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Q183496: XADM: Importing International Characters Into Exchange Fails

Article: Q183496
Product(s): Microsoft Exchange
Version(s): WINDOWS:5.0,5.5
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 08-APR-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 5.0, 5.5 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When you try to import a CSV file with international characters via the Exchange
directory import, the characters will be replaced with symbols or incorrect
characters.

CAUSE
=====

The CSV file was created using MS-DOS text, which uses the IBM PC Extended
Character Set (ECS). The Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator program uses
the Standard ANSI character set, which is incompatible with ECS.

MORE INFORMATION
================

MS-DOS uses the IBM PC Extended Character Set, or ECS for short. The lower 128
values are the same as the ASCII character set, but values 128-255 map into the
European characters differently from other character sets, including those used
in Windows.

Unfortunately, the ANSI character set is incompatible with the ECS character set
used by DOS. For example, the British pound symbol is code 163 in ANSI, but code
156 in ECS. Likewise, ANSI does not include many of the ECS symbols,
particularly the line drawing characters. If you try to display a DOS document
in Windows, Windows attempts to convert the ECS characters to ANSI. Any
character that does not convert is replaced by an arbitrary graphic. Therefore a
round-trip conversion from DOS to Windows and back will not re-create the
original document.

If you are using Visual Basic to create CSV files from MS-DOS text, you can refer
to the following Knowledge Base article to understand how to convert between the
MS-DOS and ANSI character set used by Microsoft Exchange:

  Q75857 How to Print the ASCII Character Set in Visual Basic

This article shows you how to use the OEM_Fixed font to print the ECS character
set. Simple modifications to this program can print out the Windows ANSI
character set.

Additional query words: batch import export random bimport code page

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbExchangeSearch kbExchange500 kbExchange550 kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0,5.5
Issue type        : kbprb

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