Import Troubleshooting

When an import doesn’t go as expected, TrackEd has built-in tools to help you work out what went wrong. Error messages appear directly on the Import page with colour-coded indicators, and most problems can be fixed by checking a few common things before contacting support.

This article covers the most common import errors, how to read validation messages, what to do when OneSchool or QCAA changes a file format, what the common Import Helper messages mean, and how to clean up incorrect data or duplicate students using the Utilities page. For a general overview of how imports work, see Getting Data into TrackEd.

In this article

---

Quick Start Guide

A quick reference for what to do when an import fails. For a full explanation of the diagnostic tools and settings, see the Training Video and Deep Dive below.

1. Go to the Import page in TrackEd.
2. Look at the import queue for any coloured “More Info” buttons next to failed imports.
3. An orange button is a warning. Click it to read the warning text.
4. A pink button is a header validation error or an error code. Click it to view the details.
5. For a validation error, click the “What went wrong” option to see the suggested fixes.
6. Check that the correct file was downloaded from the source system (for example OneSchool) and that it was freshly exported.
7. Confirm the correct import type was selected in TrackEd.
8. Close TrackEd, reopen it, and try the import again with a fresh file.
9. If the error persists, check you are running the latest version of TrackEd by comparing your version to the current release on the TrackEd Downloads page.
10. For error codes or other issues, click the blue “Import Helper” button in the bottom-right corner of the Import page.
11. Save the generated report and email it to support@trackedapp.com.au.
12. De-identify any files before sending them to support.

---

Training Video

• 0:01 Simulating a Failed Import: What a header validation error looks like when the wrong file is dropped onto an import.
• 0:34 Common Causes of Validation Failures: Why opening a Student Summary in Excel causes errors, and why some QCAA files need to be opened first.
• 1:01 When a Source System Changes Its File Format: Spotting a small difference between the expected and imported header, and what to send support.
• 1:38 Reading the Error Details Page: Using the expected versus imported header comparison and the row count indicator.
• 1:55 Using the Import Helper: Generating a detailed diagnostic report for error codes with the blue Import Helper button.
• 2:14 Reviewing the Import Log: Finding the Import Log in Settings, exporting it as an Excel file, and sending it to support.
• 3:22 Resetting a Stuck Import Queue: What to do when an import sits on purple for hours with no progress.

---

Deep Dive

A closer look at import-related settings, what each option does, and the full range of cleanup utilities available when data needs to be corrected.

• 0:02 Import Settings Overview: Where the import settings sit and the recommended defaults.
• 0:43 Server Processing and Timeout Troubleshooting: How “Send imports to server when possible” works and when to turn it off temporarily.
• 1:27 Student Data Import Options: DSL import management, absence and behaviour total updates, and reducing Student Summary dependency.
• 3:18 Preferred Names Configuration: The two approaches to handling preferred versus legal names during imports.
• 4:15 Ignore Lists and Roll Class Omissions: Timetable, GPA, QCE, and roll class ignore lists for filtering imported data.
• 5:40 Attendance Settings and Rollover Month: Attendance calculation settings and the absence and behaviour rollover month for the start of the year.
• 6:58 Reset Import Queue and Revise Headers: Clearing stuck imports and updating expected headers for spelling changes only.
• 7:59 Data Cleanup Utilities: Results, attendance, tags, photos, and senior schooling cleanup options.

---

Detailed Guide

Reading Error Messages

When an import fails, a coloured “More Info” button appears next to it in the import queue. Orange buttons are warnings, which you can review and forward to support if needed. Pink buttons indicate either a header validation error or an error code from the import process.

For validation errors, click the “What went wrong” option on the error page. It gives you a short checklist to work through before contacting support. For error codes, the Import Helper (covered below) is the best way to get detailed diagnostic information.

Header Validation Errors

Header validation errors are the most common import problem. They happen when the column headings in your file don’t match what TrackEd expects. The error page shows the expected header next to the imported header so you can compare them directly, and it tells you how many rows should sit above the data set, which helps with files that have extra rows.

The most frequent cause is a stale or opened file. Always import a file freshly exported from the source system, and don’t open a Student Summary file in Excel before importing it, as that can add an extra row and trigger the error. Drag the file straight from your browser download into TrackEd, or download a fresh copy and try again.

Prep to Year 2 Student Summary exports use a separate “Student Summary P-2” import button, so check you have selected the matching import type for the year levels you are importing.

Sometimes the source system itself changes a column heading or file structure, so the expected header differs slightly from the imported one. This is not something you did wrong. See Keeping TrackEd Up to Date below, and if the difference remains after updating, screenshot the error page and send it to support@trackedapp.com.au so the team can line up the exact columns.

Importing QCAA Files

QCAA files behave differently from OneSchool files. A CSV report exported from the QCAA portal, such as Student VET or Academic Integrity Completion (AIC), often needs to be opened and resaved before it will import. Open the file in Excel, save it (saving as an .xlsx file works), close it completely, then import the resaved copy.

Resaving through Excel clears encoding and formatting differences in the CSV that TrackEd’s header validation doesn’t accept. For the AIC report specifically, make sure TrackEd is on version 3.583 or later, as that file’s format changed.

Keeping TrackEd Up to Date

When OneSchool or QCAA changes the format of an export file, older versions of TrackEd can no longer read it and the import fails header validation. TrackEd releases a corrected version after each change, so if your version is behind the current release, the fix is usually to update.

Update manually from the TrackEd Downloads page, which also carries the release notes and change log, or let the server auto-update schedule handle it. After updating, export a fresh file and run the import again. If you are already on the current release and validation still fails, send the Import Helper report to support, as it may be a header change TrackEd hasn’t seen yet.

The Import Helper

For error codes or less obvious issues, click the blue “Import Helper” button in the bottom-right corner of the Import page. This generates a detailed report with logging information about what went wrong. Save the report and email it to the support team. It gives the team far more to work with than a screenshot alone. De-identify any files before sending them.

The report often names the problem itself. Before sending it, look for a line such as “Temp table is empty” or “Import Error 809” and check it against Common Import Helper messages in the Reference section below. Many of these have a fix you can try straight away.

The Import Log

The Import Log (found in Settings) shows every import that has been run, including when it was processed and who ran it. A pink “Save an Excel file of log for support” button exports the full log. Set a date range and the file is saved to your TrackEd docs folder, usually on your desktop. It contains no student data, just import metadata, and helps the team diagnose recurring issues.

If the Import page or the Import Log page is slow to load, the log may have grown large. Go to Settings > Utilities > Cleanup import log to trim old entries so both pages load quickly again.

Resetting a Stuck or Slow Import

If an import has been running for hours (or overnight) and shows as purple in the queue with no progress, TrackEd has most likely lost its connection to the server. Go to Settings > Utilities > Reset Import Queue to clear the stuck job, then queue your files and try again.

An Absence List import that sits on processing for a long time is a slightly different case. Check that “Absence list use alt calculation method” is turned on in Import Settings. It processes the file one week at a time, which is far more memory efficient, especially later in the school year. A full year import can legitimately take a while at busy times, so allow time before assuming it has failed. If imports still hang, check the server VM meets the recommended CPU, RAM and disk allocation.

Duplicate Students

If the same student appears twice in a class list or Datawall after an import, you can remove the extra record in one of two ways. For a single duplicate, open the student’s profile, go to the pink Extras tab, and use the Delete student button at the bottom right. Delete only one of the two records.

For more than one, go to Settings > Utilities > Duplicate Student Cleanup and follow the steps on screen. If you’re unsure which record to keep, contact support@trackedapp.com.au and the team can help.

When Imported Values Look Wrong

Sometimes an import completes without an error, but the numbers on a profile or report don’t look right. Before cleaning anything up, check you are on the current release, since a fix may already be in place. For example, an early version of the DIBELs import could show currency symbols on the DIBELs page. If you see them, update TrackEd and re-import your DIBELs file.

If data went into the wrong year or term, or a data set needs to be removed and imported again, use the matching cleanup utility in the Data cleanup utilities table below. After a Results Cleanup, the correct term’s import may need re-running.

Import Processing Settings

Import settings have their own Import Settings page, the second option in the settings list directly under General Settings. Some recommended options are highlighted on the settings page, which makes it easier to check your setup at a glance. “Send imports to server when possible” is recommended for server-hosted installations, since it sends processing to the server so you don’t have to wait at your PC. If you hit timeout issues or unusual error codes, turning it off temporarily forces imports through a different pathway, which can help isolate the problem. Turn it back on once the import completes.

“Allow DSL import to manage students” uses the Dynamic Student List to update enrolments instead of relying on Student Summary. It was added when Student Summary exports were slow for large schools; that issue is resolved, so the recommended setup leaves it off and runs Student Summary regularly. Related settings let the Absence List, Negative Behaviour import, and Personalised Learning Summary update totals and metadata (ATSI, DDA, ICP, EALD, Out of Home Care) on their own, which reduces how often you need to run Student Summary. These are generally best left off too. If you’re unsure about any import setting, check with support before changing it.

Preferred Names

Two settings control how preferred names are handled. The recommended one is “Use preferred names on profile and Datawall”, which imports both legal and preferred names but only shows preferred names on outputs a student might see (profiles and Datawalls). Legal names are used everywhere else in the system.

The alternative, “Import preferred names in place of legal with the DSL”, writes preferred names into the legal name field, so they show everywhere in the system. This is not the recommended setup but is there if you need it.

Ignore Lists and Roll Class Omissions

Several ignore lists let you exclude specific data during imports. The Timetable Import Subject Ignore List filters out three-digit subject codes (like tutorial periods) so they don’t appear on student profiles. The GPA Ignore List excludes codes such as instrumental music from GPA calculations, and the QCE Ignore List excludes subjects from QCE computation.

The Roll Class Omit List excludes entire roll classes. This is useful when a campus or section of your school doesn’t need to be imported into TrackEd, such as a special support campus. Add the roll class codes and they are left out during import.

Attendance Settings and Rollover Month

Attendance import settings have their own article, Attendance Data Imports Explained. The key recommendations are to enable “Absence list use alt calculation method” and to enter your local show holiday date.

The “Rollover month for absence and behaviour total” setting (recommended: 1 February) controls when the Student Summary import switches from last year’s totals to the new year’s. Import Student Summary in January and it keeps last year’s numbers, which is more useful to teachers in the first weeks of term. The first Student Summary import after the rollover date moves to the new year’s totals.

Attendance Package Percentage Import

If your school wants the term and year to date attendance percentages in TrackEd to match your attendance package exactly, the attendance package percentage import gives you one source for those numbers. It is hidden until you turn it on: open the Import Settings page and, in the attendance import settings area on the right, set “Attendance package percentage import format” to IDAttend or Daymap (the default is None). The import then appears at the bottom of the Frequent list on the Import page, with step-by-step instructions for saving your file.

Also tick the two options above it, “When importing absence list, preserve the existing term values” and “preserve the existing year to date values”. Without them, the next OneSchool Absence List import overwrites the percentages you imported from your attendance package. For IDAttend, save the report from the IDWeb interface, which gives you the CSV format. Choose a year to date or term date range, drag the file onto TrackEd, then select year to date or the matching term. If you only need year to date numbers, that one import is all you need.

These percentages will differ from QParents, which uses OneSchool’s official half-day absences, and the weekly numbers in TrackEd still come from the Absence List import. You may want to time this import for just before year to date or term attendance numbers are sent home. For where these settings sit, see the Settings Page Reference.

Revising Import Headers

Under Settings > Utilities, “Revise Import Headers” lets you update the expected column heading for an import when the source system has made a minor spelling change, such as an extra space or slightly different wording.

Reference

Common Import Helper messages

These lines appear in the Import Helper report when an import doesn’t complete. Find the line in your report, then try the fix in the last column. If it doesn’t help, send the report to support@trackedapp.com.au.

Message	What it means	What to do
Validation: Failed (shown with a version line, such as “TrackEd Version: 3.501”)	Usually your TrackEd is out of date and the file format has changed since. Less often, the wrong file was dropped on the import, or the format has changed in a way TrackEd hasn’t seen yet.	Update TrackEd to the current release (manual update or auto-update), then import a fresh file. Check you dropped the right file for that import. If you are already on the current release, send the report to support.
No valid Data was imported to process. Temp table is empty.	TrackEd didn’t read any data from the file.	Restart TrackEd. If that doesn’t work, switch “Send imports to server when possible” in Settings > Import Settings to the opposite of its current state. Save a new file from OneSchool and import again.
Warning! No absences found for week(s)	The Absence List export from OneSchool may not cover the whole year.	Save a new Absence List file for the whole year and import again.
Result: Read/Write Error / Import Error 809	TrackEd can’t write to disk. The PC drive or the server drive is full, or there is a permissions issue.	Free up space on the drive, or fix the permissions, then import again. Your school’s technician may need to help.
Other student records were busy. Some student records were busy. Error No. 729 Warning! The following records were in use and could not be updated	Someone was editing a student record in TrackEd while the import ran.	Ask others to log out of TrackEd, log out yourself, then try again.

Data cleanup utilities

The Utilities page (Settings > Utilities) has cleanup options for correcting data after an import has gone wrong. Consult this table when you need to remove or reset a specific data set before reimporting.

Utility	What it does	When to use
Results Cleanup	Removes orphaned subject records and fixes subject codes showing on the wrong year level profiles; also trims old data to keep the file small.	Duplicate results, wrong year level results, or a general tidy-up. See Remove Results Import.
Markbook Cleanup	Removes Markbook data, including by year and task.	A bad Markbook import that needs clearing before you import again.
Attendance Cleanup	Deletes attendance data from a set year and term forward so you can reimport cleanly.	Attendance percentages look wrong. See Remove Attendance Import.
Reset year to date attendance	Resets the year to date attendance values for all students.	Year to date figures are wrong after an import error, for example when some student records were locked during the import.
Duplicate Student Cleanup	Finds and removes students that exist in TrackEd more than once.	Duplicate students after an import. See Duplicate Students above.
Cleanup import log	Trims old entries from the Import Log.	The Import page or Import Log page is slow to load.
Tag Cleanup	Removes previously entered tags.	Starting tags again from scratch.
Photos Cleanup	Removes photos so you can run a fresh import.	Wrong or outdated student photos.
Class Builder Cleanup	Clears Class Builder data.	Class Builder issues.
Senior Schooling (VET, Task Assessments, Unit 3 & 4)	Resets senior schooling data sets and the Unit 3 & 4 progress bars.	Incorrect senior schooling data after an import.

Most schools only occasionally need Results Cleanup or System Cleanup to keep the database tidy. Tracking template imports are removed separately under Settings > Tracking Template Settings > Remove import (see Remove Tracking Template Import).

Checking Your Imported Data

After fixing an import, open a few student profiles to confirm the data landed where you expected, especially results on the correct year level and up-to-date absence totals. If something still looks off, the cleanup utilities above let you remove and reimport a specific data set. For a refresher on the import process itself, see Getting Data into TrackEd.

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: My OneSchool import suddenly started failing with a header or format error. What changed?
A: The format of an export file has most likely changed, which breaks the header TrackEd expects. It is not something you did wrong. Update TrackEd to the latest release (see the TrackEd Downloads page), export a fresh file, and run the import again.

Q: Why does my QCAA CSV report (such as Student VET or AIC) fail to import?
A: Open the CSV in Excel, save it, close it completely, then import the resaved copy, as resaving clears formatting differences that break header validation. For the AIC report, also make sure TrackEd is on version 3.583 or later. OneSchool files, by contrast, should never be opened in Excel first.

Q: I get a validation error on the Student Summary. What is the most common cause?
A: Opening the file in Excel before importing, which can add an extra row. Drag a freshly downloaded copy straight into TrackEd without opening it. For Prep to Year 2, use the separate “Student Summary P-2” import button.

Q: My import has been stuck on purple for hours. What should I do?
A: TrackEd has usually lost its connection to the server mid-import. Go to Settings > Utilities > Reset Import Queue to clear the stuck job, then queue your files and try again. For a slow Absence List import, also check “Absence list use alt calculation method” is turned on.

Q: A student is showing twice after an import. How do I remove the duplicate?
A: Open the profile, go to the pink Extras tab, and use the Delete student button at the bottom right on one of the two records. For several duplicates, use Settings > Utilities > Duplicate Student Cleanup, or contact support for help.

Q: I imported data into the wrong year or term. How do I fix it?
A: Use the cleanup utilities in Settings > Utilities. For results, use Results Cleanup (see Remove Results Import) to remove data forward of a selected year and term, then reimport. After Results Cleanup, the correct term’s import may need re-running. For attendance, use Attendance Cleanup (see Remove Attendance Import).