Karl,

This is normal. This gets to the data "type," which determines how stuff is
stored. Unlike Excel, which is downright anal about text vs number data
types for storing in cells, Access often uses the text type to store
numbers, unless specific number formatting is needed (currency, etc), and
will still perform arithmetic operations on them. Excel usually won't.
Your zip code field in Access was likely set up as the text type, and so
came into Excel as text, on which Excel's number formatting has no effect.
By converting them to the number type, the Excel number formats could take
control if the presentation of the numbers.

--
Earl Kiosterud
www.smokeylake.com
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"Karl H" wrote in message
...

One problem I had after exporting Access zip code as text to an Excel file
was being unable to have the Zip Code format go to Excel.

I solved the problem by highlighting the Zip Code fields/Format cells,
selected number, and the diagonal yellow warning sign gave the option of
"number stored as text" or "convert to Number." I chose, "Convert to
Number."

Only after converting to "Number" would the data format correctly by
selecting: Format Cells/Special category/Zip + 4