Can't Link to Worksheet with Exclamation Point in Name

If you link information from a Microsoft Excel worksheet to another program (client program) and the worksheet name contains an exclamation point (!), one of the following problems may occur:

• You receive an error message in the client program.
• The information appears in the client program, but the link cannot be edited or updated.

To avoid this behavior when you link information from a Microsoft Excel worksheet to a client program, make sure the worksheet name does not contain an exclamation point. To rename a worksheet in a Microsoft Excel workbook, point to Sheet on the Format menu, and click Rename on the submenu.

Microsoft Word for Windows

If you copy information from a worksheet when the name contains an exclamation point and click Paste Special in a document in Microsoft Word, the following options are available in the As list:



If you click Formatted Text (RTF) and click Paste Link, the following error message appears when you click OK: If you select any of the other available options, and click OK with the Paste Link option selected, the worksheet information appears in the Word document. However the information is not updated when you change the data in Microsoft Excel.

In Microsoft Excel 97, if you select any of the options in the Paste Special Dialog Box and click Paste Link in Word 97, the following error message appears:

Microsoft Write (Windows Only)

If you copy information from a worksheet when the name contains an exclamation point, and click Paste Special in a document in Microsoft Write, the following options are available in the Data Type list:



The Paste Link button is not available when you click the Text option. Note that this problem occurs even if the worksheet name does not contain an exclamation point.

If you click any of the other options and click Paste Link, the information appears in the Microsoft Write document. However, the information is not updated when you change the source information. When you edit the link in Microsoft Write, you receive the following error message: When you update the link using the Links dialog box, you receive the following error message: