XL98: Text Import Wizard Maximum Start Row Limitation of 32767 (189593)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
This article was previously published under Q189593

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, when you use the Text Import Wizard to import a text file, you may receive the following error message:
Your entry cannot be used. An integer or decimal number may be required.

CAUSE

This error message occurs when the value you specify in the "Start import at row" box is 32,768 or higher. The highest value you can enter in this box is 32,767.

WORKAROUND

The maximum number of rows in a Microsoft Excel 98 worksheet is 65,536. If you open a text file with 65,536 rows or fewer, all rows of the text file will be imported into one worksheet. However, if you attempt to import more rows in a text file than are available in the worksheet, only 65,536 rows of the text file will be loaded, and you will receive the following error message:
File Not Loaded Completely
If your worksheet contains more than 65,536 but fewer than 98,304 rows, you can use the Text Import Wizard to import the text file into two worksheets by following these steps:
  1. On the File menu, click Open. Select the text file to open, and click OK.
  2. In the Text Import Wizard, select 1 for "Start Import at Row."
  3. Select your options in steps 1-3 of the Text Import Wizard and then click Finish.
  4. The first 65,536 rows of the text file are imported into a worksheet, and you receive the error message "File Not Loaded Completely".

    Click OK. Save this workbook as a Microsoft Excel Workbook.
  5. Repeat step 1. In the Text Import Wizard, select 32767 for "Start Import at Row."
  6. Select your options in steps 1-3 of the Text Import Wizard and then click Finish.

    Note that 65,536 rows of the text file starting at row 32,766 are imported into a worksheet.
  7. Save this workbook as a Microsoft Excel Workbook.

    You can delete the first 32,770 rows in this worksheet because these rows were also imported into the workbook you saved in step 4. Save this workbook.

Importing Larger Text Files

If your text file is too large to import using the Text Import Wizard as described earlier, you will need to create a macro to import your text file that determines the size of the text file and breaks it up into individual worksheets.

For an example of a Visual Basic for Applications macro that accomplishes this, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

190032 XL98: Error Importing Text Files Larger Than 65536 Rows

REFERENCES

For more information about the Text Import Wizard, click Contents And Index on the Help menu (or on the Balloon Help menu if you are using a version of the Macintosh operating system earlier than 8.0), click the Index button in Microsoft Excel 98 Help, type the following text

importing data, text files

and then click Show Topics. Select the "View or save files from other programs as Microsoft Excel workbooks" topic, and click Go To. If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:9/11/2002
Keywords:kbprb KB189593
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.