you could save the Excel file as a .txt file, then import the .txt file.
using the Access import wizard, you have almost complete control of how data
imports from a text file.

hth

If you prefix the values in the Excel cells with an apostrophe ', it
forces them to be treated as text. These Excel VBA functions may help:

Sub AddApostrophesNumericToSelection()
 'adds apostrophes to numeric values only
 Dim C As Excel.Range
 For Each C In
Application.Selection.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeConstants).Cells
   If IsNumeric(C.Formula) Then
     C.Formula = "'" & C.Formula
   End If
 Next
End Sub

Sub AddApostrophesAllToSelection()
 Dim C As Excel.Range
 With ActiveWorkbook.ActiveSheet
   For Each C In Intersect(Selection,
.UsedRange).SpecialCells(xlCellTypeConstants).Cells
     C.Formula = "'" & C.Formula
   Next
 End With
End Sub

Sub AddApostrophesAllToColumn( _
     ByVal TheColumn As Long _
 )
 Dim C As Excel.Range
 With ActiveWorkbook.ActiveSheet
   For Each C In Intersect(.Columns(TheColumn), _
       .UsedRange).SpecialCells(xlCellTypeConstants).Cells
     C.Formula = "'" & C.Formula
   Next
 End With
End Sub

Sub RemoveApostrophes()
 Dim C As Excel.Range
 For Each C In Application.Selection.Cells
   C.Formula = C.Formula
 Next
End Sub

--
John Nurick [Microsoft Access MVP]

Please respond in the newgroup and not by email.

Have you tried clicking on the "Advanced" button just before the
wizard finishes and setting the data type to text there?