How to Transfer DOS Data to Excel

By Bonnie Conrad

One of the biggest advantages of using Microsoft Excel is the ability to work with so many different types of files. Excel users can import documents from a variety of programs and formats, including CSV (Comma Separated Values), rich text files and other text files created in DOS. After those files are imported, you can sort, filter and use them the same as any other Excel spreadsheet.

Windows

Step 1

Open Microsoft Excel and open the file you wish to transfer data to. Click the "Get External Data" group and choose the "Data" tab. Choose "From text."

Step 2

Use the drop-down box next to "Files of type" and select "All files." Navigate to the folder containing the DOS text file.

Step 3

Click "Import" and choose "Delimited" or "Fixed width" based on the format of the file. If the text file uses a delimiter like a comma or semicolon to separate fields, choose "Delimited." If the field names are the same length in each record, choose "Fixed width."

Step 4

Click "Next" and confirm the type of delimiter used if you chose the delimited option. If you chose the fixed-width option, make sure the field breaks are correct. Click "Finish."

Macintosh

Step 1

Log on to your computer and open Microsoft Excel. Open the spreadsheet you want to import the data to. Go to the "Data" menu and choose "Get External Data." Select "Import Text File."

Step 2

Click the "Enable" drop-down menu and choose "All Files." Navigate to the folder that contains the DOS text file you wish to import.

Step 3

Select "Get Data" and choose "Delimited" if the text file uses a comma, semicolon or other special character to separate each field. Choose "Fixed width" if the field names are the same size for each record.

Step 4

Click "Next" and choose the appropriate delimiter if your text file is in delimited format. Make sure the field breaks are in the right place if using a fixed-width file. Click "Finish" to complete the import.

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