Text to columns with Fixed With but Keep Spaces

Hello everyone,

Periodically I receive a file that I need to seperate the data into seperate columns using text to columns. When I go through the text to column wizard using the fixed to columns it displays exactly how I want the data devided up. When I click the finish button it removes the spaces.

How can I do text to columns and retain the spaces. These characters are in important positions and need to stay there. I have uploaded a sample file just to help explain my problem.

Stephen

Fastest way I can think of.....

• Make a note of where the splits should be (ie postion 13, position 21, etc).
• Use "Replace All" to change spaces to some other character (like @ or * or &, something that doesn't otherwise occur in your data).
• Do text to columns using your predetermined split positions.
• Use "Replace All" to switch the characters back to spaces.

Perhaps not the most elegant solution, but you could always replace the spaces with some character , such as a "<",then do your text to columns, then relplace your "<" with a space.

Whoops...looks like masteff beat me to it!

Thank you both. I think that will work.

Stephen