[AccessD] Excel Linked Table – “Sharing” Problem

All,

We have an existing Excel file that I would like to use as an Access Linked Table in order to provide easier access to the data for our users.

I built a small Access 2007 application with several reports that the users really like.   

One user will still need to use Excel to make updates to the data as they have for the past 10 years.  They do not want to give up this approach.

If Excel is opened first, the Access application works fine.

However, if Access is opened first (with the Excel file as a linked table), Excel does not open nicely and we see this message. 

“Excel cannot open the file ‘Test.xlsx’ because the file format or the file extension is not valid.  Verify that the file has not been corrupted and that the file extension matches the format of the file.”

Evidently, when Access opens the Excel file as a Linked Table it does something to “lock” the file or something along these lines. 

Is there a way to prevent this?

Thanks,
Brad