Excel Files And Unix Executable Files

[united9198]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I have a number of older Excel spreadsheets that I backed up onto a memory stick. I wanted to check out one of those spreadsheets and when I opened the folders, the smaller spreadsheets show up as Excel files and open just fine. The larger multi-page spreadsheets have a different appearance and will not open using Excel. Doing a get info, I see the file format is called Unix Executable Files. Clicking it launches Terminal, but does not open the file. I tried adding the XLS suffix, and Excel launches with a double-click, but the file cannot be opened.

What caused this and how can I fix it?

 

[Michael Vilain]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I have a number of older Excel spreadsheets that I backed up onto a memory
stick. I wanted to check out one of those spreadsheets and when I opened the
folders, the smaller spreadsheets show up as Excel files and open just fine.
The larger multi-page spreadsheets have a different appearance and will not
open using Excel. Doing a get info, I see the file format is called Unix
Executable Files. Clicking it launches Terminal, but does not open the file.
I tried adding the XLS suffix, and Excel launches with a double-click, but
the file cannot be opened.

What caused this and how can I fix it?

What happens when you use the "file" command on these files? What does
Unix think they are?

What happens if you run Excel, then attempt to open the files from
within the application? Can Excel read them?

If you don't have the older version of Excel around, how about something
like Dataviz' MacLink Plus?

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I have a number of older Excel spreadsheets that I backed up onto a memory stick. I wanted to check out one of those spreadsheets and when I opened the folders, the smaller spreadsheets show up as Excel files and open just fine. The larger multi-page spreadsheets have a different appearance and will not open using Excel. Doing a get info, I see the file format is called Unix Executable Files. Clicking it launches Terminal, but does not open the file. I tried adding the XLS suffix, and Excel launches with a double-click, but the file cannot be opened.

What caused this and how can I fix it?

Hi,

Sometimes flash drives come formatted with Windows file systems on them,
and they choke with certain characters. Try renaming the files with
short, simple names that have only letters in them. Might work.

 

[CyberTaz]

Are you trying to open the files directly from the USB stick? If so, don't.

Instead, copy the file to your HD & open from there. See if you have better
results.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[united9198]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I have a number of older Excel spreadsheets that I backed up onto a memory
stick. I wanted to check out one of those spreadsheets and when I opened the
folders, the smaller spreadsheets show up as Excel files and open just fine.
The larger multi-page spreadsheets have a different appearance and will not
open using Excel. Doing a get info, I see the file format is called Unix
Executable Files. Clicking it launches Terminal, but does not open the file.
I tried adding the XLS suffix, and Excel launches with a double-click, but
the file cannot be opened.

What caused this and how can I fix it?

What happens when you use the "file" command on these files? What does
Unix think they are?

What happens if you run Excel, then attempt to open the files from
within the application? Can Excel read them?

If you don't have the older version of Excel around, how about something
like Dataviz' MacLink Plus?

--
DeeDee, don't press that button! DeeDee! NO! Dee...
[I filter all Goggle Groups posts, so any reply may be automatically by ignored]


In my original question, I neglected to say that the files that are Unix Executable files reside both on my hard drive and my memory stick. They were originally on the hard drive and copied to the memory stick for backup. Since these are archive files, they were backed up to the memory stick well over a year ago. I don't recall that they showed up as Unix files at the time, but they may have been that way before they copied to the memory stick.[/QUOTE]

I have tried launching Excel and opening the files. I have tried double-click with no success. I have tried renaming as XLS files with no success. This is on my computer that is stand-alone. Not on a network and not connected to the internet. There have been no software upgrades or changes of any kind.