For several months I have been importing a space delimited text file to Excel
by simply dragging the .txt file to an open Excel worksheet. The text file is
then parsed into columns automatically. It's a very quick alternative to
importing the txt file.

Today, after a Windows update was automatically installed, the txt file is
no longer parsed. Rather, it brings in the data rows as a single column
instead of separate columns. Since I need to copy one column, this is a
problem.

Is there a way to restore the ability of Excel to parse the data
automatically when the delimited text file is dragged to an open Excel
worksheet?

Thanks.

--Art

What version of Excel?

You should be able to select the column and do "text to column" or when
opening maybe there is an option in the files and types.

"Art Saffran" wrote:

For several months I have been importing a space delimited text file to Excel
by simply dragging the .txt file to an open Excel worksheet. The text file is
then parsed into columns automatically. It's a very quick alternative to
importing the txt file.

Today, after a Windows update was automatically installed, the txt file is
no longer parsed. Rather, it brings in the data rows as a single column
instead of separate columns. Since I need to copy one column, this is a
problem.

Is there a way to restore the ability of Excel to parse the data
automatically when the delimited text file is dragged to an open Excel
worksheet?

Thanks.

--Art

Hi Don,

I'm using Excel 2003. What I've been doing is dragging a .txt file that
contains space-delimited data onto an open Excel worksheet. The result has
been a new worksheet opens with the data nicely displayed in columns as
though I walked through the File/Open and data import wizard. It's worked
just like skipping the wizard...very cool.

Now it suddenly stopped working.

--Art

"Don" wrote:

What version of Excel?

You should be able to select the column and do "text to column" or when
opening maybe there is an option in the files and types.

"Art Saffran" wrote:

For several months I have been importing a space delimited text file to Excel
by simply dragging the .txt file to an open Excel worksheet. The text file is
then parsed into columns automatically. It's a very quick alternative to
importing the txt file.

Today, after a Windows update was automatically installed, the txt file is
no longer parsed. Rather, it brings in the data rows as a single column
instead of separate columns. Since I need to copy one column, this is a
problem.

Is there a way to restore the ability of Excel to parse the data
automatically when the delimited text file is dragged to an open Excel
worksheet?

Thanks.

--Art

It may be worth going into Excel, into the Text to Columns Wizard, & setting
the delimiting options to suit your preferences. Close the wizard, and then
see how your txt file is treated.
--
David Biddulph

"Art Saffran" wrote in message
...
Hi Don,

I'm using Excel 2003. What I've been doing is dragging a .txt file that
contains space-delimited data onto an open Excel worksheet. The result has
been a new worksheet opens with the data nicely displayed in columns as
though I walked through the File/Open and data import wizard. It's worked
just like skipping the wizard...very cool.

Now it suddenly stopped working.

--Art

"Don" wrote:

What version of Excel?

You should be able to select the column and do "text to column" or when
opening maybe there is an option in the files and types.

"Art Saffran" wrote:

For several months I have been importing a space delimited text file to
Excel
by simply dragging the .txt file to an open Excel worksheet. The text
file is
then parsed into columns automatically. It's a very quick alternative
to
importing the txt file.

Today, after a Windows update was automatically installed, the txt file
is
no longer parsed. Rather, it brings in the data rows as a single column
instead of separate columns. Since I need to copy one column, this is a
problem.

Is there a way to restore the ability of Excel to parse the data
automatically when the delimited text file is dragged to an open Excel
worksheet?

Thanks.

--Art

I have two users complaining about the same issue. They say that they were
able to do this via drag and drop or double click prior to last week. I
think I might know what patch was applied but I'm having trouble figuring out
how to remove it.

"David Biddulph" wrote:

It may be worth going into Excel, into the Text to Columns Wizard, & setting
the delimiting options to suit your preferences. Close the wizard, and then
see how your txt file is treated.
--
David Biddulph

"Art Saffran" wrote in message
...
Hi Don,

I'm using Excel 2003. What I've been doing is dragging a .txt file that
contains space-delimited data onto an open Excel worksheet. The result has
been a new worksheet opens with the data nicely displayed in columns as
though I walked through the File/Open and data import wizard. It's worked
just like skipping the wizard...very cool.

Now it suddenly stopped working.

--Art

"Don" wrote:

What version of Excel?

You should be able to select the column and do "text to column" or when
opening maybe there is an option in the files and types.

"Art Saffran" wrote:

For several months I have been importing a space delimited text file to
Excel
by simply dragging the .txt file to an open Excel worksheet. The text
file is
then parsed into columns automatically. It's a very quick alternative
to
importing the txt file.

Today, after a Windows update was automatically installed, the txt file
is
no longer parsed. Rather, it brings in the data rows as a single column
instead of separate columns. Since I need to copy one column, this is a
problem.

Is there a way to restore the ability of Excel to parse the data
automatically when the delimited text file is dragged to an open Excel
worksheet?

Thanks.

--Art

I determined that it was the result of a patch KB951548 which was part of
MS08-043 . I removed KB951548 and the previous functionality returned.

"Scott W." wrote:

I have two users complaining about the same issue. They say that they were
able to do this via drag and drop or double click prior to last week. I
think I might know what patch was applied but I'm having trouble figuring out
how to remove it.

"David Biddulph" wrote:

It may be worth going into Excel, into the Text to Columns Wizard, & setting
the delimiting options to suit your preferences. Close the wizard, and then
see how your txt file is treated.
--
David Biddulph

"Art Saffran" wrote in message
...
Hi Don,

I'm using Excel 2003. What I've been doing is dragging a .txt file that
contains space-delimited data onto an open Excel worksheet. The result has
been a new worksheet opens with the data nicely displayed in columns as
though I walked through the File/Open and data import wizard. It's worked
just like skipping the wizard...very cool.

Now it suddenly stopped working.

--Art

"Don" wrote:

What version of Excel?

You should be able to select the column and do "text to column" or when
opening maybe there is an option in the files and types.

"Art Saffran" wrote:

For several months I have been importing a space delimited text file to
Excel
by simply dragging the .txt file to an open Excel worksheet. The text
file is
then parsed into columns automatically. It's a very quick alternative
to
importing the txt file.

Today, after a Windows update was automatically installed, the txt file
is
no longer parsed. Rather, it brings in the data rows as a single column
instead of separate columns. Since I need to copy one column, this is a
problem.

Is there a way to restore the ability of Excel to parse the data
automatically when the delimited text file is dragged to an open Excel
worksheet?

Thanks.

--Art