00 err msg dbf 


Keywords          : kberrmsg kbusage 
Version           : WINDOWS:2.x,3.x,4.x,5.0,5.0c,7.0
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: July 12, 1999