SQL Server Express 2005 Questions And Issues...

So I am fairly new to Express and I have installed it on my development machine; much tio my chagrin it is quite difficult to import data into SQLEXPRESS. I have a 'sa' account setup and I have created a new database and table within that database, however, when I try to import data into that table by setting up a link server to excel I am having some major issues!

I ran this code first to create the linked server...


DECLARE @RC int

DECLARE @server nvarchar(128)

DECLARE @srvproduct nvarchar(128)

DECLARE @provider nvarchar(128)

DECLARE @datasrc nvarchar(4000)

DECLARE @location nvarchar(4000)

DECLARE @provstr nvarchar(4000)

DECLARE @catalog nvarchar(128)

-- Set parameter values

SET @server = 'XLTEST_SP'

SET @srvproduct = 'Excel'

SET @provider = 'Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0'

SET @datasrc = 'c:Anchor_Hocking blactionlist.xls'

SET @provstr = 'Excel 11.0'

EXEC @RC = [master].[dbo].[sp_addlinkedserver] @server, @srvproduct, @provider, @datasrc, @location, @provstr, @catalog


Next I try to run any of the statement below and I get the errors pasted below...


SELECT * FROM Anchor_Hocking...Sheet1$


EXECUTE SP_TABLES_EX 'Anchor_Hocking'


SELECT * FROM OPENDATASOURCE('Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0',

'Data Source=c:Anchor_Hocking blactionlist.xls;User ID=sa;Password=sa;Extended Properties=Excel 8.0')...Sheet1$




OLE DB provider "Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0" for linked server "Anchor_Hocking" returned message "Cannot start your application. The workgroup information file is missing or opened exclusively by another user.".

Msg 7399, Level 16, State 1, Line 1

The OLE DB provider "Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0" for linked server "Anchor_Hocking" reported an error. Authentication failed.

Msg 7303, Level 16, State 1, Line 1

Cannot initialize the data source object of OLE DB provider "Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0" for linked server "Anchor_Hocking".


The file is not open. I have granted full access rights to all users....I am really frustrated!

Also, how can I get SSIS on this machine with SQLEXPRESS?

-Brian