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Microsoft Excel not formatting CSV file correctly

Anonymous
2024-02-22T13:20:52+00:00

We are trying to open a CSV file with Microsoft Excel (2013 and 2016) on Windows Desktop. Unfortunately, excel is not formatting the file correctly: each row is in a new row as it should be, but all of the columns are in the same cell, and the values are displayed seperated by a comma( , ).

The CSV file, as said above is separated by commas. Our computer's region is Turkey, which means semicolon ( ; ) separation by default; but following advice here and elsewhere we have changed our delimiter setting to comma in the region settings. However, the file is still not formatted correctly for some reason. It is not possible to create a new file and import the CSV there, as the original CSV file needs to be modified - and quite regularly. The issue persists on both our computers (one with Excel 2013 and the other Excel 2016). (If this is useful context, the file itself was created on the latest model MacBook Pro, local to the UK (the computer itself has 360, though the file was created using a java program without any Office programs involved)). How can we resolve this?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | Windows

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  1. riny 20,530 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2024-02-22T13:31:22+00:00
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  2. Andreas Killer 144K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2024-02-22T14:17:27+00:00
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  3. Anonymous
    2024-02-22T15:51:27+00:00

    Hey Andreas, thank you so much for your reply! The issue is that we need to frequently update the original file, and not change the delimeter of the file itself, as it is then used as part of a java program - also, we've changed the regional setting of the computer so that the system delimeter is comma ( , ) rather than semicolon now, but for some reason the issue persists...

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  4. Andreas Killer 144K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2024-02-22T16:07:54+00:00

    The sense of a query is not to create it every time you get a new CSV. Copy the CSV into the folder and give it a meaningful name, import that file as I described in my article.

    If you get a new CSV tomorrow, rename the old CSV (so you have a backup), copy the new CSV into the folder and rename it to the same name as the 1st CSV.

    Open the Excel file, click Data \ Refresh All, done. That's how professionals do it.

    Andreas.

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