'%3e%3cpath%20d='M8%200C12.4183%200%2016%203.58172%2016%208C16%2012.4183%2012.4183%2016%208%2016C3.58172%2016%200%2012.4183%200%208C0%203.58172%203.58172%200%208%200ZM11.6162%204.38379C11.2257%203.99337%2010.5927%203.99338%2010.2021%204.38379L8%206.58594L5.79785%204.38379C5.40732%203.99334%204.77429%203.99329%204.38379%204.38379C3.99331%204.77429%203.99335%205.40733%204.38379%205.79785L6.58594%208L4.38379%2010.2021C3.99348%2010.5927%203.99341%2011.2257%204.38379%2011.6162C4.77426%2012.0066%205.40734%2012.0065%205.79785%2011.6162L8%209.41406L10.2021%2011.6162C10.5927%2012.0066%2011.2257%2012.0067%2011.6162%2011.6162C12.0067%2011.2257%2012.0066%2010.5927%2011.6162%2010.2021L9.41406%208L11.6162%205.79785C12.0066%205.40735%2012.0066%204.77429%2011.6162%204.38379Z'%20fill='%23080E17'%20fill-opacity='0.46'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cdefs%3e%3cclipPath%20id='clip0_3761_713'%3e%3crect%20width='16'%20height='16'%20fill='white'/%3e%3c/clipPath%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Fix Excel CSV Showing Only  and No Data After Download
Question details
The user downloaded a CSV file, but when opened in Excel, it only displays the characters "" in cell A1 and contains no actual data. The file size is noted to be only 3 bytes.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel 365
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Opening a recently downloaded CSV file in Microsoft Excel to view data.
- Observed behavior
- The CSV file fails to show data, displaying only "" in the first cell, and the file size is abnormally small at exactly 3 bytes.
Before attempting to change any Excel settings, right-click your downloaded CSV file, select 'Properties', and check the file size. If it is exactly 3 bytes, the file itself is empty of data and modifying Excel options will not fix it.
Re-download the CSV File
Since a 3-byte CSV file only contains the UTF-8 Byte Order Mark (BOM) and no actual data, the most effective solution is to download the file again to ensure a complete transfer.
When a download is interrupted or a server script fails to fetch data, it may still generate a file header. The "" characters represent the 3-byte UTF-8 BOM, meaning the file was created but the data stream failed.
Locate the 3-byte CSV file in your Downloads folder and delete it to prevent confusion.
Go back to the website, database, or email system where you originally requested the CSV file.
Click the download link or export button again. Wait for the browser to indicate that the download has fully completed.
Right-click the newly downloaded file, choose 'Properties', and ensure the file size is significantly larger than 3 bytes (e.g., several kilobytes or megabytes depending on the expected data).
Double-click the verified CSV file to open it in Excel and confirm that the data is now displaying correctly instead of just the BOM characters.
Download on Another Computer or Browser
If re-downloading fails, browser caching issues, extensions, or network restrictions might be interfering with the file generation process.
Open and Manage CSV Files Easily with WPS Office
If you frequently struggle with text encoding glitches, BOM characters, or formatting errors in Microsoft Excel, consider switching to WPS Office. It features a robust text import wizard designed to handle complex data files with ease.
- 1. Install WPS Office: Download and install the free version of WPS Office on your computer.
- 2. Open WPS Spreadsheet: Launch the application and select 'Spreadsheet' from the home screen.
- 3. Import CSV: Go to Menu > Open, select your downloaded CSV file, and use the intuitive Text Import Wizard to preview your data encoding before opening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does  mean when I open a CSV in Excel?
The characters "" appear when Excel attempts to read a UTF-8 encoded file that includes a Byte Order Mark (BOM) but reads it using a different text encoding (like ANSI). It acts as a signature at the very beginning of a file to indicate the text format.
Why is my downloaded CSV file exactly 3 bytes?
A 3-byte file means the system started generating the file and wrote the 3-byte UTF-8 header (the BOM), but an error occurred before any actual table data could be written. The download is essentially empty.
Can I recover the missing data from my 3-byte CSV file?
No, it is impossible to recover data from the file because the data was never downloaded or saved to your hard drive. You must resolve the download issue or contact the website administrator to fix their export tool.
Does changing the font in Excel fix the  error?
No. While the default font in Microsoft 365 (like Aptos Narrow) dictates how the characters look, the presence of "" combined with a 3-byte file size confirms a data absence issue, not a font display issue.
