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This article applies to:

  • Product: GoFileRoom
  • Subject: Documents

Troubleshoot FirmFlow folder import errors

GoFileRoom administrators can use Bulk Import to manage FirmFlow folders, but errors may occur due to spreadsheet formatting, which can be resolved by removing excess formatting as outlined.
GoFileRoom administrators can use the Bulk Import feature to create or update a large number of FirmFlow folders.
You may occasionally encounter errors during the Bulk Import process or receive an email that contains details on an error message.

Spreadsheet formatting

Many errors and failures to import come from excess formatting in the spreadsheet to be imported. FirmFlow Bulk Import and Bulk Update don’t support importing spreadsheets with background or text colors, hyperlinks, filtering, non-printing characters, or other visual enhancements.
If you are experiencing errors or failures to import, make sure your files have all formatting removed by following this process:
  1. Open your spreadsheet with the data that failed to import.
  2. Open a new blank spreadsheet in Excel.
  3. Open
    Notepad
     from the
    Windows Start Menu
    .
  4. In the new blank Excel workbook use the
    Select All
     button, or use
    CTRL
     and
    A
     on your keyboard, to select all cells in the workbook.
  5. Right-click inside the selected cells and select
    Format Cells...
  6. In the
    Number
     tab, in the Category list, select
    Text
     then
    OK
    .
  7. In the spreadsheet with the data that failed to import, use the
    Select All
     button, or use
    CTRL
     and
    A
     on your keyboard, to select the workbook again.
  8. Right-click inside the selected cells and select
    Copy
    , or use
    CTRL
     and
    C
     on your keyboard.
  9. In
    Notepad
    , right-click and select
    Paste
    , to paste all the values from the spreadsheet while discarding all excess formatting and non-printing characters.
  10. In
    Notepad
     right-click and select
    Select All
    , or use
    CTRL
     and
    A
     on your keyboard.
  11. In
    Notepad
     right-click select
    Edit
     then
    Copy
    , or use
    CTRL
     and
    C
     on your keyboard, to copy the sanitized data from
    Notepad
    .
  12. In the new blank Excel workbook that you formatted as
    text
    , right-click in cell 1A and select
    Paste
    . The sanitized data from
    Notepad
     will be pasted into this new spreadsheet.
  13. Save the new spreadsheet, which is now properly sanitized and won’t fail to import due to unwanted formatting.

General errors on the Bulk Import screen

Scenario

You may see the following error message when the spreadsheet file name extension uses all uppercase letters.
Error message
The file you attempted to import is not a .xls file
Solution
Rename the spreadsheet so that the file name extension uses all lowercase letters.

Scenario

You may see the following error message when you attempt to bulk import or update FirmFlow folders or workflows.
Error message
There was an error processing folders. Check your email for error details
Solution
Check your email for a message that details the specific issues found during the validation process.

Scenario

When you upload a large file, the process may time out before it finishes the import.
Solution
Follow these steps:
  1. Sign out of GoFileRoom.
  2. Go to
    http://member.gofileroom.com
    .
  3. Sign in using your GoFileRoom login credentials.
  4. Import the file again. When the import is complete, sign out and sign back in to
    https://gofileroom.com
     to continue working.

Data validation errors

When GoFileRoom encounters an error with specific content in the spreadsheet, you'll receive an email message that includes details on each row that requires attention. Each error message includes the row number, the specific validation errors, and all of the values found in the row. The messages are complicated because of the detailed data, but you can use this example to help you interpret the message.
note
The following error messages contain example data (line numbers, client numbers, client names, dates, etc.). The email you receive will contain data specific to your firm.
For the following error, the validation error is found in row 2 in the spreadsheet, and there are 4 validation errors: 2 for an invalid user or group (Mark Money and Dan Cash) and 2 for invalid custom field values (25 and Complex).
ERRORS for row 2: Invalid User/Group for Workflow Step 5,Invalid User/Group for Workflow Step 6,Invalid value for custom field 1, Invalid value for custom field 2 |10021.0|WORKFLOW|INDIVIDUAL|INDIVIDUAL TAX 1040|JOHN P. PARTNER|12/31|2017|1040 US Individual income tax|04/15/2017|TAX SETUP|TAX PREPARER POOL|SCAN OPERATORS|TAX PREPARER POOL| MARK MONEY| DAN CASH|JOHN P. PARTNR|TAX PREPARER POOL|TAX ASSEMBLY|TAX PREPARER POOL|JOHN P. PARTNER|TAX ASSEMBLY|TAX PREPARER POOL|TAX PREPARER POOL|TAX COMPLETED| 25| Complex

Missing client number, type of engagement, period end, year

You may see the following type of error message when our processing engine has found that the spreadsheet contains binary data.
Error message
ERRORS for row 453: Missing Client Number,Type of Engagement,Period End,Year||||||||||||||||||
Solution
Copy only the contents of the spreadsheet (not the entire spreadsheet), paste it into a new spreadsheet, then try again. If the same error occurs, make sure that you selected data only.

Invalid client number

You may see the following type of error message when the client number is invalid or doesn't exist in GoFileRoom.
Error message
ERRORS for row 12: Invalid Client Number | 10210.02|----|Individual|INDIVIDUAL TAX|WALTER JONES|12/31|2017|04/15/2017|TAX PREPARER|WALTER JONES|WALTER JONES|WALTER JONES|WALTER JONES|WALTER JONES|WALTER JONES|WALTER JONES||||
Solution
Make sure that the client number is part of the client lookup list in the Add section of GoFileRoom. If the client number isn't listed, add it to GoFileRoom or delete the row in the spreadsheet. If the error persists, add an apostrophe (single-quote) immediately before the client number in the spreadsheet ('33313.001, for example).

Missing type of engagement

You may see the following type of error message when the Engagement Type field is blank in the specified row.
Error message
ERRORS for row 146: Missing Type of Engagement|001860.019|TAX RETURN||John Doe|12/31|2017||3/15/2018|TAX ADMINS||Diane Diamond|TAX ADMINS||Robert Glass|Diane Diamond||TAX ADMINS|John Doe|TAX ADMINS|TAX ADMINS|||||||
Solution
Add the engagement type to the applicable row in the spreadsheet. Make sure that you specify an actual file section value that's configured to be an engagement type.

Invalid type of engagement

You may see the following type of error message when the engagement type for the row in the spreadsheet doesn't match the value in GoFileRoom or when it's not configured as an engagement type.
Error message
ERRORS for row 23: Invalid Type Of Engagement |10012.0|Individual| INDIVIDUAL TAX||| 12/31|2017|04/15/2017|||||||||||||||||
Solution
In GoFileRoom, go to
Administration
,
Manage FirmFlow
, then the
Lists
 tab and make sure that the data (including spaces) in the spreadsheet exactly matches the data in the File Section, and that the File Section is configured as an engagement type.

Invalid PIC

You may see the following type of error message when the data for the PIC in the spreadsheet doesn't match the data in the Full Name field in GoFileRoom, or when the user isn't a member of the PIC or FirmFlow Users group.
Error message
ERRORS for row 12: Invalid PIC | 10210.02| Individual| INDIVIDUAL TAX| WALTER JONES|12/31|2017|04/15/2017|TAX PREPARER|WALTER JONES|WALTER JONES|WALTER JONES|WALTER JONES|WALTER JONES|WALTER JONES|WALTER JONES||||
Solution
In GoFileRoom, go to
Administration
,
Management Users & Groups
, then the
Users
 tab and make sure that the data in the spreadsheet matches the data in the
Full Name
 field, and that the user is included in the PIC and/or the FirmFlow Users group.

Invalid period end

You may see the following type of error message when the data for the period end date in the spreadsheet doesn't match the data in GoFileRoom, or when the cell isn't formatted as a text cell.
Error message
ERRORS for row 16: Invalid Period End | 10210.02|Individual|INDIVIDUAL TAX 1040||| 12/31|2017|04/15/2017|||||||||||||||||
Solution
Make sure that the period end value in the spreadsheet matches the period end value in GoFileRoom,  and that the cell is formatted as a text cell. To change the format for the cell in Excel, right-click in the cell, select
Format Cells
, select
Text
 in the Category list on the Number tab, then
OK
. Re-enter the data in the spreadsheet and then re-import the data.

Unknown form name

You may see the following type of error message when the data for the form name in the spreadsheet doesn't exist in GoFileRoom.
Error message
ERRORS for row 128: Unknown Form name |24391.03|JOHN Q. TAX|WORKFLOW|1040 INDIVIDUAL TAX|JOHNSON, TED|12/31|2017| 1040 US Individual income tax|04/15/2018|EMPTY FOLDERS|||TAX REVIEW||TAX PROCESSING||SCAN OPERATORS |||||||||
Solution
If the form name doesn't exist in GoFileRoom, add it to the appropriate screen in GoFileRoom, or update the data in the spreadsheet to match the data in GoFileRoom.

Invalid due date

You may see the following type of error message when the data for the period end date in the spreadsheet doesn't match the data in GoFileRoom or when the cell isn't formatted as a text cell.
Error message
ERRORS for row 76: Invalid Due Date|24391.03|JOHN Q. TAX|WORKFLOW|1040 INDIVIDUAL TAX|JOHNSON, TED|12/31|2017|1040 US Individual income tax | 04/15/2018|EMPTY FOLDERS|||TAX REVIEW||TAX PROCESSING||SCAN OPERATORS |||||||||
Solution
Check the due date for the form in GoFileRoom. You can either correct the due date in GoFileRoom or modify the due date in the spreadsheet so that the dates match. Note that the cell's formatting in the spreadsheet doesn't affect this error.

Invalid User/Group for Workflow Step

You may see the following type of error message in the following situations:
  • The user or group doesn't exist in GoFileRoom.
  • The user or group name (including spaces) in the spreadsheet does't match the data in GoFileRoom.
  • The user or group isn't configured for FirmFlow.
Error message
ERRORS for row 90: Invalid User/Group for Workflow Step 7|24391.03|JOHN Q. TAX|WORKFLOW|1040 INDIVIDUAL TAX|JOHNSON, TED|12/31|20147|1040 US Individual income tax |04/15/2018|EMPTY FOLDERS|||TAX REVIEW|| TAX PROCESSING||SCAN OPERATORS |||||||||
Solution
Check the following:
  • In GoFileRoom, go to
    Administration
    ,
    Users & Groups
    , then the
    Users
     tab and make sure the the user name in the spreadsheet matches the name in the
    Full Name
     field.
  • In GoFileRoom, go to
    Administration
    ,
    Users & Groups
    , then the
    Groups
     tab and make sure the the group name in the spreadsheet matches the name in the
    Group Name
     field.
  • Make sure the group is configured as a FirmFlow group in GoFileRoom.

Invalid value for custom field

You may see the following type of error message when the custom field value in the spreadsheet doesn't exist or match the values available in GoFileRoom.
Error message
ERRORS for row 122: Invalid Due Date|24391.03|JOHN Q. TAX|WORKFLOW|1040 INDIVIDUAL TAX|JOHNSON, TED|12/31|2017|1040 US Individual income tax |04/15/2018|EMPTY FOLDERS|||TAX REVIEW||TAX PROCESSING||SCAN OPERATORS |||||||| Complex
Solution
Make sure that the custom value exists in GoFileRoom. If it doesn't, add it in GoFileRoom or update the data in the spreadsheet to use one of the available values.

Validation errors

There was an error processing folders. Check your email for error details

You may see the following type of error message when you attempt to bulk import or update FirmFlow folders or workflows. You'll receive an email with either of the following error messages.
Error messages
  • Upload failed. Please check the file and try again. \\gofileroom\data1\gf3\GFRTMPDATA\WebTemp\XXX\ImportFolders-mm-dd-yy-nn-nnnnnnnnn.xls Unable to open file. XLS file is not in expected format.
  • Upload failed. Please check the file and try again. \\gofileroom\data1\gf3\GFRTMPDATA\WebTemp\XXX\ImportFolders-mm-dd-yy-nn-nnnnnnnnn.xlsx Invalid number of columns provided for import.
Solution

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