Alteryx-Core General Knowledge Practice Question
Exhibit
Error: Tool #42: Input Data (5) - The file 'C:\Data\Sales.csv' cannot be found.
Refer to the exhibit. A user attempts to run a workflow and receives the error shown. What is the most likely cause for this error?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently blame syntax or configuration errors inside formulas when an input error is actually caused by a broken file path.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The input file path is invalid or inaccessible.
The error indicates that the Input Data tool cannot locate the source file at the specified path. This occurs when file paths are hardcoded to a local machine and are not updated when moved to a server or a different directory. Ensuring paths are relative or managed via constants is best practice for maintaining workflow portability across different execution environments, preventing runtime failures when the data source is moved.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The data file is corrupted.
Why it's wrong here
A corrupted file would typically result in a read error or a parser error rather than a 'file not found' message. 'File not found' explicitly indicates that the file system cannot locate the object at the provided path, pointing to a pathing configuration issue rather than a data integrity issue.
- ✓
The input file path is invalid or inaccessible.
Why this is correct
The error explicitly states the file cannot be found at the given path. This usually implies the file has been moved, renamed, or the workflow is running on a machine that does not have access to the specific network drive or local directory where the file was originally stored.
- ✗
The tool memory allocation is too low.
Why it's wrong here
Memory allocation issues generally result in 'out of memory' warnings or system crashes during processing. They do not manifest as a file system error. If the engine cannot find the file, it never reaches the stage where data processing memory needs to be allocated for the record set.
- ✗
The schema of the CSV file has changed.
Why it's wrong here
Schema changes result in errors related to column count, data types, or parsing failures. Because the system cannot find the file at all, the engine does not perform any schema validation. The error happens at the very first step of attempting to open the file handle.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Alteryx exam blueprint
This Alteryx-Core practice question is part of Courseiva's free Alteryx certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the Alteryx-Core exam.