Old links in XL

[Ken_Hosking]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I have a number of files that retain old and unwanted links, but XL refuses to break the links when using <edit_links_break links>

I am fairly certain that the links which refuse to be removed refer to old files which have been deleted from my computer, but I have not been to every file to check this.

It seems to me that there is a real weakness in Excel in that it is not immediately possible to identify the cell or cells that are involved in linking, especially with large spreadsheets. If the cell could be accessed readily it would seem to be easy to delete the linkage.

Inability to break the links is not apparently detrimental to the spreadsheet, but it is annoying to be told every time that the spreadsheet opens that links are present but which cannot be removed.

System details are: OS 10.5.5, XL 2004 11.5.2 (but the problem has been around long before these updates, probably dating back at least to Excel for X or earlier)

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I have a number of files that retain old and unwanted links, but XL refuses to
break the links when using <edit_links_break links>

I am fairly certain that the links which refuse to be removed refer to old
files which have been deleted from my computer, but I have not been to every
file to check this.

It seems to me that there is a real weakness in Excel in that it is not
immediately possible to identify the cell or cells that are involved in
linking, especially with large spreadsheets. If the cell could be accessed
readily it would seem to be easy to delete the linkage.

Inability to break the links is not apparently detrimental to the spreadsheet,
but it is annoying to be told every time that the spreadsheet opens that links
are present but which cannot be removed.

System details are: OS 10.5.5, XL 2004 11.5.2 (but the problem has been around
long before these updates, probably dating back at least to Excel for X or
earlier)

Links are not only in cell formulas. Things that can refer to other
workbooks and therefore are links are: defined names, menu commands,
buttons, macros assigned to objects. Depending on the source of your
workbook, any or all of these may be causing the links message.

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I have a number of files that retain old and unwanted links, but XL refuses
to break the links when using <edit_links_break links>

I am fairly certain that the links which refuse to be removed refer to old
files which have been deleted from my computer, but I have not been to every
file to check this.

It seems to me that there is a real weakness in Excel in that it is not
immediately possible to identify the cell or cells that are involved in
linking, especially with large spreadsheets. If the cell could be accessed
readily it would seem to be easy to delete the linkage.

Inability to break the links is not apparently detrimental to the
spreadsheet, but it is annoying to be told every time that the spreadsheet
opens that links are present but which cannot be removed.

System details are: OS 10.5.5, XL 2004 11.5.2 (but the problem has been
around long before these updates, probably dating back at least to Excel for
X or earlier)

Since you're using XL04, you can use Bill Manville's excellent FindLink
add-in found here:

http://www.bmsltd.co.uk/MVP/

 

[Ken_Hosking]

Thanks for the advice: I downloaded FindLink and tried it on an XL file with mysterious links that I had not been able to delete. FindLink found a number of links to files that I did not even know existed and which were not shown when I went to Edit>links>. I believe that these links may have come into being as a result of copying data from files sent to me by others, although I always adopt the practice of copying values rather than formulae. However it did not find the one and only file that was shown in Edit>Links! I tried changing the source of the link to a random file that I knew was in memory, and after doing so FindLink identified the remaining links and was able to remove them.

While the workaround appears to be effective, I fail to understand why Microsoft have not dealt with this issue long ago, as it seems to be a common complaint among almost any XL user that I have spoken to.