.csv inconsistent behaviour (XL 2k)

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(if this is OS-related, please shunt to the Windows XP board?)
I download our bank statements as .csv files
The preferred and ‘normal’ behaviour is that, by accepting the ‘Open’ rather than ‘Save’ option, IE6 grabs the file, cranks up Excel in a new window, and opens the file as an editable spreadsheet with which I can do whatever I want. This is what used to happen on the machine here, XP home, and still does happen on the machine at work, Windows 2K Pro.
From about 10 days ago, the behaviour on the XP machine is that the file opens in what looks like an excel spreadsheet within an Internet Explorer window, even having an Excel menu bar along the top (none of which do anything.) The file looks exactly like it would if opened in Notepad.
Like this –
30-94-35,00200074,26-Nov-04,,”SUNDRY CREDIT 501727″,,120.00,6265.00
30-94-35,00200074,26-Nov-04,,”SUNDRY CREDIT 501876″,,35.00,6300.00
30-94-35,00200074,26-Nov-04,,”001249″,1200.00,,5230.00
30-94-35,00200074,26-Nov-04,,”001256″,500.00,,4730.00
30-94-35,00200074,26-Nov-04,,”TO A/C – 0081903 T”,4630.00,,100.00
To make this usable, I have to copy into a real excel workbook and do the text-to-columns trick.
This is no big deal but I figure shouldn’t be needed.
I’ve checked 6 times that the file association for .csv on the XP box is still Excel.
The Excel set-up on both machines is nearly identical, at least as far as what I can control in Tools | Options goes. (I only have lowest-of-the-low User permissions on the box at work.) Ditto the matter of file associations.
It might be that the set-up was disturbed when I installed SR-1 on Excel on the XP machine, believe it or not about 10 days ago?
In any event, is there a fix to restore the previous behaviour, and if so, what is it?
Thanks in advance.

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Replies

Start Windows Explorer.
Select Tools | Folder Options…
Activate the File Types tab.
Locate and select the CSV type.
Click Advanced…
Is the “Confirm open after download” checkbox ticked? If not, do so now.

If that does not help, you might try a registry tweak that is mentioned in the newsgroups:
Make sure that Excel is not active.
Select Start | Run…
Type regedit and press Enter.
Locate HKLMSoftwareClassesExcel.CSV.
Rename Excel.CSV to something else, for example Excel.CSVold.

Reply | Quote

The first was already true.
The second has no effect, I fear.
Thanks, nevertheless, Hans.
Any other ideas?

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You can try the following:
Select Start | Run…
Type “C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOfficeExcel.exe” /unregserver and press Enter.
Select Start | Run…
Type “C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOfficeExcel.exe” /regserver and press Enter.
This will make Excel unregister, then reregister itself.

You might also check out Pieterse’s Systematic Approach to Behavioral Problems in XL.

Reply | Quote

No luck on the first one, Hans.
Looks like the long haul on the second.
Thanks again.

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Was just going to have another crack at this, but notice that helpful bank closes down at midnight **grrrrr**
BTW, forgot to mention crucial gen that I have some genuine home-made csv’s (some saved as from excel, some saved as from Works databases), which open ok and nicely ready-columned when double-clicked from Explorer.
Even odder…

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Can you discover a difference in structure between the .csv files that open correctly and those that don’t if you open them in Notepad or another text editor?

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Thanks, Hans: the answer is ‘no’. I’ve looked, but can see no systematic difference in structure’

Reply | Quote

Thanks, Hans: the answer is ‘no’. I’ve looked, but can see no systematic difference in structure’

Reply | Quote

Can you discover a difference in structure between the .csv files that open correctly and those that don’t if you open them in Notepad or another text editor?

Reply | Quote

Does this help at all? They’re instructions from my credit union for when I want to download account history for use in Quicken or to Excel. From what you’ve written, it sounds like you are only having a problem when trying to open a .csv file from your browser. I assume all of your .csv files from Explorer are opening fine?

*******************************

NOTE: When you click on ‘Download’, your browser may display the information directly on the browser instead of prompting you to Save/Open the file. This means that your browser is not setup to understand the ‘File/MIME Type’ of the file you are trying to download. To resolve this issue, follow the steps provided below depending on the type of your browser.

Microsoft Excel setup for Internet Explorer versions 6.0 or above
To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

1. Open Windows Explorer>View>Folder Options>File Types.

2. Scroll through the list of helper applications to locate the entry for ‘Excel Download’,
If you do not find this entry go to step 6.

3. Click on Edit to view/edit settings.

4. Type ‘application/x-excel’ for Content Type(MIME), type ‘.csv’ for Default Extension for Content Type,
type ‘open’ for Actions and Uncheck all check boxes.

5. Go to step 9.

6. Click on ‘New Type’ to add a new entry.

7. Type ‘Excel Download’ for Description of type, type ‘application/x-excel’ for Content Type(MIME)
and type ‘.csv’ for Default Extension for Content Type.

8. Click on ‘New’ for Actions. Type ‘open’ for Action and type ‘C:Program FilesMicrosoft Officeofficeexcel.exe-x”%1″‘
for Application used to perform action and Uncheck all check boxes.

9. Click OK on all screens and restart Internet Explorer.

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Thanks, BAN, will check this out on offending (offensive?) machine and let you know.

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BAN, your detailed modification didn’t work for me (but I may have screwed it up.)
What has worked is deleting csv from the file association list and then recreating it.
Will come back if and when it falls over again.
Thanks to all.

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Possibly to wrap this up, have just installed Mozilla Firefox as default browser, and delighted to find that how it is to handle downloads, either as a one-off or for ‘ever’ , can be set up from within the browser.
Works a treat!

Reply | Quote

Possibly to wrap this up, have just installed Mozilla Firefox as default browser, and delighted to find that how it is to handle downloads, either as a one-off or for ‘ever’ , can be set up from within the browser.
Works a treat!

Reply | Quote

BAN, your detailed modification didn’t work for me (but I may have screwed it up.)
What has worked is deleting csv from the file association list and then recreating it.
Will come back if and when it falls over again.
Thanks to all.

Reply | Quote

Thanks, BAN, will check this out on offending (offensive?) machine and let you know.

Reply | Quote

Does this help at all? They’re instructions from my credit union for when I want to download account history for use in Quicken or to Excel. From what you’ve written, it sounds like you are only having a problem when trying to open a .csv file from your browser. I assume all of your .csv files from Explorer are opening fine?

*******************************

NOTE: When you click on ‘Download’, your browser may display the information directly on the browser instead of prompting you to Save/Open the file. This means that your browser is not setup to understand the ‘File/MIME Type’ of the file you are trying to download. To resolve this issue, follow the steps provided below depending on the type of your browser.

Microsoft Excel setup for Internet Explorer versions 6.0 or above
To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

1. Open Windows Explorer>View>Folder Options>File Types.

2. Scroll through the list of helper applications to locate the entry for ‘Excel Download’,
If you do not find this entry go to step 6.

3. Click on Edit to view/edit settings.

4. Type ‘application/x-excel’ for Content Type(MIME), type ‘.csv’ for Default Extension for Content Type,
type ‘open’ for Actions and Uncheck all check boxes.

5. Go to step 9.

6. Click on ‘New Type’ to add a new entry.

7. Type ‘Excel Download’ for Description of type, type ‘application/x-excel’ for Content Type(MIME)
and type ‘.csv’ for Default Extension for Content Type.

8. Click on ‘New’ for Actions. Type ‘open’ for Action and type ‘C:Program FilesMicrosoft Officeofficeexcel.exe-x”%1″‘
for Application used to perform action and Uncheck all check boxes.

9. Click OK on all screens and restart Internet Explorer.

Reply | Quote

Was just going to have another crack at this, but notice that helpful bank closes down at midnight **grrrrr**
BTW, forgot to mention crucial gen that I have some genuine home-made csv’s (some saved as from excel, some saved as from Works databases), which open ok and nicely ready-columned when double-clicked from Explorer.
Even odder…

Reply | Quote

No luck on the first one, Hans.
Looks like the long haul on the second.
Thanks again.

Reply | Quote

You can try the following:
Select Start | Run…
Type “C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOfficeExcel.exe” /unregserver and press Enter.
Select Start | Run…
Type “C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOfficeExcel.exe” /regserver and press Enter.
This will make Excel unregister, then reregister itself.

You might also check out Pieterse’s Systematic Approach to Behavioral Problems in XL.

Reply | Quote

The first was already true.
The second has no effect, I fear.
Thanks, nevertheless, Hans.
Any other ideas?

Reply | Quote

Start Windows Explorer.
Select Tools | Folder Options…
Activate the File Types tab.
Locate and select the CSV type.
Click Advanced…
Is the “Confirm open after download” checkbox ticked? If not, do so now.

If that does not help, you might try a registry tweak that is mentioned in the newsgroups:
Make sure that Excel is not active.
Select Start | Run…
Type regedit and press Enter.
Locate HKLMSoftwareClassesExcel.CSV.
Rename Excel.CSV to something else, for example Excel.CSVold.

Reply | Quote