I am trying to read a data set into Amelia (I am a first time user!) but failing. My computer runs Windows 2000 Professional. I have saved the data as a Microsoft Excel 2.1 file named ssri.xls. The data set has 20 variables with a total of 498 observations that are a pooled data set of five different products. When I try to input the file I type C:\ssri.xls which resides in the C:\ drive noting the initial problems I had experienced with even trying to run Amelia itself from folders with longer names (at least I ran the example with sample.asc and it worked!). When I type enter, I get a message that reads as follows: C:\DOCUM~1\Eric\LOCALS~1\Temp\dload$$$.fmt' exit status 3 Error: Program was unable to read file contents. Please check instructions to make sure input is of correct type. I know this may have happened to someone else but having gone through the threads in the archives of the listserv, I was not able to see this addressed (and did not find it in the FAQs). Is it a problem that's unique to me? Thanks for your time and answering the query. Eric. Eric A. Akunda Doctoral Student (Marketing) Kenan-Flagler Business School University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill CB # 3490 McColl Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3490 Tel: 919-962-0783 Voice: 919-918-1222 Fax: 919-962-7186 Email: eric_akunda(a)unc.edu <mailto:eric_akunda@unc.edu>