Microsoft KB Archive/29739

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XL: &quot;Invalid SYLK File&quot; Error When Opening Text or CSV Files

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The information in this article applies to:


 * 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 the Macintosh, versions 1.x, 2.x, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0
 * Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

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SYMPTOMS
In Microsoft Excel, the error message &quot;SYLK: invalid file format&quot; occurs whenever a text or CSV file that begins with the characters &quot;ID&quot; (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 &quot;ID&quot; characters and generates an error.

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

MORE INFORMATION
For additional information about this error in Excel 2000, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

"Q215591 XL2000: &quot;SYLK: File Format is not Valid&quot; Error Opening File" Additional query words: 1.0 1.00 1.03 1.04 1.06 1.5 1.50 2.0 2.00 2.01 2.1 2.10 2.2 2.20 2.21 3.0 XL7 XL97 XL5

Keywords : kbdta xlloadsave

Version : MACINTOSH:1.x,2.x,3.0,4.0,5.0,98; WINDOWS:2.x,3.0,4.0,4.0a,5.0,97; Win95:7.0

Platform : MACINTOSH Win95 WINDOWS

Issue type : kbprb

Technology :