Leading zeros in excel spreadsheet

[JillRipley]

Excel remove the leading zero's in my zip code column. I have tried everything to change formatting. It will correct while I am working in the file, but I save it and the zero's go away again. I need to work on this file and upload it to another system to send out mailers. Can anyone help???

[#2]

@JillRipley Format the column with the zip-codes as text first, then enter the codes. Alternatively, type an apostrophe in the beginning of each zip code. If this doesn't work or make any sense, please upload your file.

[#3]

@Riny_van_Eekelen 

The file is a download from another system. I have no way to format it first. 

[#4]

@JillRipley I see. Assuming you are on a PC, Excel opens a CSV file automatically, splitting the texts at the  comma's and applying what it thinks to be the most appropriate data type for the columns generated.

Rename the CSV file to one with a TXT extension. Then from within Excel, open the TXT file. A Text Import Wizard will open . In step 1, choose "Delimited". Press Next. In step 2 select Comma as the delimiter. Press next. Now select the column that holds the ZIP codes. It says "general" at the top. In the top left part of the window, select Text. Then press Finish. Now, the Zip column will have retained the leading zero's. See attached.