Permanently Disable Scientific Notation in Excel

Question

When you open a CSV file, just by double clicking on it, it automagically converts your usable data into unusable trash.

99.99999% of the people using Excel are business users. They are not "scientists". And business users have ZERO application for "scientific notation".

According to the text, this seems to only work when pasting data into Excel. Not when you are delivered a CSV file via a report or some 3rd party system/user. There are a bazillion apps that export tables of data to a CSV file. And the natural inclination of the business user is to simply double click on the CSV to view the file, which opens Excel. And then Excel does the dumbest thing imaginable with numbers larger than 15 chars. It converts it to "scientific notation".

Here's a thought. I know this will sound crazy. BUT DO NOT DO ANYTHING WITH MY DATA. JUST LEAVE IT BE.

And yes, I know how to use the Text/CSV import and transform my data. But that is me. My business users do not know how to do this. Nor do they want to go through the hassle of the extra clicks just to open a CVS file without Excel corrupting their data.

Principle of Least Astonishment - Don't do dumb things. Do nothing instead.

And as a software developer/product manager, if my software was corrupting user data, that is a severity 1 bug that needs fixed ASAP.

JUST STOP CORRUPTING MY DATA.

Answer 1

Hi Patrick Henry,  

Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback regarding how Excel handles CSV files, particularly the automatic conversion of long numeric strings into scientific notation. I sincerely apologize for the frustration and inconvenience this has caused you and your business users. 

I truly appreciate your feedback, I encourage you to share your experience directly with the Microsoft product team. Your input can help shape future improvements to the Excel. 

You can submit feedback directly through the app by clicking on Settings > Help & Feedback > Suggest a Feature or by visiting the Microsoft Feedback Portal: https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com 

At the same time, I kindly suggest raising a support ticket directly with Microsoft. Our dedicated support team has advanced diagnostic tools and resources that can help resolve this issue more effectively. You can raise a ticket by visiting the following link: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn 

Thank you again for your valuable insights. Please let me know if there's anything else I can assist you. 

Best regards,

Chris-DKN - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist.

Answer 2

The scientific notation is a very frustrating aspects of Excel. It is disappointing the Microsoft agents simply ask you to provide feedback. Thanks for making this post.

Answer 3

Hi  Patrick Henry, 

It has been a while and I am writing to see how things are going with this issue. If you have any further updates on this issue, please feel free to post back.  

At the same time, if you think my reply is helpful to you, please remember to mark it as an answer. This helps others in the community facing similar problems. Thanks for your understanding. 

Best regards,  

Chris-DKN - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist.