Excel wont open .csv files, is this normal?

[kevs1]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Processor: Power PC

Excel does not open .csv files. They are greyed out. To open them I change the extension to .txt is this normal? thanks.

 

[CyberTaz]

Excel may not "open" a .csv file unless it was created by Excel. Rather than
changing the extension you can use the All Documents in the Enable list -
but that may not produce the intended results. Preferably, however, use the
Data> Get External Data> Import Text File method.

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

 

[kevs1]

thanks Bob, you are right. csv I make in excel are fine.
But:
Where do you see All documents enable list? I don't find it.

Also:
Data, get external date, import text file still requires me to change the dang extention manually to .txt , so that' no more a time save that just chaning to txt and then doing a command o

 

[CyberTaz]

In the Open as well as the Choose a File (if you use Get External Data)
dialog - right below the list of file names - is a drop down list labeled
Enable: ‹ Change that to All Readable Documents or All Documents.

Again, Do Not simply change a file's extension. It *doesn't* change the file
type & very well may cause the file to be damaged when you attempt to open
it because the program "thinks" it's dealing with something other than what
it actually is.

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

 

[kevs1]

Bob, acually I can't find the enable drop down or anything like that. but discovered something better. When I just double click on the csv file if opens! Did not try that. But if do open from excel it's greyed out

 

[CyberTaz]

When you use File> Open the Enable: drop-down is the very first thing at the
top of the dialog box - right below the title bar. It normally defaults to
All Office Documents, All Readable Documents or All Excel Documents.

In the Data> Get External Data - Import Text File dialog it's also right at
the very top & normally defaults to Text Files.

The method you discovered will work but doesn't necessarily render the
preferred result - it depends on the source of the .csv & how it's
structured. Sometimes the entire content will go into a single cell or into
a single column rather than row-by-row.

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

 

[kevs1]

Ok, Bob, the file enable works great!
Data method works, but you need to have a blank excel file open for it to work for some reason.

 

[CyberTaz]

The reason is that when you use that method you are *importing* the data
from the file rather than *opening* that file so there needs to be a
workbook open to import into.

BTW, it doesn't have to be a "blank" Excel file - you can import data into
any workbook file you want it in.

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