"List from Spreadsheet" using SharePoint Designer 2010 throws "An unexpected error has occurred"

We are all aware about ‘How to import a spreadsheet’ from normal GUI functionality. This time I was playing the same functionality with SharePoint Designer 2010 and faced some challenges. I would like to share the exact steps as how we can reproduce the same error and workaround for the same.

Problem Description: If you try to import a spreadsheet from within SharePoint Designer 2010 to create a list in SharePoint 2010 you get an error

"An unexpected error has occurred."

Steps To Reproduce:

1.     Browse to a SharePoint site 

2.     From the Site Settings menu click on "Edit In SharePoint Designer" 

3.     Within SharePoint Designer, choose left menu "Lists and Items" 

4.     From the Ribbon menu click "List from Spreadsheet" 

5.     SharePoint Designer will launch the SharePoint site within a browser 

6.     Add a title on the list and choose File then click Import 

7.     You will get error message "An unexpected error has occurred" 

Workaround:

The URL when you try to load the page from SharePoint Designer will look something like the following and it will not work:

http://server/_layouts/new.aspx?ListTemplate=SpreadsheetImport  

Append to the URL on the page that is being called from SharePoint Designer with the following and reload the page.

&ListBaseType=0&DisplayName=Spreadsheet+Import  

Example:

http://server/_layouts/new.aspx?ListTemplate=SpreadsheetImport&ListBaseType=0&DisplayName=Spreadsheet+Import

If you have any queries/questions regarding the above mentioned information then please let me know. I would be more than happy to help you as well as resolves your issues J J