It can be handy to know how to open a dataset once you’re already in SPSS, using the drop down menus.  

So far we've learned how to open an SPSS file when we first open SPSS.  But sometimes you might already have SPSS open and wish to open a(nother) data file.  Later on we will talk about how to use syntax files to work in SPSS, starting with opening data, but for now, here's how to open a file using the menus:

Click on the File menu at the top left of your Data Editor window, then Open > Data … :

Here you can navigate to your working folder and open your data file.