"This file is not in a recognizable format" message

[a_en]

I've been using DirectRT collecting data and it works perfectly most of the time. However, some DirectRT output files (.csv files) from a latest round of data collection seem to be "naughty." Double-clicking any of these files pops up a dialogue window saying "This file is not in a recognizable format. If you know the file is from another program which is incompatible with Microsoft Office Excel, click Cancel, ... If you still want to see what text is contained in the file, click OK. Then click Finish in the Text Import Wizard."

It appears to be an empty file when I click OK though.

Would anyone please let me know if there is any solution to this problem？ Great thanks.

[jarvis24]

Can you attach an example of a good and "naughty" data file? First thing I would do is open them in a plain text editor such as notepad.exe (with word wrap off) and compare them.

[a_en]

Dear jarvis24,

Thanks so much for the headsup. I've attached both normal and naughty output files here. I tried the notepad method you mentioned and found nothing in the naughty file though the naughty one (11.2kb) is as big as the normal one (11.3kb).

Is there any way to save the naughty one?

Great thanks!!!

[jarvis24]

I see what you mean. There is certainly content in the bad file--it's not empty--it just looks that way (at least on my machine there are MANY characters but they appears as if they were spaces). I tried many ways of deciphering what the hidden content. I'm wondering if it may have been damaged in transit somehow. Can you go to the original computer on which these data were collected and go directly to the data folder and open this file there? i.e., without moving or copying it anywhere? Both in Excel and Notepad/Wordpad if possible.