# VL garbage **URL:** \ **Category:** Mechanical Investing\ **Created:** [May 23, 2022, 1:25am UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/vl-garbage/69071 "2022-05-23T01:25:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elann](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/elann/32/3929_2.png) [@elann](https://discussion.fool.com/u/elann)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2022, 1:25am UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/vl-garbage/69071/1 "2022-05-23T01:25:47Z")
The VL download for this weekend is messed up. Most companies have blanks in the 13 and 26 week total return fields which are used in many screens. If you produce your own rankings, don’t trust them. It’s possible that this error will be corrected with the real time updates Monday morning. We shall see. Elan ---
**Author:** ![richinaz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/richinaz/32/3307_2.png) [@richinaz](https://discussion.fool.com/u/richinaz)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2022, 12:10pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/vl-garbage/69071/2 "2022-05-23T12:10:04Z")
Isn’t this for a paid service? Seems like they have a lot of issues. ---
**Author:** ![AllTooFoolish](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/alltoofoolish/32/3243_2.png) [@AllTooFoolish](https://discussion.fool.com/u/AllTooFoolish)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2022, 10:45pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/vl-garbage/69071/3 "2022-05-23T22:45:42Z")
Another issue I have been having is a misaligned header with exported data. I download EPS and Annual data files and the annual header is misaligned. They claim it exports correctly if you use the Excel format. However, when I try this format, the software pauses, then closes with an error “Provider cannot be found. It may not be properly installed.” Very frustrating. ---
**Author:** ![elann](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/elann/32/3929_2.png) [@elann](https://discussion.fool.com/u/elann)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2022, 12:31am UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/vl-garbage/69071/4 "2022-05-24T00:31:41Z")
_Another issue I have been having is a misaligned header with exported data. I download EPS and Annual data files and the annual header is misaligned. They claim it exports correctly if you use the Excel format. However, when I try this format, the software pauses, then closes with an error “Provider cannot be found. It may not be properly installed.”_ _Very frustrating._ Indeed. The long running problem I’ve seen is that an extra column is inserted in front of %Institutional Holdings, and all the columns after it are shifted right. Are you seeing the same thing? I’ve working around it by eliminating several columns from view, and the remaining columns line up correctly. I’ve tried the Excel export too and it crashes. It’s a miracle that the company still exists. Elan ---
**Author:** ![AllTooFoolish](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/alltoofoolish/32/3243_2.png) [@AllTooFoolish](https://discussion.fool.com/u/AllTooFoolish)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2022, 12:27pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/vl-garbage/69071/5 "2022-05-24T12:27:52Z")
I am seeing a slightly different issue in that the header dates on the Annual export begins with 2011 and it should be 2010. Or, maybe as you say, the entire dataset has shifted one column. But then that leaves the issue of where’s the beginning of the header? But I will try your recommendation and see if I can get what I need. I have a fix for your Excel export issue. Microsoft has a software product on their website that will resolve the disconnect between the Excel data Analyzer creates and the Excel software that is needed to display the data. The software can be found at [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=132…](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=13255). It will ask you which version to install. I tried both and I can get the VLIA to work when the “AccessDatabaseEngine.exe” is installed. Let me know if this works for you. -AllTooFoolish ---
**Author:** ![mungofitch](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/mungofitch/32/4553_2.png) [@mungofitch](https://discussion.fool.com/u/mungofitch)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2022, 3:35pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/vl-garbage/69071/6 "2022-05-24T15:35:32Z")
FWIW I have no problem with column alignment on my exports. Maybe that’s because I haven’t updated my VLISW software for many years…I just keep running the weekly data updates, and they work fine. My version is 3.0.16.0 from Feb 2016. I still get garbage fields when they mess up, but at least the garbage aligns with the appropriate column header. Jim ---
**Author:** ![mungofitch](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/mungofitch/32/4553_2.png) [@mungofitch](https://discussion.fool.com/u/mungofitch)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2022, 7:50am UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/vl-garbage/69071/7 "2022-05-29T07:50:48Z")
Regarding the bad data in that update file… (the one with the file name May 27, containing stock prices from close Friday May 20 and intended to contain weekly total return ending Thursday May 19) Did anyone look more closely at WHICH fields are bad? From my cursory spot checks it seem clear that all the TR fields that are updated weekly, rather than monthly, are wrong. That includes: Total Return 1-Week Total Return 4-Week Total Return 13-Week Total Return 26-Week Total Return YTD Did anyone do any more spot checks? Are any or all of the other fields calculated weekly from the most recent prices wrong? I did spot check one other: Looks like Current P/E is OK, as it matches what you get dividing reported Stock Price by reported Current EPS. So, my current theory is that only the TR fields that are updated weekly, those listed above, are wrong. Any corrections to that assumption appreciated. Jim