OL98: Unable to Import TSV or CSV File into Outlook

ID: Q180387

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you import a tab-delimited (TSV) or comma-delimited (CSV) text file into Microsoft Outlook 98, you may not see the individual fields listed for mapping in the Map Custom Fields dialog box. Instead, all fields are in a row, separated by small box characters.


RESOLUTION

Open the TSV or CSV file in Microsoft Excel and step through the text import wizard. Save the file in Excel in TSV format and use that file for importing into Outlook.


MORE INFORMATION

Opening the TSV or CSV File in Excel

  1. On the Excel File menu, click Open.


  2. Click to select the TSV or CSV file.


  3. If the file is comma-delimited, click Next and then continue with step 4. If the file is tab-delimited, click Finish and then refer to the "To Save the File From Excel in TSV Format" section later in this article.


  4. In the Delimiters area, click to select Comma and click to clear any other selected delimiters, then click Next and Finish.


Excel opens the file, placing each field in a separate column. It may be necessary to edit the header record to precisely match field names in the text data source to those Outlook uses as its internal names. For example, a field named "FN" in the source file will not be recognized by Outlook as "First Name" and will result in no data imported for that field. This field name will need to be edited to read "First Name"

To Save the File in TSV Format

  1. On the Excel File menu, click Save As.


  2. In the Save As Type list, click to select, "Text (Tab Delimited)(*.Txt)" and then click Save.


  3. Quit Excel.


Excel saves the file as a tab-delimited text file.

Importing the TSV File into Outlook

  1. On the Outlook File menu, click Import and Export.


  2. In the "Choose an action to perform" list, click to select "Import from another program or file" and then click Next.


  3. In the "Select file type to import from" list, click to select "Tab Separated Values (windows)" and then click Next.


  4. In the File To Import box, type the path and name or browse to the file to be imported (saved earlier from Excel), and then click Next.


  5. Click to select the folder you want to import the records into and then click Next.


  6. Click to select, Import "<FILENAME>.TXT" into the "<Folder name>" folder.



REFERENCES

For more information on Field Mapping in Outlook 98, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q182728 OL98: Field Mapping for Importing Not Available

Additional query words: 


Keywords          : IntpOff IntpImEx 
Version           : WINDOWS:
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbhowto kbprb

Last Reviewed: August 3, 1999