Try this method? I think step 3 of this wizard is where you will find a
solution.
From the menu bar
Data | Import External Data | Import Data
When the open file window comes up, choose File Types with the .csv entry in
it. Continue on and identify your file and then the Wizard gets started for
real. Make sure that you set things along the way, like the separator
itself. In Step 3 of 3 make sure that all columns are set to "General" type.
That should import numbers as numbers, text as text, dates as dates, etc.

Before you start you might want to select all the cells on your worksheet
and use Edit | Clear | Format
to make sure that the cells/columns on it are not formatted as Text. I'm
not certain if the choice made with the data import wizard overrides any
formatting already on a sheet or not right at this moment.

"d_kight" wrote:

> thanks Gail, However, the import wizard seems to work fine coming form a .csv
> file going to a .xl file (or so it seems). Are you suggesting that I re-save
> the .csv file as a .txt file THEN use the Import wizard in Excel?
>
> "Gail" wrote:
>
> > If you can change the name of the file you are importing into excel to one
> > ending in .txt you will get the import wizard open and that will allow you
> > to change formatting for columns.
> >
> > If this is not a solution, there is an Add-in available (free) called ASAP
> > Utilities that can help in changing the numbers to actual numbers rather
> > than text
> >
> > "d_kight" <dkight@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:FC43566F-D4AB-4AD6-B99B-76808015BCFE@microsoft.com...
> > >I have tried and succeeded in importing a .csv file into excel. This file
> > >has
> > > numerical values. After converting the file, I try and add a few of the
> > > numbers in one of the colunms and my answer is always #VALUE; which tells
> > > me
> > > those numbers are being read as values and not numbers. HOW do I import
> > > the
> > > file or what changes do I need to make in order to get those numbers to be
> > > seen as Numerical after the file is imported?
> >
> >
> >