Some info:

XL: Error Message: Too Many Different Cell Formats
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=213904

A few people have posted that they could open the file in OpenOffice, then
remove some of the formatting, save it and then excel would open that file ok.

http://www.openoffice.org, a 60-65 meg download or a CD

Abdur wrote:

can not open a specific excel file, too many different cell formats message
appears on my screen. the file contians about 85 work sheets

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Dave Peterson