Won't let me import excel file into stata. please help

[arunner]

Stata won't let me import a dataset from excel. It's saying that the file is too new to be run by this version of Stata and so was ignored. However I saved the excel as an older version and it still gave me the same error message. Can you please help? I have had such a terrible time downloading stata and now I can't even use it. I'm using a mac.

[Roberto Ferrer]

Where did you download Stata from?

What versions of MS Excel file and Stata are you using?

[Sergiy Radyakin]

If everything else fails, read the manual.
If that also fails, read the FAQ of Statalist on how to ask questions.
Best, Sergiy

[arunner]

Stata is 13.1 and MS excel is 2010

[Roberto Ferrer]

I have no trouble importing a MS Excel 2010 file with Stata 13.1 (Revision 06 May 2014). My guess is many people here wouldn't be able to reproduce your problem. So unless you follow Sergiy's advice, I think it's difficult to help.

[Jamie Fogel]

I think I had the same issue using the 06 May 2014 version. I updated to the 26 Jun 2014 version and the problem went away. If you simply type "update all" in the Stata command line that should solve your problem.
Best,
Jamie

[Sergiy Radyakin]

Jamie, the original poster mentioned that he created the file with the Excel product from the Microsoft Office 2010. The relevant changes from the whatsnew update only mention Excel files produced by Apple Numbers for Mac. So either the problem that was fixed by StataCorp is not described correctly in the description of the updates, or there is a different problem that prevents the import. The topic starter for no obvious reason does not post the commands she typed, nor the actual response of Stata. From what I see I can't even exclude a possibility she is trying to run an Excel file in Stata. Best, Sergiy

[arunner]

The update worked, Jamie. Thank you for your help. I was simply trying to import a file, no reason I need to read a manual for that and I don't see how I could have asked that question any differently...but thanks.

[Roberto Ferrer]

I was simply trying to import a file, no reason I need to read a manual for that ...

I believe there is no such thing as a too-simple-an-operation so that it doesn't merit a help <command> or a manual read when errors creep in.

and I don't see how I could have asked that question any differently...

I think this is different:

I can't import a MS Excel file using Stata 13, Revision x. The code I'm running and the error are:

<some code copied from the results window>
<some error copied from the results window>

The MS Excel file was given to me by a fellow <student, etc.> so I can't say how it was produced (software other than MS Excel can produce these files, e.g. LibreOffice). It appears to be MS Excel 2010 version. I'm using a Mac.

I tried saving the file as an older version using <this and that method> but I kept getting the same error.

Any ideas as to what the problem may be?

[Nick Cox]

arunner: Roberto and Sergiy are right. Next question you have, please read the FAQ Advice first. That way, the answer is likely to come faster and to be closer to what you want from the outset.