# Choose another app

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-another-app/938916>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 28, 2021, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-another-app/938916 "2021-03-28T19:04:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2021, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-another-app/938916/1 "2021-03-28T19:04:24Z")

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I am trying to open a report. It downloaded as an HTML file. I click ‘open with’ and then ‘choose another app’ but my very common app is not listed. (excel)

I click to find another app, but takes to standard folders, not apps or anywhere I can choose an app.

Tried in vain tp get to Microsoft\>office and find excel but no love.

I hate computers. It will let me open with Word and and bunch of other stuff I couldnt imagine wanting to open with. Why won’t it list Excel as an option?

Help!!

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**Author:** ![Acierocolotl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acierocolotl/32/6241_2.png) [@Acierocolotl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acierocolotl)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2021, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-another-app/938916/2 "2021-03-28T19:52:42Z")

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Excel doesn’t do HTML files.

For the same reason that web browers don’t really do Excel files.

If the webpage shows the data as a table, you may be able to copy it and paste it directly into a new spreadsheet.

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**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2021, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-another-app/938916/3 "2021-03-28T22:01:43Z")

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In other words, open it with a browser first, not with Excel.

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**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2021, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-another-app/938916/4 "2021-03-29T04:41:08Z")

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If it’s an HTML table that you want in Excel, you can also select “Data” → “From Web” and then paste in the URL which contains the table or tables you wish to import. If it recognizes the html elements properly, it will show you available objects, including the table(s). Select table you want and Load or Transform as desired.

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**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2021, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-another-app/938916/5 "2021-03-29T18:30:05Z")

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Is it possible you downloaded the wrong thing? Sometimes when you see something online, like a report, or table, or picture, or video, if you try to download it as you see it you end up downloading the whole page, or part of the page, and it isn’t meant to be viewed outside of a web browser. It was designed to work on that web site and nowhere else. And you might see that content as HTML as a result. Often there is a special download link to get the item in a more portable version.