From my experience I know that if excel file contains formulas or special formatting or different format in the very same column, then all native VFP commands like append from ... xls, import from..xls do not work properly or give hardly understandable message errors. In those situations I use Excel Automation to create a plain xls file (Pastespecial), then I can use VFP commands without problems.

Try and let me know whether it helps.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>your message below
Cyndy:
The following codes that I had been use for a long time. This month the user changed the format of the source from lotus file to xls file. I changed the file type to xls in append from command and the problem started.

CREATE CURSOR import (batch N(5), handler N(3), inv_date D, ag_id C(6), ;
eff_date D, exp_date D, in_name C(35), pl_num C(13), cs_id N(3), ;
hist N(1), tran N(1), type C(5), commpd N(8,2), commrecd N(8,2), ;
period C(6), co_id N(3), UNUSED1 N(8,2), UNUSED2 N(8,2),UNUSED3 N(8,2),;
premium N(8,2), POL_FEE N(4),MISC_FEE N(8,2),TAX222 N(6,2), TAX555 N(6,2))

SELECT Import
APPEND FROM &FileName TYPE XLS

I did check out the source file and it is not empty file. thanks.
sherry