Excel Connection Manager suddenly can no longer connect to Excel from SSIS package

Question

<p>During the last 3 months, I used 32 bit SSIS 2008 (v 10.50.2500.0) on an WinXp machine (v 5.1.2600 SP3 Build 2600) to create a package that writes multiple query results (reports) to an excel spreadsheet. Each report is written to a different
tabbed sheet in the same spreadsheet. </p><p>The package was&nbsp;working just fine until May 9 2013, when suddenly every single&nbsp;Data Flow task with an Excel Destination&nbsp;displayed error icons and raised the&nbsp;following
error message when opening the Advanced Editor:</p><p>SSIS Error Code DTS_E_OLEDBERROR. An OLE DB error has occurred. Error code: 0x80004005 Description: "Unspecified error". <br />Error at &lt;DataFlow task name&gt;: SSIS
error Code DTS_E_CANNOTACQUIRECONNECTIONFROMCONNECTIONMANAGER. The AcquireConnection method call to the connection manager &lt;Excel connection Manager&gt; failed with error code 0xC0202009. There may be error messages posted before this with more
information on why the Acquire Connection method call failed. Exception from HRESULT: 0Xc020801c (Microsoft.SQlServer.DTSPipelineWrap)</p><p>Originally the error message reported that the Error Code was "0x8000FFFF", but I can't seem
to reproduce that error code since. Now I am only getting the above error message.</p><p>From the time I created the original package (when it worked fine) until now, I have been using the same computer, writing to a (32 bit) 2010 Excel file in
a local folder. The filename and location have not changed. The ConnectionString has not changed. The Connnection String I am using is Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=C:\Conversion\Conversion Results_dt01.xlsx;Extended Properties="EXCEL
12.0 XML;HDR=YES;". </p><p>Now an attempt to create and test a NEW Connection Manager yields me this error. "Test connection failed because of an error in initializing provider. Unspecified error.",&nbsp; whereas before I had
no problems creating a new connection manager.</p><p>I checked a second SSIS package, which I also built during the past 3 months, which loads multiple sheets from multiple Excel files to a SQL Server 2008 database holding table. It uses the same
ACE OLE DB 12.0 connection to load the Excel speadsheets and this package continues to work fine on the same workstation.</p><p>In desparation, wondering if the Microsoft ACE OLE DB 12.0 driver had become corrupt (even though the second package
was raising no errors), I did download and install the Microsoft ACE OLE DB 12.0 driver.&nbsp; That did not solve my problems with the first package.</p><p>I need to get this package running again ASAP as it is targeted for UAT testing in a
matter of days. Any help with this issue would be greatly appreciated!</p>

Answer 1

I submitted this issue above and now I am having the same problem again. I am using the same local computer, the same operating system (WinXp v 5.1.2600 SP3 Build 2600) as originally described. I am working with the same SSIS package that
writes multiple query results (reports) to an excel spreadsheet. This package has been successfully executed multiple times, but now I am suddenly getting the same error as follows:
Error at 1ConversionContacts [Connection manager "Excel Connection Manager"]: SSIS Error Code DTS_E_OLEDBERROR.  An OLE DB error has occurred. Error code: 0x80004005.
An OLE DB record is available.  Source: "Microsoft Access Database Engine"  Hresult: 0x80004005  Description: "Unspecified error".
Error at DFlow Write soft deleted duplicate claims to Excel sheet [Excel Destination - write duplicate claim nbrs that have been removed to Excel [61]]: SSIS Error Code DTS_E_CANNOTACQUIRECONNECTIONFROMCONNECTIONMANAGER.  The AcquireConnection method
call to the connection manager "Excel Connection Manager" failed with error code 0xC0202009.  There may be error messages posted before this with more information on why the AcquireConnection method call failed.
The package will not run because of these multiple errors (multiple because it occurs on every single excel destination in the package).
I have Run64BitRuntime set to false on the project. I have triple checked that the excel file name (which I created and can access) exists with the correct name in the correct path, which is local on my machine. The file is the same file in the same
location as when the package worked.  I am running the SSIS service under my own network login, as I was when the package worked. I have been consistently getting this same error whenever I change my network password without updating the password
in the SSIS service, but I have triple verified that the service is using my latest password. If I try to open and edit the Excel Destination in any DataFlow task I get the same error. I can successfully create a new Excel Connection Manager pointing
to the same excel file. However if I try to assign the newly created Excel Connection Manager in the data flow, I cannot activate the drop down to choose the Excel sheet without getting an 'Unspecified error' message. I then swapped out
the file with its template version, and ensured the name was updated as correct. I still get the same errors.
Oh, and the SSIS package is extracting data from a SQL Server 2008 database with an ADO.net Connection Manager using Windows authentication. I have no problems with the SQL Server connection, it has always worked and still does.  It is only
the connection to excel output file which is locally stored on my machine.
Has anyone got any suggestions for me?