I'm accessing an Excel spreadsheet in ASP using ADO. In one of its columns, I have a mixture of Numeric and Alhphanumeric values, but majority of them are Numeric values. The problem is that ADO sets the Data Type of that column as Numeric by-default and hence it ignores all the Alphanumeric values in other rows of the same column. I have also tried the MAXSCANROWS settings in Extended Properties of the Connection String by setting its value to 16, but still it sets the Data Type as Numeric for that column, whereas I need it to be set to Alphanumeric.

Please tell me some possible solutions to this problem.