Links no longer work

S

Scott D

All of a sudden I can't get a cell to link to another workbook in excel
2007. This has never happened before. It is as if the workbooks are not
seeing each other. not working with existing or new workbooks.
 
G

Gord Dibben

Sounds like you have two instances of Excel running with a workbook in each
instance.

Close one instance and open both workbooks in a single instance.

Should clear the problem.

To prevent two instances..................

Tools>Options>General Uncheck "Ignore Other Applications"

If no joy with that................

Close Excel first and On the Windows Taskbar

1) Start>Run "excel.exe /unregserver"(no quotes)>OK.
2) Start>Run "excel.exe /regserver"(no quotes)>OK.

See the space between exe and /regserver

You might have to designate a full path to excel.exe.

In that case Start>Run "C:\yourpath\excel.exe" /regserver(quotes
required)>OK.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP
 
D

Dave Peterson

Does this mean that existing links no longer update?

Or that you can't create a new link by Copy|paste special|paste link?

If it's the first, if you select the cell with the formula, and hit F2, then
enter, does the cell re-evaluate?

If it's the second, make sure both workbooks are open in the same instance of
excel.
 
S

Scott D

OK, I think I had two instances running but I've never had this problem
before.

Let me explain further...

I have a shortcut to two separate workbooks on my desktop ("checkbook" and
"currently"). I've always opened both files from these shortcuts. Today,
when I opened each workbook, I guess they each opened in a different
instance of excel...I don't think I've changed anything to cause this.

Each month I add a worksheet to the "checkbook" workbook and then switch to
the "currently" workbook via the taskbar. I then select the destination
cell, hit the equal sign, switch back to my new page in the "checkbook"
workbook via the task manager, select the source cell and hit enter. Today
it wouldn't recognize the other workbook. The way I got it to work was to
open the first workbook and then open the second workbook from the recent
documents list from the office/excel button in the first workbook.

Why the change all of a sudden? The only thing peculiar that I can think of
is that along with a lot of people (according to the web) I've had issues
with the DDE after updating windows to sp3. I've had to insert "%1" in the
action part of the file type xlsx, xls and xlsm to allow them to open from a
click on the shortcut located on my desktop, but that was months ago, not
today.

Any thoughts...sorry if this post bounces around.
 
G

Gord Dibben

See my post for fixes.


Gord

OK, I think I had two instances running but I've never had this problem
before.

Let me explain further...

I have a shortcut to two separate workbooks on my desktop ("checkbook" and
"currently"). I've always opened both files from these shortcuts. Today,
when I opened each workbook, I guess they each opened in a different
instance of excel...I don't think I've changed anything to cause this.

Each month I add a worksheet to the "checkbook" workbook and then switch to
the "currently" workbook via the taskbar. I then select the destination
cell, hit the equal sign, switch back to my new page in the "checkbook"
workbook via the task manager, select the source cell and hit enter. Today
it wouldn't recognize the other workbook. The way I got it to work was to
open the first workbook and then open the second workbook from the recent
documents list from the office/excel button in the first workbook.

Why the change all of a sudden? The only thing peculiar that I can think of
is that along with a lot of people (according to the web) I've had issues
with the DDE after updating windows to sp3. I've had to insert "%1" in the
action part of the file type xlsx, xls and xlsm to allow them to open from a
click on the shortcut located on my desktop, but that was months ago, not
today.

Any thoughts...sorry if this post bounces around.
Click to expand...
 
S

Scott D

Gord,
I did what you said. Let me make sure I did it right.

First, I'm using 2007 so I assume Tools>Options>General Uncheck "Ignore
Other Applications" is for 2003.
Instead I went to the office button>advanced>general>Uncheck "Ignore other
applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)" It was already unchecked
in my application.

I then followed your instructions using the run command. I did it two ways.

The first way I did it was just as you wrote...after the first command
executed and opened a fresh instance of excel, I immedately ran the second
comand which opened another fresh instance of excel. I closed both and
checked my files...no fix.

The second way was to run the first command, close excel then run the second
command and close that instance of excel. Checked my files...no fix.

Did I do it right?


Gord Dibben said:
See my post for fixes.


Gord
Click to expand...
 
D

Dave Peterson

It sounds like you did it ok to me.

Does "no fix" mean that you were still running two instances of excel or that
you couldn't get the link to work correctly.

If you close excel (all instances), then open the first workbook, then use
ctrl-o to open the second, does the copy|paste link work ok?

If yes, then the problem is the multiple instances. I don't use xl2007 enough
to know for sure, but I'd do those steps that Gord wrote.

If the link doesn't work in that single instance, then you'll have to share more
info--what are the exact steps you're doing and where does it break down?

Scott said:
Gord,
I did what you said. Let me make sure I did it right.

First, I'm using 2007 so I assume Tools>Options>General Uncheck "Ignore
Other Applications" is for 2003.
Instead I went to the office button>advanced>general>Uncheck "Ignore other
applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)" It was already unchecked
in my application.

I then followed your instructions using the run command. I did it two ways.

The first way I did it was just as you wrote...after the first command
executed and opened a fresh instance of excel, I immedately ran the second
comand which opened another fresh instance of excel. I closed both and
checked my files...no fix.

The second way was to run the first command, close excel then run the second
command and close that instance of excel. Checked my files...no fix.

Did I do it right?
Click to expand...
 
S

Scott D

When I use ctrl-o the link works fine, so it must be multiple instances. I
just can't figure out why it changed by itself. Is there a preference
somewhere that would force single instances all of the time?
 
D

Dave Peterson

Those things that Gord mentioned have fixed it for lots and lots of people. I'd
try them again.

ps. I haven't used it in xl2007 enough to know that it works there, too. But
it's been recommended to lots of xl2007 users and not many have complained that
it didn't fix the problem there.

I'd try it again.
 
S

Scott D

Thanks alot guys!!!

Dave Peterson said:
Those things that Gord mentioned have fixed it for lots and lots of
people. I'd
try them again.

ps. I haven't used it in xl2007 enough to know that it works there, too.
But
it's been recommended to lots of xl2007 users and not many have complained
that
it didn't fix the problem there.

I'd try it again.
Click to expand...
 
G

Gord Dibben

Neither of the commands I gave you should open an instance of Excel.

You should get the installer pop up and "Preparing to install"

Wait a few minutes until it finishes.

Are you entering the full path with quotes as written?


Gord
 
S

Scott D

Gord,

I did it both ways, with the full path and without and in both instances, it
just starts excel. I'm pasting my full path to make sure I entered it
correct.

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\EXCEL.EXE" /unregserver
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\EXCEL.EXE" /regserver
 
S

Scott D

Guys,

I decided to run the repair utility for office and now everything works
again. go figure. thanks for your help.
 
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