Automatic Links in Excel 2003

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Bernie - 16 Dec 2003 14:16 GMT

We have recently upgraded from Office 2000 to Office 2003. When opening an Excel workbook in Excel 2003 (document created when we were using Excel 2000) and adding a new worksheet (eg summary sheet), and creating links through to cells on other sheets within the workbook, the links are not updating automatically. I have selected 'Automatic' in Tools, Options, Calculations. I have also got update 'Automatic' selected in Edit, Links.
Pressing F9 doesn't help. The only way to update the links is to close the document and re-open it (clicking on 'Update Links' when the option box appears), or, clicking in the cell that has not updated correctly, and pressing return
Why are the links not updating automatically
Can anyone help?

Reply to this Message

Nick Hodge - 16 Dec 2003 19:17 GMT

Bernie

I've not noticed this behaviour, but XL 2003 has to update all calculations
when it opens and you try to close a file created in an earlier version. If
you save the file as a 2003 file, does that help?

Signature

HTH
Nick Hodge
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Southampton, England
nick_hodgeTAKETHISOUT@zen.co.uk.ANDTHIS

> We have recently upgraded from Office 2000 to Office 2003. When
> opening an Excel workbook in Excel 2003 (document created when we
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> Why are the links not updating automatically?
> Can anyone help?

Reply to this Message

Bill Manville - 16 Dec 2003 23:50 GMT

> When opening an Excel workbook in Excel 2003 (document created when we were using Excel 2000)
> and adding a new worksheet (eg summary sheet), and creating links through to cells on other
> sheets within the workbook, the links are not updating automatically.

> I have selected 'Automatic' in Tools, Options, Calculations.
> I have also got update 'Automatic' selected in Edit, Links.

The first was wise.
The second was unnecessary since the links are internal to the workbook and so are
not covered by Edit / Links (just external links there).

> The only way to update the links is to close the document and re-open it
> (clicking on 'Update Links' when the option box appears), or,
> clicking in the cell that has not updated correctly, and pressing return.

It looks to me that the calculation tree is incorrect.

Please could you email me the workbook (Bill_Manville @ compuserve.com without the spaces)
as it might be worth raising a support incident with Microsoft if there is a problem of
that nature.

Having saved a copy of the broken workbook, try each the following in turn and see if they help:
- Ctrl+Alt+F9 (should cause a complete recalc of all formulas)
- Edit / Replace / = / (with) = / Replace All (should rebuild the calculation tree)

Bill Manville
MVP - Microsoft Excel, Oxford, England
No email replies please - respond to newsgroup

Reply to this Message

Bernie - 17 Dec 2003 16:03 GMT

Bill
Both your suggested fixes work - causing the various
calculations in the workbook to update.
If it is the calculation tree being incorrect - how does
this happen?
Now that the calculation tree has been fixed - am I right
to assume that all calculations/links within the workbook
should update automatically from now on?
Thanks.

>-----Original Message-----
>> When opening an Excel workbook in Excel 2003 (document created when we were using Excel 2000)
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
>
>.

Reply to this Message

Bill Manville - 18 Dec 2003 01:47 GMT

> Now that the calculation tree has been fixed - am I right
> to assume that all calculations/links within the workbook
> should update automatically from now on?

Yes

> If it is the calculation tree being incorrect - how does
> this happen?

Bugs in earlier versions of Excel.
The first versions of Excel 97 were particularly prone to this.
There might also have been a problem with the initial Excel 2000
version.
But I had thought that 2003 would do a full recalculate on workbooks
that were last saved by a previous version.

If the problem recurs be sure to let us know - I would hate there to be
a calculation tree bug in 2003, but better we know about it than not.

Bill Manville
MVP - Microsoft Excel, Oxford, England
No email replies please - respond to newsgroup

Reply to this Message

Bernie - 18 Dec 2003 14:06 GMT

Ok, Will do.
Thanks.

>-----Original Message-----
>> Now that the calculation tree has been fixed - am I right
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
>.

Reply to this Message