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Save and export Minitab projects and worksheets

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Save all project-related information in a Minitab project file. To export data from a project, save a Minitab worksheet separately from the project. You can export data to a different application by saving a Minitab worksheet as an Excel file, text file, or web page (HTML).

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Save a Minitab project

When you save a project, the file includes all the information about your work, including worksheets, output, history of your session, and dialog box settings. To save a Minitab project file, choose File > Save Project or File > Save Project As. When you open the project, Minitab automatically saves a backup file of your project file (BAK).

To protect project files from unauthorized viewing or editing, choose File > File Security and set the file security options.

Note

With the release of Minitab 19 and tabbed output, Minitab saves projects as MPX files. You cannot open MPX files in versions of Minitab that do not support tabbed output.

Save a Minitab worksheet (export data)

To export data from a project, you can save a Minitab worksheet separately from the project.

  1. With the worksheet active, choose File > Save Worksheet As.
  2. Browse to a location for the file and enter a name in File name.
  3. In Save as type, select the type of file.
    • Minitab (MWX): Contains all the information in the Minitab worksheet. You cannot print or edit a Minitab worksheet file outside of Minitab. You can send a Minitab worksheet file to a Minitab user without sending the entire project. With the release of Minitab 19 and tabbed output, if you don't specify an extension, .MWX is automatically added to the worksheet name. Earlier versions of Minitab use .MTW. You cannot save worksheets as .MTW files in versions of Minitab that do not support tabbed output.
    • Text (ANSI) or CSV (ANSI) (text files): Use text files to transfer the data between Minitab and other applications. You can import text files into many applications. You can save text files using either ANSI (sometimes called ASCII) or Unicode encoding. ANSI is the older standard. Unicode was developed to represent more characters and to be independent of the user's locale. Some older applications might support only ANSI.
    • Excel (*.xlsx) or Spreadsheet XML (*.xml): Save the data in an Excel file.
    • Web Page (*.htm; *.html): Save the data in an html file.
  4. Click Save.
Note

When you save a worksheet in a format other than a Minitab worksheet, stored constants and matrices are lost.

Save to a cloud location

When you use the web app, you can select a cloud location to store your projects. Choose either Microsoft OneDrive® or Google Drive™, and Minitab will autosave your file as you make changes.

When you open a local copy of a file, autosave is disabled until you perform an action in Minitab. Also, you can choose File > Save a Copy to save your file to a cloud location.

Download a copy

You can download a copy of your project in the web app. Choose File > Download a Copy to download your Minitab project to your local machine.

Import Minitab data into Microsoft Access

To import data into Access, first save the Minitab worksheet as an Excel file. Then, import the Excel file into Access.

  1. Save the worksheet that contains the data as an Excel file.
    1. In Minitab, choose File > Save Worksheet As.
    2. Browse to a location for the file, and enter a name in File name.
    3. From Save as type, choose Excel (*.xlsx).
    4. Click Save.
  2. Import the Excel file into Access. Refer to the Access Help for details.

Share Minitab project

In the web app, you can share your project through either Microsoft OneDrive® or Google Drive™. If you have already specified a repository location, click Share in the upper-right corner of Minitab to share your file with colleagues. Use the settings in Microsoft OneDrive® or Google Drive™ to specify if other users can edit or only view your file.

How Minitab represents date/time data when you save the data in a non-Minitab format

When you save your worksheet as a text file, Minitab saves date/time data in the same format in which it is displayed in the worksheet. Thus, if you have date/time data that is displayed in the format mm/dd/yyyy, then only the date is saved and not the time data, which is not displayed.

When you save your worksheet as a file type other than text, Minitab saves all the date/time information. For example, if dates in a column are displayed in the format mm/dd/yyyy and you save the worksheet as an Excel file, when you open that file in Excel, your spreadsheet will include both the date and time information: mm/dd/yyyy h:mm.ss.ss.

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