XL2000: "SYLK: File format is not valid" Error When Opening Text or CSV Files

• Microsoft Excel 2000

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to open a text or comma separated variable (CSV) file into Microsoft Excel, you may receive the following error message:

SYLK: File format is not valid.

CAUSE

This error message occurs when the first item in the file begins with "ID".

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 Excel identifies this text at the beginning of a text file, it interprets the file as being a SYLK file. 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. Because it cannot convert the file, Excel generates the error.

WORKAROUND

To prevent this error message, make sure the first item in the file doesn't begin with "ID". To do this, edit the file in a word processor and insert a blank line above the line that begins with "ID" or remove the "ID" characters.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q215591 XL2000: "SYLK: File Format is not Valid" Error Opening File

Q224321 XL2000: Error Message "| file format is not valid."

Q224134 XL2000: Error Message "File format is not valid."

Q29739 XL: "Invalid SYLK File" Error When Opening Text or CSV Files

Additional query words: XL2000

Keywords : kberrmsg kbconversion
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb