SEOmoz Crawl CSV in Excel: already split by semicolon. Is this Excel's fault or SEOmoz's?

[DeptAgency]

If for example a page title contains a ë the .csv created by the SEOmoz Crawl Test is already split into columns on that point, even though I haven't used Excel's text to columns yet.

When I try to do the latter, Excel warns me that I'm overwriting non-empty cells, which of course is something I would rather not do since that would make me lose valuable data.

My question is: is this something caused by opening the .csv in Excel, or earlier in the process when this .csv is created?

[Jacobe]

Thanks a lot for this question and answer. I've been cursing for months and months on this issue.

The solution suggested by Barry is TOP! Download Open Office, even if it's just to convert CSV correctly to columns.

[DeptAgency]

In hindsight, the solution offered on that page does not do the trick. I guess I will keep using my workaround...

[DeptAgency]

Thanks for the quick response. Open Office is something I should have checked first and indeed, opening the .csv in Open Office doesn't cause semicolons to split columns.

A workaround in Excel I've just now tried is making an empty spreadsheet and importing external data from the .csv, which lets me deselect the semicolon as separator.

I've also set the separator to something else in the Windows Language Settings, thanks for that link.

[StalkerB]

Think it's more likely a PC 'fault'.

You probably want to list a comma rather than a semi-colon as a separator - http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/import-or-export-text-txt-or-csv-files-HP010099725.aspx#BMchange_the_separator_in_all_.csv_text

If you use open office you can choose what you want to use when you first open each file.