MS Query Date Format

I am having a problem passing a date parameter to MS Query.
Ultimately I want the parameter to be picked up from the Excel spreadsheet but for the moment I can't even get it working in MS Query.

In MS Query I create a new criteria with a value of [startdate] so that when I execute it prompt me for the date. When I enter the date it refuses to accept it, regardless of format. The error message depends on the format I use. Since it is an Oracle database I get one of the following:

- ORA-01843 Not a valid month
- ORA-01858 a non numeric character was found where a numeric was expected
- ORA-01861 lieral does not match format string

If I enter a date directly in the criteria value field it works fine, e.g. #10/10/2005#.
I have tried with and without the # in the prompt, plus I have tried every conceivable date format and it won't accept it.
Of course it must be something to do with the fact that the underlying database is Oracle but I just don't know how I can get round it. (I tried DD-MON-RR, of course, which is the Oracle date format).

Any ideas??

Thanks.

I have the same issue in excel 2007, was there a resolution to this issue?