This seems to be a very specific problem so I will give exact steps on how to
reproduce the problem.

1. Open a new blank xls
2. Make sure error checking is on and specifically the option for "Numbers
stored as text." (Tools, Options, Error Checking)
2. Format columns A-C as Text
3. Right-Align column B - (this is key)
4. Enter 1234 in cell A1
5. Enter 5678 in cell A2
6. Enter 9999 in cell C1 and notice with each number entered the green
triangle appears indicating error checking.
7. Enter 1234 in cell D1
8. Now format cell D1 as Text and notice no error checking even though it is
number stored as text.
9. Copy cell D1 to cell B2 and still no green triangle
10. Save the file as Formatted Text (Space Delimited) (*.prn)
11. Now open the .prn file in NotePad and notice how column B is not aligned.
12. It seems that cells that are right-aligned and have the error checking
triangle will be shifted to the left one space so that they are not aligned
anymore.
13. Using the formula =cell("type",B1) shows that the cell with error
checking is "l" which means it contains a text constant and =cell("type",B2)
is "v".
14. Obviously they are treated differently which you can even see opening
the .xls in NotePad. Cells with error checking internally are stored
different than the cells without the error checking triangle.
15. However, both cells look the same in Excel and should therefore save
the same when saved as a prn file.
16. One fix is to highlight column B after the paste and then click Data,
Text to Columns, Finish.
17. Is this situation known and/or is there a fix?

Ryan