How To: Resolve Import Errors Caused by Trailing Empty Rows in Excel.

This guide addresses common import errors encountered when Excel files contain invisible empty rows. This may happen even when the source Excel document appears in order. It also explains how to identify and remove invisible contents that lead to these errors, ensuring a smoother import process.

Overview:

You may get error messages indicating record issues during data import processes involving Excel files.

Upon reviewing the Excel sheet referenced in these messages, it appears that the error is caused by row numbers exceeding the actual count of visible rows in the document. This discrepancy often results from invisible empty rows within the file, which are not readily apparent upon casual inspection.

Even attempts to resolve the issue by selecting these seemingly empty rows and deleting their contents directly from the keyboard (using the Delete key) proved ineffective. Repeated attempts to import data from the cleansed file will still result in the same error messages, indicating that the problem persists.

Symptoms

• The import process produces errors.
• The error message displays row numbers that exceed the End of your visible data in the Excel file.
• Hitting 'Delete' on seemingly empty rows does not resolve the issue.

 

Solution:

To address this issue effectively, it is essential to first "show" the existence of invisible content within the Excel sheet. You can unveil and subsequently remove these hidden elements by utilising a specific set of Excel shortcuts.

1. Visualising Invisible Contents
   • Open your Excel file.
   • Press [Ctrl]+[Home] to navigate to the beginning of the sheet.
   • Press [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[End] to highlight all cells, including those with hidden content.
     Note that, unlike using [Ctrl]+[A], which selects all visible content, this combination ensures that any invisible content is also selected.
2. Removing Hidden Rows
   • If additional rows beyond your data are highlighted, they contain invisible content.
   • Select the highlighted rows.
   • Press [Ctrl]+[X] (Cut) to remove the hidden content.
   • Verify that [Ctrl]+[Home] followed by [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[End] no longer highlights extra rows beyond your data.
3. Saving and Re-importing
   • Save the modified Excel file.
   • You can try to import the file into your system again.
     The process should now be complete without errors.
     

Conclusion:

• The [Ctrl]+[A] is not sufficient as it only selects all visible content.
• The 'Delete' key typically does not completely clear invisible content from Excel cells, making the 'Cut' function necessary.
• This issue highlights the importance of data cleaning before importing files into other systems, ensuring that data import tasks proceed smoothly without unnecessary disruptions.

 

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