How to Fix CSV File Not Saving in Excel

Wondering why your CSV file is not saving in Microsoft Excel?

Microsoft Excel uses a file format known as CSV or Comma Separated Values. With this file format, we can see the numbers and other data in plain text. CSV files are quite popular nowadays due to their simplicity and compactness. 

Anyone who knows a bit of spreadsheet manipulation can easily analyze data using this format and make the necessary changes. However, there have been reports from users who struggle to save changes from CSV files. 

If you are here, we can assume that you are experiencing the same problem. 

Based on what we know, this problem is usually caused by formatting issues with the CSV file. However, it can also be due to other reasons. 

Today, we will show you how to fix CSV file if it’s not saving in Microsoft Excel. 

Let’s get started!

1. Save Excel File in CSV UTF-8 Format

Saving your Microsoft Excel files in CSV UTF-8 file format is one of the most efficient ways to get all the necessary changes in your file without destroying or losing any characters. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. First, open the file in Microsoft Excel and perform the necessary changes. 
2. After that, click on File > Save As. 
3. Now, decide where you want to save the file. 
4. Lastly, click on the drop-down option and select CSV UTF-8 from the menu. 

Once done, name your file and hit Save. 

2. Save Changes Through CSV UTF-16 File

Another way to save your files in Microsoft Excel is in CSV UTF-16 format. Like UTF-8 this file format works efficiently to get the necessary changes in your file while preserving characters and data. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. First, open the file in Microsoft Excel and perform the necessary changes. 
2. After that, click on File > Save As. 
3. Now, decide where you want to save the file. 
4. Lastly, click on the drop-down option and select Unicode Text from the menu. 

Once done, name your file and hit Save. 

3. Change Microsoft Excel Settings

Some of your configurations in Excel might not be set accordingly, explaining why you encounter issues saving your CSV file. To avoid problems, see the steps below to configure your file properly. 

1. On Microsoft Excel, click on File > More > Options. 
2. Next, go to the Advanced tab. 
3. Enable the ‘Use System Separators’ option. 
4. Finally, set the Decimal Separator to Dot (.) and Thousands Separator to Comma (,). Click OK to save the changes. 

Save your file afterward and choose the CSV format to check if the problem is solved. 

4. Update Microsoft Excel. 

If you still encounter issues while saving your CSV file, try updating Microsoft Excel to the latest version possible. This should patch bugs and glitches in the app and ensure that you have a working version of Excel. 

Check out the guide below to update Excel: 

1. First, open Microsoft Excel and access the File tab. 
2. Now, go to Accounts. 
3. Lastly, click on Update Options and choose Update Now or Enable Updates. 

Relaunch Excel and check if the problem is solved. 

5. Reinstall Microsoft Excel. 

At this point, the last thing you can do is delete Microsoft Excel from your computer and install a fresh copy. This way, you can ensure that the app is installed correctly and there are no missing resources from your system. 

Follow the guide below to delete Excel: 

1. On your computer, go to the Control Panel and click on Uninstall a Program. 
2. Look for Microsoft Excel afterward and right-click on it. 
3. Finally, choose Uninstall and follow the prompts. 

Reinstall the app afterward and see if you can now save your CSV file. 

That ends our guide on how to fix CSV file not saving in Excel. For your questions and other concerns, please drop a comment below, and we’ll do our best to help. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂