FP2000: Error Message: "Cannot Update the Database" When You Submit Form Results to Excel Database

When you submit form results to an Excel database, the following error message appears in the browser:

This problem occurs because FrontPage is connecting to the Microsoft Excel database in a read-only state.

To submit form results to an Excel database, set the read-only attribute of the Excel database connection to not read-only.

To set the read-only attribute of the Excel database connection to not read-only, do the following:

1. On the Tools menu, click Web Settings.
2. Click the Database tab, and then click the database connection the the Excel file.
3. Click Modify.
4. In the Database Connection Properties dialog box, click Advanced.
5. To add a parameter, click Add. For the name of the parameter, type ReadOnly. Type 0 for the value, and then click OK.
6. Click OK three times to quit the Web Settings dialog box.
7. Save any changes you made, and then quit FrontPage.
8. Restart the computer.

NOTE: You need to restart the computer after you add the ReadOnly parameter to the database connection. If the computer is not restarted, the Global.asa file is not updated with the proper connection information to open the database as not read-only.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

It is important to set the read-only attribute before you create forms to submit the results to the Excel database. Forms created before you set the attribute will return the error message in the "Symptoms" section of this article.