The Problem (Q-score 8, ranked #233rd of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)
The scenario as originally posted in 2010
I used Python to generate a CSV file. But when I open it in Excel, Excel will auto recognize a string into a number if it could be converted.
e.g.33E105 becomes 33*10^105, which is actually an ID, not a number.
How to disable this in Excel while opening a CSV file? Or I need to resort to a excel-python library to output a excel file and specify the format myself?
I also found a similar question without good answers on the web.
Thanks!
Why community consensus is tight on this one
Across 303 Excel VBA entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds niche answer (below median) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.
The Verified Solution — niche answer (below median) (+4)
Verbal answer — walkthrough without a code block
Note: the verified answer is a prose walkthrough. If you need a runnable sample, check Excel VBA entries ranked in the top 10 of the same archive.
You could precede it with a single quote, forcing it to text.
A fun answer is you could keep the first eight rows blank (it only processes the first eight rows to determine data type), although I think this may blank all your data entirely. You could hide those empty rows.
When to Use It — vintage (14+ years old, pre-2013)
Ranked #233rd in its category — specialized fit
This pattern sits in the 99% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.
What changed between 2010 and 2026
The answer is 16 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.