Excel 2000 data to CSV: preserve accented letters and leading zeros

CSV does not store cell types. Incorrect encoding can corrupt accented letters, and automatic import can remove leading zeros. This method exports a copy of old XLS data using current LibreOffice Calc; it does not describe a UTF-8 feature in Excel 2000.

Prepare a test copy

Keep the XLS original unchanged. Open a copy in Calc without running unknown macros or updating external links. First confirm that the intended sheet and its values were imported correctly. CSV is not a replacement for the workbook: only the current sheet is exported, not all formatting and formula logic.

Define the export

  1. Agree on encoding, field separator, text delimiter and column types with the recipient. UTF-8 is often suitable for a new exchange, but the destination must support it. Record the number of data rows excluding the header.
  2. Check representative values such as Müller, 00123 and a decimal amount. Distinguish the text identifier 00123 from the number 123 merely displayed with five digits. Lost zeros cannot be reconstructed without a known rule.
  3. Choose File → Save As, a new name and Text CSV. Enable filter settings. Select the agreed encoding and field separator, for example semicolon, and double quotes as text delimiter.
  4. Check Save cell content as shown: it can preserve formatted zeros but also exports displayed date and number formats. Do not use fixed column width. Accept format warnings only for the separate CSV copy.

Check the file and reimport

First open the CSV in a text editor with explicit encoding selection. Check accented letters and the string 00123; double-clicking into a spreadsheet with automatic interpretation is not a reliable raw-data check. Then import into an empty Calc document. Choose the same separators and encoding, and explicitly set identifier columns to Text in the preview. Quotes alone do not guarantee that every destination treats numbers as text.

Compare row count, column mapping, empty fields, identifiers and decimal values. Also test a field containing the chosen separator and embedded quotes. Verify the actual destination system. If errors occur, adjust export or import options on the copy, not original values. Supply the CSV together with a short description of its settings.

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