When using Text-To-Columns, Excel "recognizes" that the data fits the Fixed
Width criteria and PRE-assigns the width.
In most of the cases I work with Excel is wrong 99% of the time.
Is there a way to force Excel to NOT pre-assign the width (leave everything
blank)?

On the first panel of the wizard click Delimited, then on the second
panel click space as the delimiter.

Hope this helps.

Pete

On Feb 4, 12:50*am, TP <T...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> When using Text-To-Columns, Excel "recognizes" that the data fits the Fixed
> Width criteria and PRE-assigns the width.
> In most of the cases I work with Excel is wrong 99% of the time.
> Is there a way to force Excel to NOT pre-assign the width (leave everything
> blank)?

Thank you for the response.
However, the data I would like to parse is in the following format:
9 08890 DATE TIME START_OF_TEXT, MORE_TEXT, MORE_TEXT, MORE_TEXT,
MORE_TEXT, MORE_TEXT, MORE_TEXT, MORE_TEXT, MORE_TEXT, MORE_TEXT
The first 3 fields are fixed width and the subsequent fields are comma
delimited (with spaces).
I need to keep the TEXT together and apply Text-To-Columns for the first 3
fields.
If I use a delimiter, space, then everything will be separated.
If I use "Fixed Width" Excel decides to separate the TEXT as well (and I
have to go through the exersice of removing the separations.
I would prefer to have Excel not "guess" where the data should be parsed, so
that I can enter my own.

Hope this makes sense

"Pete_UK" wrote:

> On the first panel of the wizard click Delimited, then on the second
> panel click space as the delimiter.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Pete
>
> On Feb 4, 12:50 am, TP <T...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> > When using Text-To-Columns, Excel "recognizes" that the data fits the Fixed
> > Width criteria and PRE-assigns the width.
> > In most of the cases I work with Excel is wrong 99% of the time.
> > Is there a way to force Excel to NOT pre-assign the width (leave everything
> > blank)?
>
> .
>