XL5: Screen Redraw Problem Opening Text File with Long Path

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, when you open a text file located in a subdirectory that is many levels deep, the second and third Text Import Wizard dialog boxes contain a portion of the path name that is displayed in the first Text Import Wizard dialog box.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs, for example, if you open the TEST.TXT file located in C:\EXCEL\MYFILES\SUBFILES\MORFILES\DEEP\DEEPER\DEEPEST. When you open the file, the Text Import Wizard - Step 1 of 3 dialog box appears and displays the name of the text file, including the entire path. If the path name is very long, the text runs off the right edge of the dialog box. When you choose Next, the Text Import Wizard - Step 2 of 3 dialog box appears. This second dialog box does not display the name of the text file; however, a portion of the filename from the previous dialog box appears on the right edge of the dialog box.

Note that this behavior is only a screen display problem and does not affect the functionality of the TextWizard.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Excel version 5.0c.

In Microsoft Excel version 5.0c, when you open a text file that is located in a subdirectory many levels deep, the path listed in the Text Import Wizard - Step 1 of 3 dialog box is shortened [it uses ellipsis points (...) to indicate that some of the path has been omitted]; this way, the filename does not extend beyond the right edge of the dialog box.

REFERENCES

For more information about the TextWizard, choose the Search button in Help and type:

   text