Importing csv files to Excel using import wizard

Unable to import csv files into Excel for editing. 

Some Udacity students outside the US have reported trouble with importing and editing the csv files. If the csv files are not importing correctly into Excel you won't be able to edit them before importing to Salesforce.com.

*** Update - I recently discovered another possible solution to this problem, feeling slightly embarrassed that I didn't know about this earlier, but hey better late than never, right? I'm leaving the video below for now but take a look at the image immediately below this paragraph. Excel users in the US have it easy with the csv file import activity because our numbering system uses a comma as a separator for thousands and a period for decimal places, and csv files provided by Udacity are created with this configuration in mind. If you are not in the US there is a good chance your local version of Excel is not configured the same way and as a result your csv file import will fail. The screen shot below shows the 2007 Excel configuration menu where you make the changes necessary to enable Excel to properly import the csv files. (note: Excel 2003 also has a similar menu option.) To access this menu in Excel 2007:

1) click the Office button (upper left corner of Excel)
2) click Excel Options
3) click the Advanced Tab
4) uncheck the "Use System Separators" option
5) enter a period in the decimal separator field
6) enter a comma in the thousands separator field
7) to restore normal operation later, just check the "Use System Separators" option

This should allow your version of Excel to import the csv files properly.





















>>> THE INFORMATION BELOW MAY NOT BE NEEDED. PLEASE READ THE TOP PART OF THIS DISCUSSION FIRST!

In this video I discuss a method that forces Excel to use the import wizard.

The wizard gives you more control over the import process and provides Excel with the additional information it needs to complete the import properly. The basic steps are listed below however it might also be helpful to watch the video the first time you perform this process.

1) Rename (or copy) the csv file with a .dat file name extension.
2) Run Excel and open the .dat file.
3) The Excel import wizard to start.
4) Instruct the Import wizrd to use comma as the separator character. Uncheck Tab and check Comma.
5) Finish the import process.
6) Add a Festival name in the correct column for each row in the file.
7) Save the file ... use Save As, change the file name extension back to csv (remove the .dat), and change the file save type to csv.
8) File is ready to import into Salesforce.com.