OLEDB Error

You need to download and install the ACE provider 16.0. (Which has gone out of support, and maybe you should run the Microsoft 365 Access Runtime instead). Furthermore, the bit-ness of the provider needs to match the bit-ness of your SSMS installation (not SQL Server). That is, if you are running SSMS 20 or older, you need the 32-bit version of the provider. With SSMS 21 and later, you need the 64-bit version of the provider.

If you are uncertain which version of SSMS you are using, you can download the most recent version here.

The error means the ACE OLE DB provider for Excel is not installed or not available in the bitness (32/64‑bit) that the Import and Export Wizard is running under.

To fix it:

1. Install the Access Database Engine (ACE) provider
   • Download and install Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016 Redistributable. This installs Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.16.0, which is required to work with Excel/Access files.
   • After installation, restart SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and try the wizard again.
2. Match provider bitness with the wizard
   • Starting with SSMS 21 and SQL Server 2025, the Import and Export Wizard is 64‑bit only and Microsoft.JET.OLEDB.4.0 (32‑bit) no longer works.
   • For Excel in a 64‑bit environment, install the 64‑bit Access Database Engine 2016 and in the wizard select Microsoft Excel 2016 as the Excel version. This uses Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.16.0.
3. Verify Excel appears as a data source
   • In the Import and Export Wizard, on Choose a Data Source / Choose a Destination, confirm Microsoft Excel is listed.
   • If Excel is missing when using older SSMS/SQL versions, ensure the 32‑bit wizard is used when only 32‑bit ACE is installed, because Excel connectivity components are typically 32‑bit.
4. If running in unattended/server scenarios (SQL Agent, SSIS Catalog)
   • Office/ACE components are not supported for server‑side/unattended automation and may fail unpredictably.
   • For reliable production use, replace Excel sources/destinations with:
     • Flat files (CSV/TXT), or
     • OLE DB/ODBC connections to a database, or
     • OpenXML/ADO.NET‑based approaches that do not depend on ACE.

After installing the correct Access Database Engine (matching your environment’s bitness) and restarting SSMS, the Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.16.0 provider should be registered and the wizard should be able to import the .xlsx file.

References:

• Import and Export Data with the SQL Server Import and Export Wizard
• Import data from Excel or export data to Excel with SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)