Repost:Problems with external references

5

50pingviner

Hi,

I have a worksheet full of external references to other worksheets on
network drives.

I have recently updated to excel 2003 and now when I open the workbook,
the links point to somewhere on my harddrive (c-drive).

How do I get the sheet to point to the network when I open the
workbook?.. I still have access to the files on the network.

It changes the links on old as well as new files.. any time I set up an
external reference, it changes it next time I open the workbook.

I have previously used synchronization on my files, which might affect
the links, as they are copied down on my hard drive, but now I have
switched of synchronization and it still changes the links on new
files.

The consequence is that I cant work in the files, because if I save
them, I completely mess up the links for everybody else.

It is not possible to edit the links in the cells because the contain
formulas so long, that excel cant change the link sources...it says
"cant change link, the formula is too long".

But more importantly I dont want to edit the links because it does it
every time I open the sheet and I dont have time to change links on
every network sheet i open during the days as there are many links and
I work in a lot of different network sheets.

I hope someone can help me.

~Lars
 
D

Dave Peterson

Just something to try--no promises...

Copy all the current files that are linked to the location in your c: drive that
the links point to.

Now open up that "master" workbook.
and open up the c: drive versions of the workbooks that are linked to.

Save each of the C: drive versions of the workbooks to the network drive. (I
always had better luck saving the UNC path
(\\server\sharname\folder\filename.xls) rather than using the mapped drive path
(N:\folder\filename.xls).

Close each of these files. The "master" workbook should have links pointing to
the network folder. Save that where you want.

===
Why did it happen? I have no idea. But when it's happened to me, I could
always retrace my steps to see it was my fault. But it's difficult to know for
sure when it happens to other people.
 
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