Excel 2010 - Get CSV wizard to open by default

Question

I'd like to set Excel 2010 to open the import wizard each time I double click on a CSV file rather than have Excel open the file without the wizard. Previous versions of Excel did this but 2010 immediately opens the file. I deal with CSV files that use different delimeters (pipe, semicolon, etc) so when Excel opens the file without the wizard, I often have to click on a cell and manually open the import wizard. It would be more efficient to simply open the wizard each time.

OpenOffice does this but most of the time I need to export these to an Excel file so using OO isn't really an option. Is there a way to force Excel 2010 to open the wizard each time I open a CSV file? I've read some of the other guides here on SE but those still aim at opening the CSV directly in Excel without using the wizard which isn't what I need.

Possible duplicate of Easiest way to open CSV with commas in Excel — Raystafarian, Feb 25 '16 at 12:14
I don't think it's a duplicate; that one is for eliminating the wizard from coming up. I want the wizard to come up every time. — Tensigh, Feb 25 '16 at 12:46
I think it's a duplicate because it discusses how you have to use the wizard from the data tab for csv files in 2010, rather than opening them directly. Or change your regional settings. — Raystafarian, Feb 25 '16 at 12:48
I edited my question so it's unique. The others are about changing regional settings so Excel opens the CSV properly. Mine is about forcing Excel to open the wizard each time, not bypassing it but with correct results. — Tensigh, Feb 25 '16 at 21:42

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 21 '17 at 11:44

3

Just checking, do you use this method?

Data Tab

then

From Text

answered Apr 21 '17 at 11:44

BOB

228

1

Thanks for the help. If you re-read the post, my request says that this is what I'm trying to avoid - having to manually do this. Previous versions of Excel would open the import wizard whenever I double-clicked a csv file. From Excel 2010 onwards, Excel automatically opens the CSV and you have to manually do the steps you've described. I was hoping those 2 steps could be set to automatically run like they did in other versions of Excel. Thanks anyway, though. – Tensigh Apr 22 '17 at 08:03
Please post example of the CSV with delimiter and I will write you some code using the ThisworkBook.Open procedure.... Step 1 check if the opened file is a csv (candidate).... Step 2 delete content and re-import using a different delimiters . – BOB Apr 24 '17 at 08:57
The main issue is importing files using Shift-JIS vs UTF-8. Many of the files are UTF-8 but Excel defaults to Shift-JIS (or it's the other way around). So the files will import all messed up (mojibake) and I have to manually reimport the file. If the import dialog comes up I can choose the encoding. Can you write a script that will detect if the encoding is Shift-JIS and switch to UTF8 and reimport? – Tensigh Apr 24 '17 at 21:52

Excel 2010 - Get CSV wizard to open by default

1 Answers1