ODBC error when trying to connect MS Excel to SPSS file on fileserver

Question

I want to load SPSS Data into Excel using an ODBC connection. I am successfully connecting Excel to a local SPSS file using the IBM SPSS Statistics Data Drivers. But when I try the same with a copy of that file that I have placed on the corporate file server the connection fails.

What is going wrong? do i need to specify the UNC path in a different way?

here is the connection string that I use in Excel for the local SPSS file which works great

= Odbc.DataSource( 
        "DRIVER=IBM SPSS Statistics 28 Data File Driver - Service Client(x64);
        SDSN=SAVDB;
        HST=localhost;
        PRT=18886;
        CP_CONNECT_STRING=c:\folder\spssfile.sav;
        CP_UserMissingIsNull=0",
        [HierarchicalNavigation=true]
)

Here is the same connection string - the only difference being, that I point to a file on the fileserver.

= Odbc.DataSource( 
        "DRIVER=IBM SPSS Statistics 28 Data File Driver - Service Client(x64);
        SDSN=SAVDB;
        HST=localhost;
        PRT=18886;
        CP_CONNECT_STRING=\\fileserver\folder\spssfile.sav;
        CP_UserMissingIsNull=0",
        [HierarchicalNavigation=true]
)

here is the error message I am receiving

DataSource.Error: ODBC: ERROR [HY000] [IBM][ODBC IBMSPSSOEM driver][OpenAccess SDK SQL Engine]File:<\\fileserver\folder\spssfile.sav> could not be opened

Answer 1

here is the solution: in order to open SAV files located on a file server from you local system the SPSS Statistics data file drivers not to be installed also on the file server