How Do I Download and Open Text Files in Excel?

How do I download and open text files in Excel? 
1 
Updated November 2022 
How do I download and open text files in Excel? 
Page Navigation (Quick Links): 
1)  Downloading Data Files 
2)  Opening Excel Files 
3)  Opening Tab-Delimited Text Files 
a)  Opening in a Text Editor 
b)  Opening in Microsoft Excel 
•  Recommended Option 1: Copying from a Text Editor 
•  Recommended Option 2: Opening with Excel Text Import Wizard 
•  Not Recommended: Opening directly with Excel 
4)  Opening Comma-Separated Values Text Files 
a)  Recommended: Opening with Excel Text Import Wizard 
b)  Not Recommended: Opening directly with Excel 
5)  Types of Downloads Found in CEBS 
6)  Additional Instructions/Information 
 
Answer: The CEBS homepage (https://cebs.niehs.nih.gov/cebs/) offers data download files in 
some pages and applications. These pages and applications have a button (or link) to download 
data as a Microsoft Excel file (file extension .xls or .xlsx), a tab-delimited text file (file extension 
.txt or .tsv), or a comma-separated values text file (file extension .csv). This FAQ help document 
provides instructions for how to download and open these files in Excel.  
1)  Downloading Data Files 
•  After clicking the download button, follow the instructions in your browser (if present) 
to save the file. Depending on your browser settings, the file may open automatically. 
•  If the file did not open automatically, locate the file on your computer. Many browsers 
default to saving downloaded files to the Downloads folder, but your settings may vary. 
2)  Opening Excel Files 
To open a Microsoft Excel file with the extension .xls or .xlsx, follow these instructions: 
•  The data file can be opened in Microsoft Excel by several methods:  
o  double click;  
o  right click, then choose Open or Open with Microsoft Excel;  
o  open Microsoft Excel, in the File ribbon choose Open, then navigate to your 
saved file. 

How do I download and open text files in Excel?

Updated November 2022

• At this point the file should be open as an Excel workbook. Before working with the file,

we recommend choosing File and Save As in Excel to move or rename the file for later

use.

Note: There may be other methods to handle downloaded Excel files. Use your favorite

method.

3) Opening Tab-Delimited Text Files

To open a tab-delimited text file with the extension .txt or .tsv, follow the instructions.

There are several methods for opening these file types, and multiple programs that can be

used.

a) Opening in a Text Editor

Text editors often display the downloaded data without any formatting, such as

columns, fonts, alignment, etc. This may make the data difficult to read; however,

many text editors do not alter or reformat the data in any way. This can allow

greater control. Examples of text editors include: Notepad, Wordpad, TextEdit, and

UltraEdit. Follow the instructions below to open a text file in a text editor.

• The data file can be opened in a text editor by several methods:

o double click;

o right click, then choose Open or Open with then your favorite text editor;

o open your favorite text editor, in the File ribbon choose Open, then

navigate to your saved file.

b) Opening in Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel displays tab-delimited text files using each tab to separate the data

into the cells of the worksheet. Excel can organize, analyze, modify, and/or combine

the downloaded data. Tab-delimited text is converted to rows and columns in an

Excel file, making it much easier to read and interpret. Microsoft Excel may also

reformat data similar to dates and times in ways that are not easy to reverse. There

are several methods to open text files in Excel. We recommend the first methods

below.

Note: CAS numbers are often converted to dates by Excel. This conversion is not

easily reversible. Avoid this by changing the format of cells to text before typing or

pasting in a CAS number.

• Recommended Option 1: Copying from a Text Editor

This method prevents Excel from reformatting data erroneously (e.g. CASRN’s

to dates).

How do I download and open text files in Excel?

Updated November 2022

o Follow the instructions for opening a text file in a text editor above.

o Once the file is open in a text editor, select all by choosing Ctrl + A (PC) or

Command + A (Mac). This will highlight the entire document.

o Copy this text by pressing Ctrl + C (PC) or Command + C (Mac), or right click

and select copy

o Open Microsoft Excel

o Again, select the entire worksheet using Ctrl + A (PC) or Command + A

(Mac).

o On the Home ribbon of Excel, in the Number section, find the dropdown

box. Hoovering the mouse over the dropdown box will display the title as

“Number Format” and the default setting is “General”. Click the dropdown

box and select “Text” to format the entire worksheet.

o Now you can paste in the data you copied in the text editor, using Ctrl + V

(PC) or Command + V (Mac), or right click and select the left paste option.

You may get a message about the size and shape of the data on your

clipboard. If you see this message, click OK.

o Save this worksheet as an Excel file.

Note: You may need to convert certain columns, rows or cells stored as text

back to a number format after using this method. However, ensure that none

of the entries in the column, row or the cells contain dates or CASRN’s. First

select the column, row, or cells that should be formatted as numbers. Return

to the dropdown box used to format the sheet and select “Number”.

• Recommended Option 2: Opening with Excel Text Import Wizard

This method uses the Text Import Wizard in Excel. To use this method, you

may need to have some knowledge about the types of data in each column of

the data you downloaded. Used correctly, this method can also prevent Excel

from erroneously formatting CAS numbers.

o After downloading and saving the text file, open Microsoft Excel.

o Select File ribbon then Open

o Navigate to the downloaded text file and change the file type at the

bottom of the Open window from “All Excel Files” to “All Files”. Select the

saved file on your computer, and click Open

o This will open the Text Import Wizard, which has three steps:

1. Ensure the Original data type is set to Delimited. Leave all other

settings as they are. Click Next to proceed to the next step.

How do I download and open text files in Excel?

Updated November 2022

2. In the Delimiters box, only Tab should have a check mark. If another

Delimiter is selected, uncheck the box. Leave all other settings as they

are. Click Next to proceed

3. This step allows you to set the data format for each column of your

data. General (default) is the setting you want for columns with

numbers. Columns with data that may resemble a date, time, or

CASRN, should be set to Text. The data preview box at the bottom of

the window allows you to scroll through the columns. Scroll and find

any columns that contain numbers, but should not be reformatted (e.g.

CASRN, Study Number). Click to select that column and then in the

Column data format box choose Text. The header over that column

should change. When you have reformatted all necessary columns,

select Finish

o Your data will open in Excel, with the data formatted based on your

selections from Step 3. Save this worksheet as an excel file.

• Not Recommended: Opening directly with Excel

This is the simplest method available. We do not recommend this method. This

method does not protect the format of CASRN’s or other data that resemble

dates or times.

o After downloading and saving the text file, locate the file on your

computer.

o Right click on the file and hover over Open With.

o In the list of programs that opens, Click on Microsoft Excel.

o If Microsoft Excel is not in the list that appears, you may need to select

Choose Another App or Choose Another Program and then select Excel.

4) Opening Comma-Separated Values Text Files

To open a comma-separated values text file with the extension .csv, follow the instructions.

There are two methods for opening these file types using Excel. Alternatively, .csv files can

also be opened with in text editor by following the instructions for opening a text file in a

text editor above.

a) Recommended: Opening with Excel Text Import Wizard

This method uses the Text Import Wizard in Excel. To use this method, you may

need to have some knowledge about the types of data in each column of the data

you downloaded. Used correctly, this method can also prevent Excel from

erroneously formatting CAS numbers.

• After downloading and saving the .csv file, open Microsoft Excel.

How do I download and open text files in Excel?

Updated November 2022

• Select File ribbon then Open

• Navigate to the downloaded .csv file and change the file type at the bottom of

the Open window from “All Excel Files” to “All Files”. Select the saved file on

your computer, and click Open

• This will open the Text Import Wizard, which has three steps:

1. Ensure the Original data type is set to Delimited. Leave all other settings as

they are. Click Next to proceed to the next step.

2. In the Delimiters box, only Comma should have a check mark. If another

Delimiter is selected, uncheck the box. Leave all other settings as they are.

Click Next to proceed

3. This step allows you to set the data format for each column of your data.

General (default) is the setting you want for columns with numbers. Columns

with data that may resemble a date, time, or CASRN, should be set to Text.

The data preview box at the bottom of the window allows you to scroll

through the columns. Scroll and find any columns that contain numbers, but

should not be reformatted (e.g. CASRN, Study Number). Click to select that

column and then in the Column data format box choose Text. The header

over that column should change. When you have reformatted all necessary

columns, select Finish

• Your data will open in Excel, with the data formatted based on your selections

from Step 3. Save this worksheet as an excel file.

b) Not Recommended: Opening directly with Excel

This is the simplest method available. We do not recommend this method. This

method does not protect the format of CASRN’s or other data that resemble dates

or times.

• After downloading and saving the text file, locate the file on your computer.

• Right click on the file and hover over Open With.

• In the list of programs that opens, Click on Microsoft Excel.

If Microsoft Excel is not in the list that appears, you may need to select Choose Another App or

Choose Another Program and then select Excel

5) Types of Downloads Found in CEBS

Different areas of CEBS may download files in different formats. A list of all the areas of

CEBS that allow downloads, and the downloaded file type is detailed in the Downloads from

CEBS table below.

Downloads from CEBS:

How do I download and open text files in Excel?

Updated November 2022

6) Additional Instructions/Information

• CEBS data may be cited by navigating to the CEBS Support page, and selecting the Citing

CEBS document under FAQs. Here, instructions can be found on citing DTT Data as well

as non-DTT data in CEBS.

• Please contact [email protected] for additional assistance

CEBS Area

Download File Information

File

Extension

Search Data – Tox 21 Data

Tab-delimited text file

.txt

Search Data – DTT

Investigations

Excel file. This includes General Toxicity and

Genetic Toxicity studies. This file may have

combined cells as headings.

.xls

Search Data – Microarray

Data

Tab-delimited text file

.txt

Look Up Test Articles

Excel file. This file may have combined cells as

headings.

.xls

Organ Sites & Neoplasia

Tab-delimited text file

.txt

DTT Data Collections

Excel and Comma Separated Values file

.xlsx + .csv

Publications

Various formats, including excel files

.xlsx + others