STATA has started crashing when using the "Browse" button to import CSV files

[Max Ortel]

Essentially as the title describes, STATA has just started crashing when I use the "Browse" button to import CSV files. Importing xls files via browse works fine.

I have a windows 10 64 bit pc and STATA 14.2

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Max

[Nick Cox]

browse is for looking at existing data already read into Stata. How do you use it to import anything whatsoever from outside Stata? I have to guess that you're referring to something else.

(FAQ Advice #18 isn't the answer to your question, but you should please read it any way.)

[Max Ortel]

browse is for looking at existing data already read into Stata. How do you use it to import anything whatsoever from outside Stata? I have to guess that you're referring to something else.

(FAQ Advice #18 isn't the answer to your question, but you should please read it any way.)

My apologies for not being clearer. I'm not referring to the browse command, but rather the menu option in the interface. See the picture below.

Whenever I click that button, STATA crashes.

[Marcos Almeida]

I guess Max Ortel is trying to import the .csv file by using the click-and-point menu. When we click on - import - than a window opens, and we need to click on - browse - so as to select the file to be imported.

That being said, my advice is so obvious that I apologize for that: 1) First, check for updates, in Stata as well as in the computer, and try it again; 2) Then, restart the engine, and try it again; 3) If it doesn't work, please contact the technical support.

P.S.: I assume the size of the .csv is not huge, I mean, it is not something your computer isn't able to deal with.

[Nick Cox]

I see. You're using db import delimited. I've often used that and never had a problem as you describe. This kind of difficulty can hinge on so many things that you're best advised to go to StataCorp Technical Support. They may have lots of questions on your set-up, etc.

[Max Ortel]

I guess Max Ortel is trying to import the .csv file by using the click-and-point menu. When we click on - import - than a window opens, and we need to click on - browse - so as to select the file to be imported.

That being said, my advice is so obvious that I apologize for that: 1) First, check for updates, in Stata as well as in the computer, and try it again; 2) Then, restart the engine, and try it again; 3) If it doesn't work, please contact the technical support.

P.S.: I assume the size of the .csv is not huge, I mean, it is not something your computer isn't able to deal with.

Yes, unfortunately I have tried updating, re-installing, checking conflicting programs, drivers, etc. I appreciate the help and will likely either contact tech support as I probably should have done in the first place or simply use the command version of importing .csv files

[Max Ortel]

I see. You're using db import delimited. I've often used that and never had a problem as you describe. This kind of difficulty can hinge on so many things that you're best advised to go to StataCorp Technical Support. They may have lots of questions on your set-up, etc.

Will do. Thanks for the reply. Good news is that I am able to circumvent the issue with the command import, so it's only a minor inconvenience.

[William Lisowski]

A similar problem was reported regarding Stata for Mac; the discussion includes replies from Stata Technical Services.

https://www.statalist.org/forums/for...ting-csv-files

In brief,

Some dialogs in Stata, including what we call the import delimited dialog, are written in Java and use Java file dialogs. The majority of dialogs in Stata that open file dialogs after a browse button is clicked use native macOS file dialogs. I believe the window managers are not robust to the Java file dialogs.

... or presumably native Windows file dialogs on Windows systems. So it seems likely that the problem is related directly or indirectly to the Java file dialog. Are you using some sort of Windows-based "window manager" that improves on the native window-switching capabilities of Windows?

[David Smerdon]

I have the same issue on my Mac. We have been circumventing in Stata 15 by using the command-line 'import' command, but the problem seems to persist in Stata 16 as well.

[Dave Airey]

On Windows 10, with the latest Stata 16, I don't have issues with import delimited using the dialog box with large or small .csv files. The browse button is replaced with a folder icon in my db.

[Chinh Nguyen (StataCorp)]

I have the same issue on my Mac. We have been circumventing in Stata 15 by using the command-line 'import' command, but the problem seems to persist in Stata 16 as well.

Did you look at the post that William Lisowski was referring to? If you're having problems with the import dialogs, you'll want to look at that post as the few reports we've had about issues with the import dialogs and their file dialogs have all been related to third party window managers.