In your case, installing the three updates from Microsoft—KB907417, KB940602, and KB955466—seems to have resolved the crashing issue.
To help others who might encounter a similar problem, I recommend ensuring that Office 2003 is fully updated. If the issue persists, try running Excel in compatibility mode for an older version of Windows.
Additionally, if the file remains inaccessible or corrupted, consider using Stellar Repair for Excel. It can help repair damaged Excel files and recover important data without altering the original formatting.