Excel: Data Lost When File Saved in Text, CSV, or DBF Format

ID: Q77549

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 2.x, 3.0, 4.0, 4.0a
Microsoft Excel for OS/2, versions 2.2, 3.0
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 2.2, 3.0, 4.0

SUMMARY

When you save a file in Microsoft Excel to the Text, CSV (Comma Separated Values), or DBF file format, data contained in a hidden column or row is not saved. This is true regardless of what type of data is in the column or row.

For information about similar behavior in Microsoft Excel versions 5.x, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q118600 : XL5: Hidden Column/Row Not Saved in Text or CSV File Format

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 for Windows 95, version 7.0.

MORE INFORMATION

Example Using Text or CSV Format

Enter the following random values into a worksheet:


      A1: 111    B1: 222   C1: 333   D1: 444
      A2: 555    B2: 666   C2: 777   D2: 888

Select cells B1:C2. Choose Column Width from the Format menu. Select Hide and choose OK.

From the File menu, choose Save As.

In Microsoft Excel version 3.0, choose the Options button.

In Microsoft Excel version 3.0, select either Text or CSV from the File Format list. Choose OK.

In Microsoft Excel versions 4.0 or 5.0, select either Text or CSV from the Save File As Type list.

Enter a filename in the Filename box. Leave the extension of the filename at the default. Choose OK.

Close the file by choosing Close from the File menu.

Open the file again.

In Microsoft Excel versions previous to version 5.0, the range B1:C2 is empty. In Microsoft Excel version 5.0, the entire columns B and C are missing. Column B contains the data that was previously contained in column D.

A similar problem occurs if you set the Column Width to 1 in step 2. The resulting text file displays the following values in cells B1:C2 if the column width has been set to 1:


   B1: #   C1: #
   B2: #   C2: #

REFERENCES

"User's Guide 2," version 4.0, page 125, 147-152

"Microsoft Excel User's Guide," version 3.0, pages 337-340

"Microsoft Excel for Windows Reference Guide," version 2.1, pages 293-294

Additional query words: 2.0 2.00 2.01 2.1 2.10 2.20 2.21 3.0 5.00 missing

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