Microsoft KB Archive/211596

= XL2000: Error Message: Invalid Data Format =

Article ID: 211596

Article Last Modified on 11/5/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 2000 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q211596





SYMPTOMS
When you open a workbook in Microsoft Excel 2000, the following error message may appear twice:

Invalid data format

If you try to start the Visual Basic Editor, run macros, modify text in a module, remove a module, or export a module in the Visual Basic Editor, or you close the workbook, you may receive the same error message.



CAUSE
This problem occurs if the workbook contains a Visual Basic module named "dir" or "Dir."



RESOLUTION
If this problem occurs, it is not possible to remove the module from the workbook. It is also not possible to rename the module so that it can be removed or activated.

Because you cannot do anything to the module, you must copy all information from the workbook into a new workbook, save the new workbook with a different name, and then delete the original workbook.

To prevent this problem from occurring, do not name a Visual Basic module "dir" or "Dir."



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.



MORE INFORMATION
For additional information about recovering data, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

179871 XL2000: Methods for Recovering Data from Damaged Workbooks

Additional query words: XL2000

Keywords: kbbug kbpending KB211596

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