Excel: Cannot Open FoxPro .DBF File Containing Memo Fields

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 3.0, 4.0
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 3.0, 4.0

SUMMARY

In the versions of Microsoft Excel listed at the beginning of this article, when you attempt to open a FoxPro file that contains memo fields and is saved in .DBF format, you will receive one of the following error message:

   If you are using Microsoft Excel version 4.0
   --------------------------------------------

   Cannot read this binary file. If the file was created in a version
   of Microsoft Excel later than 4.0, use that version to save it as
   an Excel 4.0 file. Open file as text?

   If you are using Microsoft Excel version 3.0
   --------------------------------------------

   In Microsoft Excel version 3.0, no alert will be displayed but the
   file will automatically be read in as text. In both cases, text from
   the memo fields will not be read.

MORE INFORMATION

When saving database files, FoxPro includes information about memo fields that Microsoft Excel doesn't read. The only workaround is to open your .DBF file as a text file. Note that when the text file is opened the data will not be parsed and the text in the memo fields will be omitted.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Excel versions 3.0 and 4.0. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.