Clean Excel String Import

Job ID: 40166589

Budget: $10 – $30 USD

I have an Excel workbook full of text strings that include assorted special characters. Before I can load this data into another application, every special character must be swapped for an underscore (_) so the import runs without errors while the alphanumeric content stays intact.

Here is what I need from you:

• An automated, repeat-able method (VBA macro, Power Query step, or a formula-driven approach—whichever you prefer) that scans every relevant column, detects any character outside the standard A-Z, a-z, 0-9 set, and replaces it with an underscore.
• The solution must leave numbers and letters untouched, preserve existing cell formatting, and work on future files that follow the same layout.
• A brief note or inline comments so I can understand or tweak the logic later.

I’ll supply a sample sheet right away. Once the transformed file imports cleanly on my side, I’ll sign off.
Related categories: Visual Basic Data Processing Data Entry Excel PDF Word