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Having your important data scattered across different folders and files makes it hard to access and is unprofessional too. A similar problem is faced by individuals dealing with multiple CSV files, making it a headache. Whether you are a data analyst, a student/ researcher, or a working business professional, you must have faced the tedious task of manually combining data from numerous rows and columns from dozens or even hundreds of CSV files into a single worksheet. This process is both time-consuming and prone to data loss due to human errors.
However, there are easier alternatives that you can use to merge CSV into a single worksheet without losing or modifying a single data value. Microsoft Excel provides a tool called Power Query to combine several CSV files. Additionally, you can also use the Windows Command Prompt tool to merge the files. Moving further with this blog, I will share with you the step-by-step guide to use Excel and CMD to join CSV files, along with an advanced CSV file merger tool to automate the complete process.
Methods to Merge CSV into a Single Worksheet
If you are someone who usually has to deal with combining CSV files, then you will find these methods to be very helpful.
Method 1: Merge CSV Files with Excel Power Query Editor
In Microsoft Excel, you can do more than just store data, do calculations, and generate charts from rows & columns. The built-in Power Query tool allows you to combine multiple CSV files with the following steps.
Step 1: Make sure every CSV file that you want to combine is present in a single folder. Then, open a blank Excel sheet.
Step 2: Select Data, click Get Data > From File > From Folder option.
Step 3: Click the Combine button and choose the Combine & Load option.
Note: For more advanced data modification options, select Combine & Transform Data.
Step 4: Set the rules for combining the files. You can select the Sample File, Character set, Delimiter and Data Type Detection to alter the final output data formatting. Click OK to merge multiple CSV into a single worksheet.
Method 2: Merge CSV Files with Windows Command Prompt
Your operating system’s built-in command line tool also provides a way to merge CSV into a single worksheet. Follow the steps given below to combine all your CSVs.
Step 1: Gather all your CSV files into one single location.
Step 2: Open the Command Prompt and navigate to the location where the CSV files are stored.
Step 3: Run the following command: “copy *.csv into Any_File_Name.csv” and press Enter.
Note: Replace the Any_File_Name.csv with any name of your choice.
Step 4: A new file with the name you provided, combined with all the data, will be created in the same folder where all the CSV files are present.
Limitations of Manually Merging CSV Files
The above two methods provide a no-investment plan for combining your CSV files, but they do have a few major issues that you must be aware of:
- Whether you choose Power Query or Command Prompt, you are very likely to get duplicate data in the final output CSV file.
- Manual methods are more prone to mistakes, leading to unwanted data errors and file damage issues.
- They lack in providing useful data filter options and are inefficient for selective data combining.
- The Power Query is a resource-heavy tool. To combine large data sets, you must have a high configuration system to avoid experiencing Excel crashing issues again & again.
Merge Multiple CSV Files Instantly with an Advanced Tool
When merging CSV files, it’s crucial that the data values for every row and column remain unchanged. Manual methods do not guarantee you this. To merge as many CSV files as you want with original data values, you must try professional software like the Kernel CSV Merge tool.
This CSV file merger allows you to easily convert thousands of large CSV files without any lag. You can add CSV files from different directories, unlike the traditional methods that force you to copy & paste all the files in a single directory. Major advantages of merging multiple CSV files with the automatic CSV merger are:
- Merge CSV into a single worksheet or create a separate Worksheet for every CSV file.
- Support CSV file from all sources, including Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, and other CSV generation tools.
- The tool auto-generates CSV file merge reports and provides shortcuts to quickly navigate to the output file location.
- Provides a user-friendly interface and preserves complete data integrity with guaranteed results.
- Comes with a free trial version that you can download and use to merge multiple files for free, with 25-item limit per CSV file.
Conclusion
Use the methods discussed in the blog and gather all your CSV files into a single file. Choose Excel Power Query tool or Command Prompt according to your needs and merge CSV into a single worksheet. However, remember to take a backup of all your CSV files before you try to merge them. For a limitless and 100% error-free file merging experience, try the Kernel CSV File Merge tool. In addition to merging CSV files, the tool also allows splitting them based on different parameters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ans. CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file is a plain text file that stores tabular data, such as a spreadsheet or database. Each line in the file is a data record, with the fields or data separated by commas. It is a widely used format for transferring data between different programs.
Ans.Unreadable data in Excel often indicates a corrupted file. In such conditions, you might get the “Excel found unreadable content error.” To fix it, try to open it in a simple text file, and if the data is readable, save the file and create a new Excel file from it.
Ans. You can merge multiple CSV files into a single Excel Worksheet with Excel’s Power Query feature or use the Windows Command Prompt. Make sure to back up all your CSV files to avoid any data loss due to human error.
