Baffled: SPSS (2265) Unrecognized or invalid variable format

Question

A year ago, we analyzed with SPSS 22 some data with 100+ variables on 5 lines. We used the GUI and laboriously entered variable names and output formats. This year, we are using SPSS 23 after a mandatory upgrade. We have similar data, and want to use a syntax file instead. We copied the GET DATA output from last year, made a few changes, and ran. No deal. We get the notorious and almost completely unhelpful error message in the title. (It continues "The format is invalid. For numeric formats, the width or decimals value may be invalid." Not line number, Not indication of the problem).

We are not using big numbers. We are not using macros, as in this SO question. We tried replacing F1.0 with N1. There are no ','s in the file (hence, no F3,1-like typos). I have searched the web. Does anyone know what else the problem might be?

The failing GET DATA statement, with filename and middle elided.

GET DATA  /TYPE=TXT 
  /FILE="E: ... .txt" 
  /ENCODING='UTF8' 
  /DELCASE=VARIABLES 123 
  /DELIMITERS="\t" 
  /ARRANGEMENT=DELIMITED 
  /FIRSTCASE=1 
  /IMPORTCASE=ALL 
  /VARIABLES= 
  ID A4 
  Group A2 
  Quality A2 
  V4 A5 
  oarea F4.1 
  oallarea F4.1 
  olthmean F5.3 
  olthmax F5.3 
  ...
  x  N1 
  o  N1 
  S  N1 
  Z  N1 
  w  N1. 

Answer 1

F5.5 was not valid. Fixing that and program ran.