How to Change the Character Encoding in an Excel .CSV file.
If you are opening a CSV file in Excel and seeing unreadable characters due to incorrect encoding, then in this guide you will learn how you can easily fix the problem.
When you open a CSV file and see strange/unreadable characters and symbols instead of regular text (like in the example below), it usually means that the file's encoding is not recognized by the program you are opening the file with (e.g. Excel in this case).
The usual solution to this problem is to change the character encoding of the file. However, because Microsoft Excel does not provide the ability to change the character encoding after opening a .csv file, in this guide we provide two solutions to do this.
How to FIX: Unrecognizable characters in .CSV files due to incorrect encoding.
Method 1. Save the CSV file with 'UTF-8 with BOM' encoding in Notepad.
The first method to set a different character encoding in a .CSV file is by using Notepad. To do this:
1. Open the CSV file in Notepad. To do that, right-click on the CSV file and select Open with > Notepad or "Edit in Notepad".
2. After opening the CSV file in Notepad, you will probably be able to read its contents normally with the correct character encoding. To change the character encoding so that the CSV file is readable in Excel, do the following:
1. From the File menu, select Save as.
2. In Save as window, type a new filename for the file and then select in Encoding: UTF-8 with BOM. When done, click Save.
3. Close Notepad.
4. Finally, double-click on the new CSV file to open it in Excel! Now, you should be able to read the contents of the CSV file in the correct encoding (language).
Method 2. Import the CSV file in Excel.
The second method to fix the problem of unreadable characters in a .csv file in Excel, is to import the CSV file into Excel (instead of opening it directly in Excel). To do that:
1. Open a new blank document (Workbook) in Excel.
2. Select the Data tab and then click Get Data and choose From File -> From Text/CSV
3. In the "import Data" window select the .CSV file with the unreadable characters and then click Import.
4. In the next screen do the following:
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In File Origin select "65001: Unicode (UTF-8)"
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In Delimiter, select the type of the fields separator. (e.g. Comma, Semicolon, Tab, etc.).
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After doing the above, click Load.
5. After loading the CSV file into the new EXCEL workbook, the characters should now be displayed correctly. Save the file as a new excel file or as a new .csv file and you are done!
That's it! Which method worked for you?
Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I see unreadable characters when opening a CSV file in Excel?
Unreadable characters often occur when the file's character encoding is not recognized by Excel. This can happen if the CSV file is encoded differently than Excel expects.
How can I fix unrecognizable characters in a CSV file using Notepad?
Open the CSV file in Notepad by right-clicking and choosing 'Open with' > 'Notepad'. Then, save it as a new file with 'UTF-8 with BOM' encoding and open it in Excel to ensure the correct characters are displayed.
What steps do I follow to import a CSV file into Excel to fix encoding issues?
Start a new workbook in Excel, go to the Data tab, and select 'Get Data' > 'From File' > 'From Text/CSV'. Choose the problematic CSV file, set the File Origin to '65001: Unicode (UTF-8)', select the appropriate delimiter, and load the file to correct the encoding.
What are the two methods to fix encoding issues in CSV files for Excel?
Method 1 is saving the CSV file with the 'UTF-8 with BOM' encoding using Notepad. Method 2 involves importing the CSV file directly into Excel and selecting the correct encoding settings during import.
