5

When creating a CSV file from an XLSX workbook with the new Excel for Windows 8, I get a file filled with semicolons instead of colons.

How can I change that? I even had to reopen the file with Wordpad to find out why my file could not be exported to a data management program.

Improve this question
1
  • 2
    What's the new excel? 2013?
    – Raystafarian
    Commented Nov 8, 2013 at 0:06

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
8

Your Windows regional settings are set to use semi-colons instead of commas as the list seperator symbol. You'll have to re-configure those in order to force Excel to use colons instead of semi-colons.

Check out this page to find out how to do that: http://www.rawcomputing.co.uk/windows8/windows-8-tip12.html The list seperator symbol should be configurable on the window that pops up when clicking the "Additional settings..." button on the "Region" window.

Improve this answer
8
  • Note, that in newer Excel versions you can change the list separator right from within your Excel options
    – nixda
    Commented Nov 7, 2013 at 22:05
  • 1
    Oh? I'm using Excel 2013 and just scrolled through the options without finding any option. Where exactly can you configure the list separator symbol in my version?
    – Hauke P.
    Commented Nov 8, 2013 at 9:30
  • Sorry, I may have confused thousands separator with list separator
    – nixda
    Commented Nov 8, 2013 at 10:24
  • Okay, yes. I found that option as well. What I didn't find was an option for list seperators though.
    – Hauke P.
    Commented Nov 8, 2013 at 15:43
  • 1
    This change will also affect Opening of CSV files in Excel and possibly more windows programs. If you want to make more compatible CSV file, put sep=, on top of the CSV file, then once you save the file, you can change List Separator back to whatever it was.
    – papo
    Commented Dec 30, 2015 at 3:11

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .