Do not update links excel

Does your Excel spreadsheet suddenly starts showing “we can’t update some of the links error”? If you don’t know why you are encountering such an error then let me explain this to you first.

If your Excel workbook is having a link with the data of another workbook or file which was shifted to some other location. In such case when you try to open your Excel workbook it will throw the following “Excel we can’t update some of the links error”.

This message is given a clear indication that your workbook having external references from the source which is currently not found.

Well, this issue can be fixed easily by updating the link path of the source file. But if you are unable to fetch it or not having access to the document which was originally linked. Then in that case you can try updating the link by disabling the automatic update feature or by fixing/removing the Excel broken link.

To know how to perform all these tasks to fix “we can’t update some of the links “Excel error. You need to go through the complete post.

So, let’s dive in…!

But before getting into the fixes section. First, take a look over the practical scenario which user like you are already been facing regarding this error.

Practical Scenario:

I have a destination workbook which contains links to various source documents.  I have used this set up for months and have never had a problem.  Each month I click edit links – change source – and then click on the new source file that I want to use for the current month.  This month when I have done that I keep getting an error message ‘Cannot access XXXX.xlsx’.  Help!!

I always try to link to the file on my local PC, but have noticed that the links always change to d.docs.live.net/[strange string of letters/numbers] – I assumed this was just something to do with working with OneDrive but don’t know if this is causing a problem?

Thanks in advance…!

SOURCE: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Excel/Edit-links-change-source-file-error-message-Cannot-access-XXX/m-p/150290

How To Remove “We Can’t Update Some Of The Links In Your Workbook” Error?

Method 1: Unlock Protected Excel Worksheet

Mostly it is seen that users encounter “Excel edit links error source not found” issue also when they had protected Excel worksheet. Know complete steps to unlock password protected Excel worksheet. This process will help to Break The Link To An External Reference In Excel.

If you have the password of your protected Excel sheet, then the task of removing protection only takes a few seconds. You can try any of the following methods to unlock your protected sheet:

Way #1. Make a right-click on the Sheet tab. Now from the context menu choose the Unprotect Sheet option.

Way #2. Go to the Review tab on your Excel application menu bar. Now from the Changes group, hit the option Unprotect Sheet.

Way #3. From the Home tab under the Cells group, tap the Format option. after than from the drop-down menu choose the Unprotect Sheet

If your Excel worksheet is password-protected then the Excel application will ask you to put the correct password. So, in that case, just type the password and tap to the OK option.

But if your Excel worksheet was not locked with any password then tapping on the Unprotect Sheet option will unlock the protected sheet.

Method 2: Fix Excel Break Links

 Keep a backup copy of your Excel workbook before starting up this procedure. As, the actions can’t be undone.

• Firstly, you need to open your Excel workbook which is showing the “Excel break links not working” or we can’t update some of the links in your workbook error.
• After then go to the Data tab, and hit the Edit Links option.
• You will see that the Edit Links command appears unavailable if the Excel workbook doesn’t have any links.
• Now in the Source file box, make a selection for the broken link that you want to fix.
• Now tap to the Change Source
• Search to the destination of a file having linked data.
• Choose the new source file after then hit the Change Source
• Tap to the Close

Method 3: Remove Excel Break Links

When any Excel user breaks a link in their Excel spreadsheet, all the formulas that are referring to the source file will attain their current value.

 Suppose, if your Excel cell is having the formula =SUM([Budget.xls]Annual!C10:C25) and gives the answer 45. In that case, after breaking the link the formula would be converted to simple digits 45.

So, if you get stuck to the Excel edit links not working issue then break the link to an external reference in Excel. let’s know how to perform this:

• At first, Open your excel workbook showing the Excel edit links not working error.
• Now go to the Data tab, and hit the Edit Links
• If your workbook doesn’t have any links then the Edit Links command seems inactive.
• If the Edit Links command seems active then go to the Source file From this box choose the broken links which you want to delete.
• After the selection tap the Break Link
• At last, make a press on the Close

Method 4: Disable Excel Update Links Error Message

In the Excel workbook, we make external links with some other Excel workbooks. In such case, when you try to open your Excel workbook having the external links each time it will show the following warning message:

So, learn how can you get rid of this annoying Excel update link error message. Well, you can perform this task in two ways:

• By Disabling the update links message with Excel Options
• By Disabling the update links message with the Edit Links feature

Disable Update Links Message With Excel Options

You can easily fix Excel update links error message by disabling the update links message with Excel Options. So, please do the same as instructed below:

• Go to the File tab of your Excel workbook and then tap the Options button. This will open the Excel Options dialog box; from this tap the Advanced option present in the left pane.
• After that uncheck the option Ask to update automatic links present within the General Take a look at the figure:

• now tap to the OK option for closing the opened dialog box. Again, when you open this workbook, you will find that the links were automatic gets updated. And you won’t get any error messages this time.

Disable Update Links Message With Edit Links Feature

The first method to fix Excel update links error message is by disabling the update links message with the edit links feature. Let’s know how it is to be done:

• Tap to the Data after than on the Edit Links option, have a look over the screenshot:

• Within the Edit Links dialog box, tap the Startup Prompt option present at the bottom. Check out the following figure for a clear idea:

• In the opened Startup Prompt dialog box, select either Don’t display the alert and update links or Don’t display the alert and don’t update automatic links option as per your need.

•  Tap to the OK option and close the opened dialog box. After making the complete procedure when you open the workbook next time, you won’t get any update link message in your Excel workbook anymore.

Wrap Up:

Linked object and hyperlink are two different things so don’t mix them up. All the solutions mentioned above can’t fix Excel broken hyperlinks. To catch more information on Excel hyperlinks, check out the following article:Easy Ways to Fix Hyperlinks in Excel Are Not Working

UPDATE:

After all the details summarized and discussed, I spent 2 fair hours in checking the options, and this update is to dot all is.

Preparations

First of all, I performed a clean Office 2010 x86 install on Clean Win7 SP1 Ultimate x64 virtual machine powered by VMWare (this is usual routine for my everyday testing tasks, so I have many of them deployed).

Then, I changed only the following Excel options (i.e. all the other are left as is after installation):

• Advanced > General > Ask to update automatic links checked:

• Trust Center > Trust Center Settings... > External Content > Enable All... (although that one that relates to Data Connections is most likely not important for the case):

Preconditions

I prepared and placed to C: a workbook exactly as per @Siddharth Rout suggestions in his updated answer (shared for your convenience): https://www.dropbox.com/s/mv88vyc27eljqaq/Book1withLinkToBook2.xlsx Linked book was then deleted so that link in the shared book is unavailable (for sure).

Manual Opening

The above shared file shows on opening (having the above listed Excel options) 2 warnings — in the order of appearance:

WARNING #1

After click on Update I expectedly got another:

WARNING #2

So, I suppose my testing environment is now pretty much similar to OP‘s) So far so good, we finally go to

VBA Opening

Now I’ll try all possible options step by step to make the picture clear. I’ll share only relevant lines of code for simplicity (complete sample file with code will be shared in the end).

1. Simple Application.Workbooks.Open

Application.Workbooks.Open Filename:="C:Book1withLinkToBook2.xlsx"

No surprise — this produces BOTH warnings, as for manual opening above.

2. Application.DisplayAlerts = False

Application.DisplayAlerts = False
Application.Workbooks.Open Filename:="C:Book1withLinkToBook2.xlsx"
Application.DisplayAlerts = True

This code ends up with WARNING #1, and either option clicked (Update / Don't Update) produces NO further warnings, i.e. Application.DisplayAlerts = False suppresses WARNING #2.

3. Application.AskToUpdateLinks = False

Application.AskToUpdateLinks = False
Application.Workbooks.Open Filename:="C:Book1withLinkToBook2.xlsx"
Application.AskToUpdateLinks = True

Opposite to DisplayAlerts, this code ends up with WARNING #2 only, i.e. Application.AskToUpdateLinks = False suppresses WARNING #1.

4. Double False

Application.AskToUpdateLinks = False
Application.DisplayAlerts = False
Application.Workbooks.Open Filename:="C:Book1withLinkToBook2.xlsx"
Application.DisplayAlerts = True
Application.AskToUpdateLinks = True

Apparently, this code ends up with suppressing BOTH WARNINGS.

5. UpdateLinks:=False

Application.Workbooks.Open Filename:="C:Book1withLinkToBook2.xlsx", UpdateLinks:=False

Finally, this 1-line solution (originally proposed by @brettdj) works the same way as Double False: NO WARNINGS are shown!

Conclusions

Except a good testing practice and very important solved case (I may face such issues everyday while sending my workbooks to 3rd party, and now I’m prepared), 2 more things learned:

1. Excel options DO matter, regardless of version — especially when we come to VBA solutions.
2. Every trouble has short and elegant solution — together with not obvious and complicated one. Just one more proof for that!)

Thanks very much to everyone who contributed to the solution, and especially OP who raised the question. Hope my investigations and thoroughly described testing steps were helpful not only for me)

Sample file with the above code samples is shared (many lines are commented deliberately): https://www.dropbox.com/s/9bwu6pn8fcogby7/NoWarningsOpen.xlsm

Original answer (tested for Excel 2007 with certain options):

This code works fine for me — it loops through ALL Excel files specified using wildcards in the InputFolder:

Sub WorkbookOpening2007()

Dim InputFolder As String
Dim LoopFileNameExt As String

InputFolder = "D:DOCUMENTS" 'Trailing "" is required!

LoopFileNameExt = Dir(InputFolder & "*.xls?")
Do While LoopFileNameExt <> ""

Application.DisplayAlerts = False
Application.Workbooks.Open (InputFolder & LoopFileNameExt)
Application.DisplayAlerts = True

LoopFileNameExt = Dir
Loop

End Sub

I tried it with books with unavailable external links — no warnings.

Sample file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9bwu6pn8fcogby7/NoWarningsOpen.xlsm

In this article, you will learn how to disable the automatic update of links in excel.

Q): I do not want updation of links automatically whenever there is any change in the source file.

You need to follow below steps:

• Click on File tab
• Click on Options

 

• From Excel Options window select Advanced

• Scroll down till you find “When calculating this workbook”
• Uncheck the first checkbox i.e. Update links to other documents

 

• Click on Ok button will ensure that links will not get updated even if the Source file gets updated.

In this way we can disable automatic update of links.

Note: after taking all the above steps the links will be disable till the excel is open, after you close the excel file you need to repeat the above steps to ensure there is no automatic updation of links.