CSV – Windows Server CSV Unable to Open on Linux/Mac

compatibilitycsvfileformattingwindows

A small CSV file that was generated on a Windows server is not opening correctly on Linux/Mac.

The only way to open this file is via MS Excel for Mac, which gives the following prompt:

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The CSV file has the proper extension .csv and "get info" in Finder shows that it is in-fact a CSV file. Weird thing is that it is called "Comma Separated Spreadsheet" rather than "Comma Separated Values":

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When opening the file with TextEdit, the result is an empty file:

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When using the file command in Terminal, the output is not "CSV" as it should be. It says it is "Zip archive data":

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Is this a common error with CSVs between OS's? Unable to find any resources online. Appreciate the help.

Best Answer

Since file reports that the supposed .csv file is a Zip archive, it may actually be an XLSX (Microsot Excel) file whose file extension was simply changed from .xlsx to .csv. Try changing the file extension to .xlsx to see if this is the case.

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