Excel No Longer Opening CSV Files Correctly

**Osensnolf** · 02-07-2013, 02:36 PM

I hope someone can help me.

All of the sudden, I've started having issues on one PC with Excel opening CSV files.

I work with these files every day and they work on other computers.

The problem is that if the field value starts with a dash, Excel will not show any records before that. Meaning, if there is a record on line 50000 that starts with a dash, it will not show the previous 49000 records.

I can open the file in Notepad++ and find all '- and replace it with ' and it will work fine. But I have hundreds of files.

This just started. I'm using using Office 2010 x64. I'm tempted to get Office 2013 to see if this will resolve it as something has obviously went wrong.

In the past, I would open the CSV files just like any Excel file and NEVER any issues. I would do this with multiple files each day but even the file that I use to not have issues with in the past is now an issue if it has a dash in a field.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

**JBeaucaire** · 02-08-2013, 04:08 AM

Check the TEXT TO COLUMNS function, what delimiters are turned on? Perhaps you need to turn off all but the Comma.

**Osensnolf** · 02-08-2013, 12:51 PM

Jerry:

Only the Tab option is selected but that has always been the case.

I've closed out, restarted, uninstall add-ons, etc. Everything but uninstall Excel.

All of my computers use the same version of Excel and the same version of ASAP-Utilities add-on. The file that causes issues on my main computer is perfect on all other computers.

When I open csv files, I open it as I would any file. I do not import.

There are files that I've worked on months ago without issue and now if I go back to them, the issue will be there because of fields that start with a dash.

Originally Posted by JBeaucaire

Check the TEXT TO COLUMNS function, what delimiters are turned on? Perhaps you need to turn off all but the Comma.

**martindwilson** · 02-08-2013, 07:37 PM

you could try opening one in the import wizard and change all column headings to text, excel should remember that next time you open one well its worth a go

**JosephP** · 02-09-2013, 04:55 PM

have you applied any updates to the problem pc recently?

**Osensnolf** · 02-11-2013, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by martindwilson

you could try opening one in the import wizard and change all column headings to text, excel should remember that next time you open one well its worth a go

I wasn't able to do much work during the weekend so I haven't tried this or installing 2013. I will post an update though once I do.

No, I haven't applied any updates related to Windows or Office. Auto-Updates are turned off.

Thanks.

Steve

**JosephP** · 02-11-2013, 10:41 AM

have you applied other updates?

**Osensnolf** · 02-11-2013, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by JosephP

have you applied other updates?

Just to MalwareBytes and my other AV program. Mayble Flash and Adobe but nothing that should interfere with the import.

**JosephP** · 02-11-2013, 11:34 AM

if you start excel in safe mode does the problem still occur?

**Osensnolf** · 02-11-2013, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by JosephP

if you start excel in safe mode does the problem still occur?

As weird as it sounds, I tried to find a file with an issue but cannot at the moment. Previously, almost every file created an error.

So, I went into Notepad++ and manually added the dashes, =, and +'s in the start of certain fields and saved and opened with Excel as normal and did not have any issues.

It showing the #NAME error in the cell but that is common and is fine as I can correct the error within Excel.

Once I do find a file that is causing an error, I'll open it in Excel Safe Mode and see what happens.

Who knows, maybe the problem left as quietly as it came. That would be great.