File definition error messages in SPSS

If you get something like the below in the SPSS output window

“>Error # 100.  Command name: COMPUTE
> >This command is not permitted before the beginning of file definition
> >commands.
> >This command not executed”.

simply either open a data file or manually insert a data point e.g. a '1' in the upper left corner cell in the empty spreadsheet .sav file. SPSS will only run syntax if there is at least one data point in its current spreadsheet file.