Question: How Excel opens text files

[rich]

Hello,

I provide end-user support. I currently have a case where the Excel is
opening a text file differently. We pushed out patches last Monday which is
when the change occurred. Not seeing how this may have affected the user.
He appears to be the only person affected. Others in his group did not
install the patch and nothing has changed.

From an Explorer window, user right-clicks on text file and chooses "Open
With...".
Excel used to open and load the text file and each row in column A.

Now, opening the file the same way, Excel loads and formats the text file in
multiple columns. If the text import wizard is actually doing this, it is
running in the background with no dialog being displayed.

User prefers the origina method where everything is in 1 column. Is there a
way to control how Excel opens/loads/formats text files? Any idea if
MS08-014 has changed the behavior?

TIA,

Rich

 

[Gary''s Student]

Do not open the file by right-clicking the icon and selecting Open With...

First open Excel and then:

Data > Import External Data > Import Data
this will invoke the Import Wizard. Instruct the Wizard to put everything
in column A.

 

[rich]

Hi Gary,

Thanks for the reply. I am aware of the work-around. I am hoping to get
confirmation that MS08-014 is responsible for this change in Excel's
behaviour.

Thanks,

Rich

 

[wocruc]

I noticed this same problem. Why did excel suddenly change the way it opens
text files? Is there anyway to get it back to the way it was?

Curt

 

[wocruc]

I found that the text file can be opened without parsing the text if you hold
the shift key down while it opens. However, this only works when you open
the file by selecting File\Open from the Excel menu. It does not work when
you double click directly on the file. This is a big nuisance. Does anybody
else have a way that works when you double click on the file. Or is there
any way to change the Excel options so that it does not automatically try to
parse text files?

Curt