I want to import data from AutoTrack in to MS Excel

Unfortunately, AutoTrack v2 does not have a facility for generating a information in a file format the spreadsheet programs like Microsoft Excel™ can understand (although the new AutoTrack Pro v3 does have this facility), but there is a very quick and simple way around the problem by adding a Generic Text printer to your system and ‘printing to file’ using that printer. To generate a file that Excel™ can understand, follow these steps.

1. The first thing you need to do is add a Generic Text Only printer to Windows™. To do this, click on the Start button, select Settings and finally Printers (based on Windows 2000, other OS’s may be slightly different).

2. Double click on Add Printer and click on the Next button when the printer wizard appears.

3. Select Local Printer and hit Next.

4. Scroll down to the bottom of the ‘Use the following port’ list and select File: Print To File. Press Next.

5. Select Generic from the Manufacturers list and Generic / Text Only from the Printers list. Then press Next.

6. Give your text only printer a name but do not set the printer as default (unless you do not have another printer in which case you can if you like).

7. Do not share the printer unless you want to. Press Next.

8. Do not bother to print a test page. Press Next.

9. The printer is now set up, click on Finish to close the wizard.

You now have a text only printer that can be used in AutoTrack (and AutoTrack Pro) to save any lists of information as a text file. To test this, try the following.

1. Fire up AutoTrack v2, and click on the Search Songs button to perform a basic Song search.

2. Hit OK to list all Songs, you should then have a list of all the Songs on the system in the Search Results window.

3. Click on the File menu and select Printer Set-up.

4. Select the Generic Text Only printer we just set-up.

5. Select Print from the File menu (or click on the Print button).

6. You will then need to put the full path and name that you want to print to (e.g. c:\\songs.txt)

7. You file will now be there waiting for you. Excel™ and other similar packages should be able to import this file without too many difficulties.


Search key words: Export, Excel, CSV, text file, print to file.

Liam Burke - Broadcast Radio Ltd

Email: liamb@broadcastradio.com

Telephone: +44 1482 383700