Manage External data - not working. Can't validate data

[olgrim]

Hello COGNOS pros. I am using COGNOS 10.2.1 ver.
I am trying to use external Excel data in some of my COGNOS reports. Our administrator and I stumbled on this COGNOS issue: I set-up a small excel file 1000 rows, 4 columns. I created a data source.

Everything seems works up to the point when I try to view data of the query that uses external data or I try to, say, just to validate this query, or use this query in reports.  COGNOS is trying to execute, read data and runs forever, without end.  I have to terminate and "Cancel". Data (excel file) is saved in a regular company shared folder. I have a permission to use external data with up to 30k lines, no problem here.

Can somebody please help to resolve this problem?
Please see attachement in pictures in MS Word showing the problem.

thank you

[olgrim]

I also tried different file types: csv, lower version of excel 1997-2003. The same result.
Cognos is hanging with message "you report is running please wait ..." after I run query with external data.
Looks like it is trying to read data.

Can anybody help?
Thank you.

[dougp]

First:  I'm not using MS Windows to open a MS Word file from someone I don't know.  Too dangerous.  Try png.

You need to consider how the data is joined.  I don't use the Manage External Data wizard to define the joins.  I create a query for the external data, then I join it to another query that provides the data from the database.  Both queries are filtered appropriately.  This makes it easy to inspect the query structures to see what's going on, rather than needing to open the Manage External Data wizard -- making troubleshooting more efficient.

Another reason for this approach is that the external data source usually contains denormalized data.  I usually need to join it to multiple query subjects from the package source, but the wizard doesn't allow that.

[olgrim]

I attached ..PDF to the 1st message. Is it ok?

I am NOT at the point of making joins. It is before that.  I created a data source using COGNOS External data wizard - no problem.
External data is set-up in the COGNOS with columns and rows.
When I start using this data source - this is when the COGNOS is hanging. with  ... please wait message" 
I can't even view data.

Thank you.