323626 - XL: "SYLK: File Format Is Not Valid" Error Message When You Open File

  • Thread starter Thread starter Steve H
  • Start date Start date
S

Steve H

Hello all.

From this KB article:-

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=%
2Fservicedesks%2Fbin%2Fkbsearch.asp%3FArticle%3D323626

I got one of my EU's to change the UPPER CASE "ID" letter
in his XLS file to lowercase.

This was done in WORDPAD. The text was changed and he
clicked on SAVE. This spreadsheet had multiple workbooks
in it.

When he opened it in XL, the above error message was gone
but so were the rest of the XLS workbooks and only the
first one is there now.

Can someone tell me what happened please?
Can I get this file back to the way it was? (Checking for
backup's now!)

TIA,
Steve
 
Are they missing when you choose File>Open, and see the list of files,
or are they missing when you look in Windows Explorer?

If they're only missing in Excel's Open dialog box, check the 'Files of
type' box, at the bottom of the dialog box. It may be set to SYLK, so
the other file types aren't visible. Select All Files, or Microsoft
Excel Files, and the missing files may reappear.
 
I read this slightly differently:
This spreadsheet had multiple workbooks in it.
Click to expand...

Do you mean this workbook has multiple worksheets in it?

If you did, then you'll be disappointed to know that SYLK files only keep one
worksheet per workbook.

If you didn't mean that, never mind.
 
Thanks Debra and Dave, I did mean multiple worksheets.

The KB article does not mention if you have multiples you
will only keep the first one so the other 4 have been lost
as the EU didn't have a backup (Oops!)
 
When you save in a format that keeps only one sheet, you get a message box telling you so, and
explaining (at least in XL-XP) exactly what to do to save all sheets. If the EU didn't pay any
attention to the message, well...
 
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