Some users experience difficulty opening the CSV files downloaded from the 7bridges software, read on for solutions to this problem
The problem
Some people find that when you open a CSV file downloaded from the 7bridges software it just seems to fail or doesn't put the data into columns and rows. This issue likely stems from regional differences in CSV format expectations, especially around:
- Decimal separators:
.(dot) in US/UK vs,(comma) in many European countries. - Field separators:
,(comma) in US/UK vs;(semicolon) in many European locales (because comma is used for decimals).
This mismatch causes Excel (and sometimes other tools) to misinterpret numeric values or incorrectly parse columns.
The solution
There are a number of ways to solve this issue if it happens to you:
Method 1: Use the "Import Text/CSV" Wizard
Works in Excel 2016 and newer (Windows and Mac).
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Open Excel.
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Go to the "Data" tab.
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Click "From Text/CSV".
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Select the CSV file.
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A preview window opens — here you can set the Delimiter to
Comma. -
Click "Load" (or "Transform" if you need more changes via Power Query).
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Excel loads the file with the correct formatting.
Method 2: Open via Text Import Wizard (Classic)
If you're using older Excel versions (or want more control):
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Open a blank Excel workbook.
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Go to "Data" > "From Text" (may be under "Get External Data").
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Select the CSV file.
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Choose:
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Delimited
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File origin: choose
65001: Unicode (UTF-8)if unsure
-
-
On the next screen:
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Select the correct delimiter
, -
Preview the data to confirm it's parsed correctly
-
-
Choose column data formats (General, Text, Date, etc.)
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Click Finish.
Method 3: Open in Excel then Use "Text to Columns"
If the CSV opens in a single column:
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Select the column.
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Go to Data > Text to Columns.
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Choose Delimited.
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Set the correct delimiter
, -
Finish — data splits into proper columns.