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[Solved] Can't Open Excel File in Calc

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 4:47 am
by crgauth
I am running OO v2.4.1 on Windows XP. I work with a website that provides me with reports in excel format. They just upgraded their application and I can't open the files in OO anymore. Files appear to be XML formatted. Here are the first couple of lines from the file that I opened in an XML editor:
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
- <Workbook xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadsheet" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel" xmlns:ss="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadsheet" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
File inital comes out as .xls. I tried renaming to .xml to open in calc as XML, but still doesn't open correctly.
Any ideas?
Thanks

Re: Can't Open Excel File in Calc

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 5:26 am
by acknak
That's most likely Office 2007's new XML format, which OOo cannot currently open. OOo 3, due next month, will have support for it.

I would politely complain to the web site if I were you: it's a very bad decision on their part to be using that new format--it's incompatible with everything except Office 2007. There are some ways to read it with older versions of MS Office, but it's a big hassle. It seems like a poor policy to require that all their users jump through hoops, or upgrade to Office 2007, to read their files.

Re: Can't Open Excel File in Calc

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 11:25 am
by fst
Hi,

you may try to open it with the webquery or the HTML filter from the File Open Dialog.

Frank

Re: Can't Open Excel File in Calc

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 11:34 am
by Hagar Delest
Some information in that thread (see links at the end of first post): MS Office 2007 file format (docx, xslx, pptx, ppsx).

Re: Can't Open Excel File in Calc

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 5:18 pm
by Phil
If you like to stick to OpenOffice, you can install the public 3.0 Beta 2 version. It will install in parallel, not touching your OpenOffice 2.x installation (i.e. neither overwriting the installation nor interfering with the users settings).

I have tested it: importing the files seems to work quite well!
You should be able to save them in the ODF format and continue to work on them with your 2.x version.

Regards, phil

Re: Can't Open Excel File in Calc

Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 4:07 pm
by crgauth
Was able to get it to work using OO 3.0. Had to rename the file to .xml for it to be read in properly and then could edit from there.
Thanks

Re: Can't Open Excel File in Calc

Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:41 am
by Phil
You're welcome, I'm happy it works for you!

Thanks for adding "[Solved]" at the beginning of your first post title (by using the edit button).
Also, you could change the title thread to e.g. "Can't Open Excel 2007 .xlsx File in Calc", making it easier to find for other users having the same question.

Regards, phil

Re: [Solved] Can't Open Excel File in Calc

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:26 am
by Kalinat
I had a similar problem with a website that upgraded. I tried changing the file name, but that did not work. Finally I found a solution:

Saved the file to my computer.
Right clicked on the file and selected "Open With" then "Microsoft Open XML converter".
I saved as an XLSM file.
After saving, if you doubleclick on this file, it will open as a "read-only", BUT if you right-click and "open with Scal.exe" you will be able to edit.

Hope this helps someone!! I spent over 2 hours on this problem, including phone time with that site's support who were of no help at all!

Re: [Not Solved] Can't Open Excel File in Calc

Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 9:58 am
by DMisterE
I still can not open XLSM files no matter what. The problem is that I can not even open them on another machine's Excel for Office 2000 (with the MS compatibly crap). This format is poison, which it went away. :crazy: Now I have to find an Office 2007 machine to see if I can resave it in something OO 3.1 can read. :knock:

Re: [Solved] Can't Open Excel File in Calc

Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 7:18 pm
by mriosv
Do you try with development version OOo 3.2
http://download.openoffice.org/next/other.html#dev1

Re: [Solved] Can't Open Excel File in Calc

Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 7:36 pm
by TheGurkha
Perhaps Zamzar may be able to do something?

Re: [Solved] Can't Open Excel File in Calc

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 8:56 am
by onkeltem
Hi all.

I've just installed Openoffice 3.2.0 dev build 9474 and am trying to open an Excel file in it. FAILED. It still wants to import file like it was a general text file.

The Excel file starts with:

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  <Workbook 
      xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadsheet"
      xmlns:xalan="http://xml.apache.org/xalan"
      xmlns:t1="http://beeline.ru/ccbo/dto"
      xmlns:ns1="http://beeline.ru/ccbo/dto"
      xmlns:ns0="http://beeline.ru/ccbo/datamodel"
      xmlns:msxsl="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xslt"
      xmlns:math="xalan://java.lang.Math"
      xmlns:fn="http://www.w3.org/2005/02/xpath-functions"
      xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel"
      xmlns:ss="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadsheet"
      xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
      xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
            <DocumentProperties xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">...
Such files are created by my phone company. Any ideas?

UPD. FIXED. Damned :) The Excel file had extension ".XLS". After renaming it to ".XLSM", the file now opens in OO 3.2!

Re: [Solved] Can't Open Excel File in Calc

Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2010 10:40 pm
by Lenore
After renaming it to ".XLSM", the file now opens in OO 3.2!
Thank you, thank you!! :bravo: So simple, and absolutely necessary. Please add this to the Calc documentation. (And Excel still opens the .XLSM file.)

But I'm going to keep my OpenOffice files separated from my MSOffice versions until I test OO some more. I really want to ditch Microsoft whereever possible, but this experience so far with OO leaves me less than confident.

Re: [Solved] Can't Open Excel File in Calc

Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 10:03 pm
by onkeltem
SPAM/HAM? :)

Re: [Solved] Can't Open Excel File in Calc

Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 10:05 pm
by TheGurkha
onkeltem wrote:SPAM/HAM? :)
True - it'll be gone directly...