To import data from a text file into Microsoft Excel, follow this step-by-step guide: First, create a blank spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel and ensure you have the .txt file on your PC.

If the DAT file you're trying to open is text, you can convert the file into text in the Microsoft Excel program by first saving it as a CSV file.

Fortunately, you can convert Excel files to plain text files, which can then be imported into almost any spreadsheet program, such as Intuit's QuickBooks accounting software.

Luckily, Excel offers handy formulas that allow you to convert text into upper case, lower case, title case, and even sentence case with minimal effort.

Edmond Woychowsky walks you through his process, including all the necessary sample code, to convert an XML file to an Excel spreadsheet.

Microsoft Excel depends on data that’s stored correctly. If you receive text values that should be real numbers, use one of these methods to get you back to the real work.