Home/ Questions/Q 6722385
In Process

The Archive Base Latest Questions

Editorial Team
  • 0
Asked: 2026-05-26T09:26:27+00:00

I need to develop a service and install it into a w2003 box to

  • 0

I need to develop a service and install it into a w2003 box to read excel files a then process its info. The process is as follows, users will upload excel files using FTP and then my service must take those files, validate and then update a SQL Server DB.

The application runs fine on my computer but on the server it asks for the libraries but when I try to install the MS office 2003 Primary Interop Assemblies, system displays “Please install Microsoft Office 2003 before installing the product”.

I’d prefer to stay away of any server upgrade as we should require OKs, etc.. so, is there a simple way to just read excel files without having to install any update in the server.

any comments are welcome.

Thanks,
m0dest0.

ps. using vb.net and vs 2008.

Share

Leave an answer

You must login to add an answer.

Need An Account,

1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    Using Interop on the server is NOT supported by MS – see http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q257757#kb2

    Since Windows Vista MS introduced several security-related measures which prevent a Windows Service from doing “desktop-like” things… which means you would have to circumvent several security measures to get it to work (NOT recommended!).

    To deal with Excel in a server-scenario there are several options (free and commercial) out there:

    I can recommend Aspose.Cells and Flexcel… didn’t try SpreadsheetGear but hear+read lots of good things about it…

    Free options (though for the newer xlsx format only!) are for example OpenXML 2 from MS and EPPlus.

    • 0