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heyed's avatar
heyed
Copper Contributor
Feb 04, 2020

Convert text to excel spread sheet

Recently upgraded to windows 10 and office products 365 which includes excel 2019. All working properly. 

However when I try to import a .txt file (which I have attached) into excel, it loads the entire file into the first row. That's like 2500 columns into one row. Not exactly what I expected. I have had two tech reps at Microsoft try to figure it out to no avail. Help

 

The files I tried to include are .txt and apparently not supported. I am going to try to save them as .csv and see if that works.

Nope, can't do that. So does anyone know how to save a .txt as a .csv?

excel

4 Replies

  • Abiola1's avatar
    Abiola1
    MVP
    Feb 05, 2020
    Hello,
    Though, you didn't attach the said text file. Nevertheless, I will suggest you load the txt into Excel Power Query.. Kindly follow the steps below:
    1. Open empty excel workbook
    2. Select From Text/CSV in the Data
    3. Browse to select the txt from the location on your system
    4. Click OK

    The data will be extracted and imported into the Power Query editor.

    Then, you can Close and Load to load the data back into Excel... Thats all.

    • heyed's avatar
      heyed
      Copper Contributor
      Feb 05, 2020

      Ah, yes I tried to attach a text (.txt) file without success. I do not quite understand when you say "load into Excel Power Query".

      I open a blank excel spread sheet.

      I select From Text/CSV in the Data.

      I browse to the .txt file from the desk top.

      I click OK and . .

      I get an excel spread sheet with every entry in the text file as a column (2500 of them) in the 1st row.

      It's quite a wide spread sheet, but not what I need.  

      Abiola1 

      • Abiola1's avatar
        Abiola1
        MVP
        Feb 05, 2020
        Well, it is power query that will do the job... Moreover, Im surprised that you have 25,000 columns!
  • mathetes's avatar
    mathetes
    Silver Contributor
    Feb 04, 2020

    heyed 

    Is this a file you've worked with before? What does it contain?

    CSV is more than just a label...it denotes a file that has, you know, commas separating values. So I'm not sure that it's as simple as changing from one thing to another, unless the underlying condition is met as well.

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