error: "invalid character in text conent" How do I open this file

[RTH]

I can not open one of my Excel files. I get an error message that reads,
"File can not be opened because an invalid character was found in text
content."

HOW CAN I OPEN THIS FILE?

Please help.

[Bryan Hessey]

No idea, but, is this a file created in one version of Excel that you are now trying to open in another version?
Is the file a true .xls file previously used?
Is your virus scanning up-to-date?
Can you open-with a copy of the file in Notepad and does it look like other .xls files - ie, heaps of control characters and the occasional recognisable word? (note: do NOT save from Notepad)

Any other clues?

Amended (see Dave's post) to

(note: do NOT save .xls files from Notepad)

I thought, by 'Excel files' the OP meant .xls and had not given thought to other forms acceptable to Excel


--

I can not open one of my Excel files. I get an error message that reads,
"File can not be opened because an invalid character was found in text
content."

HOW CAN I OPEN THIS FILE?

Please help.

[Dave Peterson]

Just something to try until you find the real answer...


This was posted by Myrna Larson:

===========
>From - Wed Apr 12 17:18:13 2000
From: Myrna Larson <myrnalarson@home.net>
Subject: Re: file format error message

>I have a Excel .csv file that somebody in my company e-mailed to me that
>they want me to see if I can repair. When I try to open the file I get an
>error message that says 'SYLK: file format is not valid'. Is there any way
>that I can save this file?

You get this message when the 1st 2 characters in the file are "ID", without
the quotes. So use Notepad or WordPad to change one or both of these
characters. Then import it, then correct the data in the 1st cell.

===========

Maybe it's that "ID" as the first couple of bytes in your text file????



RTH wrote:
>
> I can not open one of my Excel files. I get an error message that reads,
> "File can not be opened because an invalid character was found in text
> content."
>
> HOW CAN I OPEN THIS FILE?
>
> Please help.

--

Dave Peterson

[RTH]

File was created in the same version of Excel. I use it almost every day.
All other files open. Virus scanning is up to date. It's very strange

"Bryan Hessey" wrote:

>
> No idea, but, is this a file created in one version of Excel that you
> are now trying to open in another version?
> Is the file a true .xls file previously used?
> Is your virus scanning up-to-date?
> Can you open-with a copy of the file in Notepad and does it look like
> other .xls files - ie, heaps of control characters and the occasional
> recognisable word? (note: do NOT save from Notepad)
>
> Any other clues?
>
> --
>
> RTH Wrote:
> > I can not open one of my Excel files. I get an error message that
> > reads,
> > "File can not be opened because an invalid character was found in text
> > content."
> >
> > HOW CAN I OPEN THIS FILE?
> >
> > Please help.
>
>
> --
> Bryan Hessey
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Bryan Hessey's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=21059
> View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=535288
>
>

[Bryan Hessey]

Is the file a .xls file?

--

File was created in the same version of Excel. I use it almost every day.
All other files open. Virus scanning is up to date. It's very strange

"Bryan Hessey" wrote:

>
> No idea, but, is this a file created in one version of Excel that you
> are now trying to open in another version?
> Is the file a true .xls file previously used?
> Is your virus scanning up-to-date?
> Can you open-with a copy of the file in Notepad and does it look like
> other .xls files - ie, heaps of control characters and the occasional
> recognisable word? (note: do NOT save from Notepad)
>
> Any other clues?
>
> --
>
> RTH Wrote:
> > I can not open one of my Excel files. I get an error message that
> > reads,
> > "File can not be opened because an invalid character was found in text
> > content."
> >
> > HOW CAN I OPEN THIS FILE?
> >
> > Please help.
>
>
> --
> Bryan Hessey
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Bryan Hessey's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=21059
> View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=535288
>
>