Excel: Can't Open Large Text File in Versions 1.50 and Earlier

SUMMARY

When you open a text file larger than 400K in Microsoft Excel, Excel may start loading the file at 0 percent, then jump to 65535 percent and go down, instead of starting at 0 percent and loading to 100 percent.

Text files created outside of Excel (for example, in Microsoft Word, in Microsoft File, on a mainframe) can be no larger than 400K. Once in Excel, the size of the text file is limited only by the amount of free memory.

If a text file is larger than 400K, it must be separated into 400K files the first time you load the text file into Excel. For example, an 800K file can be loaded into Microsoft Word and separated into two 400K files. The two 400K files can then be loaded into Excel.

The 400K limit exists only for text files created outside Microsoft Excel.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Excel versions 1.00, 1.03, 1.04, 1.06, and 1.50. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Excel version 2.20, which can be obtained by calling Microsoft End User Sales and Service at (800) 426-9400.