Bugs with linked spreadsheets

[Sam_Attenborough]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel Hi all,

I'm converting from 2004 to 2008 and I've hit a couple of bugs - one of which I can workaround - but I can't solve the other.

FIRST BUG
Basically, I have a Word document with a number of embedded Excel charts in them. I supply the Word document to my customers with specific data related to their needs.

Under 2004 I would update the Excel file that contains all the linked charts and then open the Word document - I would get the usual "This document contains one or more links to other files. Do you want to update this document with the data from the linked files?" I click yes and then the Word document is updated.

Under 2008 I am hitting problems getting this to happen. After a bit of investigation, I simplified the situation and here's what's happening:

1) I created a simple chart using Excel 2008
2) Open Word 2008, create a new document and paste in the chart (linked to Excel data)
3) Change data in the chart, the Word version updates fine.
4) Close the Word file and reopen. Change the Excel chart, the Word chart stays the same.
5) Select "Edit Links..." from the Word menu and then select the chart and then click "Update Now". The chart updates. So far so good.
6) I want the charts to update automatically so I click the "Automatic" button.
7) When I now click the Update Now button I get the following error message " The linked file is not available. Use the Edit Links to Files command to find the file."

The link is now broken, it won't update and I can't get it back using "Break Link" or "Change source" etc. Interestingly, the path associated with the linked file seems to corrupt when I click automatic. It changes from:

iMac HD:Users:samesktop:Test2.xlsx

to

file://localhost/Test2.xlsx or sometimes

/Users/sam/Desktop/Test2.xlsx

which obviously isn't going to work as these pathnames are incorrect.

Any ideas anyone?

SECOND BUG
The second bug applied to 2004 too and I'd forgotten about it. If you have special characters in in your pathname then this can cause problems with linked files. My hard disk was called "Sam 27" iMac" and this caused problems until I removed the double quote from the name.

I have the latest updates to Office installed.

Thanks in advance for any help

Sam

 

[Sam_Attenborough]

UPDATE

I thought I would try a complete reinstall of Office 2008 to see if this would deal with the problem. There is a difference - in stage 6) when I click "Automatic" the "Update now" button now works.

I thought I had solved the problem - but when I saved and closed the files and re-opened them the problem came back and I got the error message again.

 

[John_McGhie_[MVP]]

I'll pop that in to Microsoft for you.

Cheers

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel
Hi all,

I'm converting from 2004 to 2008 and I've hit a couple of bugs - one of which
I can workaround - but I can't solve the other.

FIRST BUG
Basically, I have a Word document with a number of embedded Excel charts in
them. I supply the Word document to my customers with specific data related to
their needs.

Under 2004 I would update the Excel file that contains all the linked charts
and then open the Word document - I would get the usual "This document
contains one or more links to other files. Do you want to update this document
with the data from the linked files?" I click yes and then the Word document
is updated.

Under 2008 I am hitting problems getting this to happen. After a bit of
investigation, I simplified the situation and here's what's happening:

1) I created a simple chart using Excel 2008
2) Open Word 2008, create a new document and paste in the chart (linked to
Excel data)
3) Change data in the chart, the Word version updates fine.
4) Close the Word file and reopen. Change the Excel chart, the Word chart
stays the same.
5) Select "Edit Links..." from the Word menu and then select the chart and
then click "Update Now". The chart updates. So far so good.
6) I want the charts to update automatically so I click the "Automatic"
button.
7) When I now click the Update Now button I get the following error message "
The linked file is not available. Use the Edit Links to Files command to find
the file."

The link is now broken, it won't update and I can't get it back using "Break
Link" or "Change source" etc. Interestingly, the path associated with the
linked file seems to corrupt when I click automatic. It changes from:

iMac HD:Users:samesktop:Test2.xlsx

to

file://localhost/Test2.xlsx or sometimes

/Users/sam/Desktop/Test2.xlsx

which obviously isn't going to work as these pathnames are incorrect.

Any ideas anyone?

SECOND BUG
The second bug applied to 2004 too and I'd forgotten about it. If you have
special characters in in your pathname then this can cause problems with
linked files. My hard disk was called "Sam 27" iMac" and this caused problems
until I removed the double quote from the name.

I have the latest updates to Office installed.

Thanks in advance for any help

Sam

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410 | mailto:[email protected]

 

[John_McGhie_[MVP]]

BTW: /Users/sam/Desktop/Test2.xlsx is correct, that SHOULD work. You're on
Unix now: forward slashes

Cheers

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel
Hi all,

I'm converting from 2004 to 2008 and I've hit a couple of bugs - one of which
I can workaround - but I can't solve the other.

FIRST BUG
Basically, I have a Word document with a number of embedded Excel charts in
them. I supply the Word document to my customers with specific data related to
their needs.

Under 2004 I would update the Excel file that contains all the linked charts
and then open the Word document - I would get the usual "This document
contains one or more links to other files. Do you want to update this document
with the data from the linked files?" I click yes and then the Word document
is updated.

Under 2008 I am hitting problems getting this to happen. After a bit of
investigation, I simplified the situation and here's what's happening:

1) I created a simple chart using Excel 2008
2) Open Word 2008, create a new document and paste in the chart (linked to
Excel data)
3) Change data in the chart, the Word version updates fine.
4) Close the Word file and reopen. Change the Excel chart, the Word chart
stays the same.
5) Select "Edit Links..." from the Word menu and then select the chart and
then click "Update Now". The chart updates. So far so good.
6) I want the charts to update automatically so I click the "Automatic"
button.
7) When I now click the Update Now button I get the following error message "
The linked file is not available. Use the Edit Links to Files command to find
the file."

The link is now broken, it won't update and I can't get it back using "Break
Link" or "Change source" etc. Interestingly, the path associated with the
linked file seems to corrupt when I click automatic. It changes from:

iMac HD:Users:samesktop:Test2.xlsx

to

file://localhost/Test2.xlsx or sometimes

/Users/sam/Desktop/Test2.xlsx

which obviously isn't going to work as these pathnames are incorrect.

Any ideas anyone?

SECOND BUG
The second bug applied to 2004 too and I'd forgotten about it. If you have
special characters in in your pathname then this can cause problems with
linked files. My hard disk was called "Sam 27" iMac" and this caused problems
until I removed the double quote from the name.

I have the latest updates to Office installed.

Thanks in advance for any help

Sam

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410 | mailto:[email protected]

 

[Sam_Attenborough]

Many thanks John,

What happens when you submit something to Microsoft - do we get any feedback?

Cheers

Sam

 

[John_McGhie_[MVP]]

Usually not, no. Sometimes I will get a ³Fixed in next version² indication,
but usually not.

³Fixed in next version² means they have already fixed and tested the issue,
and the new code will be distributed with the next version of the product.

Usually, they simply enter the defect into the database. The coders are
not working on ³whole products², they are working on ³modules². They do not
know which products those modules are going to end up in, or in which
versions.

Cheers

Many thanks John,

What happens when you submit something to Microsoft - do we get any feedback?

Cheers

Sam

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]