software

I can not open one of my Excel files. I get an error message that reads,
quot;File can not be opened because an invalid character was found in text
content.quot;

HOW CAN I OPEN THIS FILE?

Please help.


No idea, but, is this a file created in one version of Excel that you
are now trying to open in another version?
Is the file a true .xls file previously used?
Is your virus scanning up-to-date?
Can you open-with a copy of the file in Notepad and does it look like
other .xls files - ie, heaps of control characters and the occasional
recognisable word? (note: do NOT save from Notepad)

Any other clues?

--

RTH Wrote:
gt; I can not open one of my Excel files. I get an error message that
gt; reads,
gt; quot;File can not be opened because an invalid character was found in text
gt; content.quot;
gt;
gt; HOW CAN I OPEN THIS FILE?
gt;
gt; Please help.--
Bryan Hessey
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bryan Hessey's Profile: www.excelforum.com/member.php...oamp;userid=21059
View this thread: www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=535288Just something to try until you find the real answer...This was posted by Myrna Larson:

===========
gt;From - Wed Apr 12 17:18:13 2000
From: Myrna Larson gt;
Subject: file format error message

gt;I have a Excel .csv file that somebody in my company e-mailed to me that
gt;they want me to see if I can repair. When I try to open the file I get an
gt;error message that says 'SYLK: file format is not valid'. Is there any way
gt;that I can save this file?

You get this message when the 1st 2 characters in the file are quot;IDquot;, without
the quotes. So use Notepad or WordPad to change one or both of these
characters. Then import it, then correct the data in the 1st cell.

===========

Maybe it's that quot;IDquot; as the first couple of bytes in your text file????
RTH wrote:
gt;
gt; I can not open one of my Excel files. I get an error message that reads,
gt; quot;File can not be opened because an invalid character was found in text
gt; content.quot;
gt;
gt; HOW CAN I OPEN THIS FILE?
gt;
gt; Please help.

--

Dave Peterson

File was created in the same version of Excel. I use it almost every day.
All other files open. Virus scanning is up to date. It's very strange

quot;Bryan Hesseyquot; wrote:

gt;
gt; No idea, but, is this a file created in one version of Excel that you
gt; are now trying to open in another version?
gt; Is the file a true .xls file previously used?
gt; Is your virus scanning up-to-date?
gt; Can you open-with a copy of the file in Notepad and does it look like
gt; other .xls files - ie, heaps of control characters and the occasional
gt; recognisable word? (note: do NOT save from Notepad)
gt;
gt; Any other clues?
gt;
gt; --
gt;
gt; RTH Wrote:
gt; gt; I can not open one of my Excel files. I get an error message that
gt; gt; reads,
gt; gt; quot;File can not be opened because an invalid character was found in text
gt; gt; content.quot;
gt; gt;
gt; gt; HOW CAN I OPEN THIS FILE?
gt; gt;
gt; gt; Please help.
gt;
gt;
gt; --
gt; Bryan Hessey
gt; ------------------------------------------------------------------------
gt; Bryan Hessey's Profile: www.excelforum.com/member.php...oamp;userid=21059
gt; View this thread: www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=535288
gt;
gt;


Is the file a .xls file?

--

RTH Wrote:
gt; File was created in the same version of Excel. I use it almost every
gt; day.
gt; All other files open. Virus scanning is up to date. It's very
gt; strange
gt;
gt; quot;Bryan Hesseyquot; wrote:
gt;
gt; gt;
gt; gt; No idea, but, is this a file created in one version of Excel that
gt; you
gt; gt; are now trying to open in another version?
gt; gt; Is the file a true .xls file previously used?
gt; gt; Is your virus scanning up-to-date?
gt; gt; Can you open-with a copy of the file in Notepad and does it look
gt; like
gt; gt; other .xls files - ie, heaps of control characters and the
gt; occasional
gt; gt; recognisable word? (note: do NOT save from Notepad)
gt; gt;
gt; gt; Any other clues?
gt; gt;
gt; gt; --
gt; gt;
gt; gt; RTH Wrote:
gt; gt; gt; I can not open one of my Excel files. I get an error message that
gt; gt; gt; reads,
gt; gt; gt; quot;File can not be opened because an invalid character was found in
gt; text
gt; gt; gt; content.quot;
gt; gt; gt;
gt; gt; gt; HOW CAN I OPEN THIS FILE?
gt; gt; gt;
gt; gt; gt; Please help.
gt; gt;
gt; gt;
gt; gt; --
gt; gt; Bryan Hessey
gt; gt;
gt; ------------------------------------------------------------------------
gt; gt; Bryan Hessey's Profile:
gt; www.excelforum.com/member.php...oamp;userid=21059
gt; gt; View this thread:
gt; www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=535288
gt; gt;
gt; gt;--
Bryan Hessey
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bryan Hessey's Profile: www.excelforum.com/member.php...oamp;userid=21059
View this thread: www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=535288
Is the file a .xls file?

--

RTH Wrote:
gt; File was created in the same version of Excel. I use it almost every
gt; day.
gt; All other files open. Virus scanning is up to date. It's very
gt; strange
gt;
gt; quot;Bryan Hesseyquot; wrote:
gt;
gt; gt;
gt; gt; No idea, but, is this a file created in one version of Excel that
gt; you
gt; gt; are now trying to open in another version?
gt; gt; Is the file a true .xls file previously used?
gt; gt; Is your virus scanning up-to-date?
gt; gt; Can you open-with a copy of the file in Notepad and does it look
gt; like
gt; gt; other .xls files - ie, heaps of control characters and the
gt; occasional
gt; gt; recognisable word? (note: do NOT save from Notepad)
gt; gt;
gt; gt; Any other clues?
gt; gt;
gt; gt; --
gt; gt;
gt; gt; RTH Wrote:
gt; gt; gt; I can not open one of my Excel files. I get an error message that
gt; gt; gt; reads,
gt; gt; gt; quot;File can not be opened because an invalid character was found in
gt; text
gt; gt; gt; content.quot;
gt; gt; gt;
gt; gt; gt; HOW CAN I OPEN THIS FILE?
gt; gt; gt;
gt; gt; gt; Please help.
gt; gt;
gt; gt;
gt; gt; --
gt; gt; Bryan Hessey
gt; gt;
gt; ------------------------------------------------------------------------
gt; gt; Bryan Hessey's Profile:
gt; www.excelforum.com/member.php...oamp;userid=21059
gt; gt; View this thread:
gt; www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=535288
gt; gt;
gt; gt;--
Bryan Hessey
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bryan Hessey's Profile: www.excelforum.com/member.php...oamp;userid=21059
View this thread: www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=535288