Setting Up Data Link from Excel Table

Hello,

 

I am trying to set up a data link in a layer to an excel table. When I make the data connection and test it, it is successful. But when I try to make the data link to the layer with a common field, I get the following error:

 

Unable to initilaize the selected data connection. The connection may be incorrectly configured or temporarily unavailable. You may still create the data link manually specifying the SQL command that retrieves external data, then editing the data link to add any parameters.

 

 Can anyone offer some pointers? Thanks.