Linked table data formats differ for same information

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I am trying to create queries from linked tables that read their information from an Oracle db where all the fields are formatted to text. Thus numbers are formatted as text in the Oracle db.
Problem I have is that Access looks at the field content and then decides what format it is going to allocate to the field in the linked access table. That would be well and good if Access allocated the format consistently, but unfortunately I have a case where I need to join on three fields where these three fields from the two different tables to be linked have the identical field names and formats in oracle and yet once they are linked tables in Access the three fields are text, text, number and text, number, number respectively. When I try and join on the three fields the query naturally complains.
Why does Access behave that way and is there a way in which one could get a consistent format for the fields in access linked table?.
Any suggestions appreciated.

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I’ve never linked to an Oracle table, but what you are describing is typical of trying to link to an Excel spreadsheet. I’ve linked to SQL Server tables, and they link based on the datatype of the fields, not the content.

Can you modify the Input Specification when you link?

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