| Author |
Message |
    
Paul Surovell
Citizen
Username: Paulsurovell
Post Number: 192
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 1, 2004 - 1:05 am: |     |
Someone sent me an Excel file that was linked to another worksheet in his computer. Whenever I open the file, a message appears:
"The workbook you opened contains automatic links to information in another workbook. Do you want to update this workbook with changes made to the other workbook? YES NO"
Does anyone know how to delete the automatic links so that this message will stop appearing?
Thanks,
Paul Surovell
973-763-9493 |
sac
Citizen
Username: Sac
Post Number: 1209
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 1, 2004 - 8:11 am: | |
I had this problem at work and my help desk provided some kind of add-in tool to Excel that helped track down the references. However, I no longer have that and I'm not sure how to find it again. Have you tried Googling on "Excel Automatic Links" or some other keywords in the message to see if you can find it? (Or searching in the MS Knowledge Base.)
I think that it is a major omission on Microsoft's part that the logic that displays that error message can't also provide a button or menu option (ideally right on the error window) that allows you to display the offending cell references.
If you find the addin or some other solution online, please post back as I run into this from time to time and would love to have it also. I usually just resort to brute force searching cell-by-cell for the reference. (Not fun!)
Good luck! |
kdm
Citizen
Username: Kdm
Post Number: 18
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 8, 2004 - 12:57 pm: | |
Assuming there aren't too many links, I would:
1) Find the cells which have the links (ctl-` will show you all the formulas in all the cells in a sheet - the ` is next the "1" on keyboard).
2) Copy the cells which have links
3) Paste Special - values only - over top of the same cells you are copying |
kdm
Citizen
Username: Kdm
Post Number: 19
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 8, 2004 - 1:02 pm: | |
Forgot to add - the links could hidden in "Names"
If the creator of the file Named any cells, then you have to copy/paste special any cells that reference those Names. Then go to menu Insert/Name/Define and delete any Names which are linked to other workbooks. |
jonnyb120
Citizen
Username: Jonnyb120
Post Number: 7
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, July 8, 2004 - 1:53 pm: | |
If you have excel 2002, there is another option. In this version of excel, there is an option under edit/links to break the link (and replace with values). It does not tell you which cell(s) had links. |
sac
Citizen
Username: Sac
Post Number: 1345
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, July 8, 2004 - 3:33 pm: | |
If they bothered to put in this option to break the links, why the h*** couldn't they give us an option to just id the offending cells so that the user could make their own decision about breaking or adjusting them?
I'm still using an older version, but hearing this just raises my ire at MS even more. Obviously they were trying to address the problem so they know it exists. But it doesn't sound like a very smart solution. |
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