I have linked an Excel workbook to a flexgrid using a data control, the workbook is a 3rd party's and is updated by their scada system, the problem is all of the columns have got "general format" and one of the columns has a mixture of number only and alpha numeric, if the data in row 1 of this column is only numeric none of the alpha numeric is displayed in the flexgrid, this also works the other way, if the data in row 1 is text then none of the numeric data is displayed within my flexgrid. I can get around this by formatting the column as text, then deleting the cells within this column and then pasting them back, but I will not get access to the workbook when in operation. Is there anything I can do, taking inot consideration that I will not have access to the Excel?