I'm using Windows 8. I created file 'weird1.txt' (attached) from an Excel worksheet using "save as Unicode Text (*.txt)". And this happened when I used Python 3.3.3 (v3.3.3:c3896275c0f6, Nov 18 2013, 21:19:30) [MSC v.1600 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32:

>>> handle = open('weird1.txt'); handle.readline()
'ÿþ>\x00P\x006\x004\x00;\x00Y\x00A\x00L\x000\x000\x001\x00C\x00;\x00T\x00F\x00C\x003\x00;\x00 \x00S\x00G\x00D\x00I\x00D\x00:\x00S\x000\x000\x000\x000\x000\x000\x000\x000\x001\x00,\x00 \x00C\x00h\x00r\x00 \x00I\x00 \x00f\x00r\x00o\x00m\x00 \x001\x005\x001\x000\x000\x006\x00-\x001\x004\x007\x005\x009\x004\x00,\x001\x005\x001\x001\x006\x006\x00-\x001\x005\x001\x000\x009\x007\x00,\x00 \x00r\x00e\x00v\x00e\x00r\x00s\x00e\x00 \x00c\x00o\x00m\x00p\x00l\x00e\x00m\x00e\x00n\x00t\x00,\x00 \x00V\x00e\x00r\x00i\x00f\x00i\x00e\x00d\x00 \x00O\x00R\x00F\x00,\x00 \x00"\x00L\x00a\x00r\x00g\x00e\x00s\x00t\x00 \x00o\x00f\x00 \x00s\x00i\x00x\x00 \x00s\x00u\x00b\x00u\x00n\x00i\x00t\x00s\x00 \x00o\x00f\x00 \x00t\x00h\x00e\x00 \x00R\x00N\x00A\x00 \x00p\x00o\x00l\x00y\x00m\x00e\x00r\x00a\x00s\x00e\x00 \x00I\x00I\x00I\x00 \x00t\x00r\x00a\x00n\x00s\x00c\x00r\x00i\x00p\x00t\x00i\x00o\x00n\x00 \x00i\x00n\x00i\x00t\x00i\x00a\x00t\x00i\x00o\x00n\x00 \x00f\x00a\x00c\x00t\x00o\x00r\x00 \x00c\x00o\x00m\x00p\x00l\x00e\x00x\x00 \x00(\x00T\x00F\x00I\x00I\x00I\x00C\x00)\x00;\x00 \x00p\x00a\x00r\x00t\x00 \x00o\x00f\x00 \x00t\x00h\x00e\x00 \x00T\x00a\x00u\x00B\x00 \x00d\x00o\x00m\x00a\x00i\x00n\x00 \x00o\x00f\x00 \x00T\x00F\x00I\x00I\x00I\x00C\x00 \x00t\x00h\x00a\x00t\x00 \x00b\x00i\x00n\x00d\x00s\x00 \x00D\x00N\x00A\x00 \x00a\x00t\x00 \x00t\x00h\x00e\x00 \x00B\x00o\x00x\x00B\x00 \x00p\x00r\x00o\x00m\x00o\x00t\x00e\x00r\x00 \x00s\x00i\x00t\x00e\x00s\x00 \x00o\x00f\x00 \x00t\x00R\x00N\x00A\x00 \x00a\x00n\x00d\x00 \x00s\x00i\x00m\x00i\x00l\x00a\x00r\x00 \x00g\x00e\x00n\x00e\x00s\x00;\x00 \x00c\x00o\x00o\x00p\x00e\x00\n'

Then I opened 'weird1.txt' in Notepad++ 6.5.2, created file 'weird2.txt' by copying the whole content of 'weird1.txt' into a new file and saved it in Notepad++ 6.5.2 (I wanted to attach 'weird2.txt' but only one attachment is allowed), and this happened:

>>> handle = open('weird2.txt'); handle.readline()
'>P64;YAL001C;TFC3; SGDID:S000000001, Chr I from 151006-147594,151166-151097, reverse complement, Verified ORF, "Largest of six subunits of the RNA polymerase III transcription initiation factor complex (TFIIIC); part of the TauB domain of TFIIIC that binds DNA at the BoxB promoter sites of tRNA and similar genes; coope\n'

I can't see any difference between the contents of 'weird1.txt' and 'weird2.txt' using Notepad++ or the Windows Notepad. Maybe some experts could tell me what's going on here?