"Invalid SYLK File" Error When Opening Text or CSV Files

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 2.x, 3.0, 4.0, 4.0a, 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel for OS/2, versions 2.2 and 3.0
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 1.x, 2.x, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, the error message "SYLK: invalid file format" occurs whenever a text or CSV file that begins with the characters "ID" (without the quotation marks) is opened.

CAUSE

A SYLK file is a text file that begins with ID, or ID_xxxx, where xxxx is a text string. The first record of a SYLK file is the ID_Number record. When Microsoft Excel identifies this type of string at the beginning of a text file, it interprets the file as being a SYLK file. Microsoft Excel attempts to convert the file from the SYLK format, but is unable to because there are no valid SYLK codes following the "ID" characters and generates an error.

WORKAROUND

To prevent this error, insert a blank line as the first line of the text file or remove the characters "ID" by using a word processor.