Problem:
You attempt to create (load) an entity that uses an ODBC connection to a Microsoft Excel data source file and receive the following error: Authentication failed.: [Microsoft][ODBC Excel Driver] '(unknown)' is not a valid path. Make sure that the path name is spelled correctly and that you are connected to the server on which the file resides.
Solution:
When you configure DSN for a Microsoft Excel file (.xls, .xlsx, and so on), when specifying the file path, use the Universal Naming Convention (UNC) rather than a mapped drive to avoid situations where a mapped drive location cannot be determined.