XL2000: Visual Basic Macro to Break Chart Links

Charts in Microsoft Excel are, by default, linked to the range of cells on the worksheets that they were created from. You can break the links by converting the cell references to values in the SERIES formula for the chart.

This article describes a sample Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications macro that you can use to perform this action.

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs.
If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact a Microsoft Certified Partner or Microsoft Advisory Services. For more information, visit these Microsoft Web sites:

Microsoft Certified Partners - https://partner.microsoft.com/global/30000104

Microsoft Advisory Services - http://support.microsoft.com/gp/advisoryservice

For more information about the support options that are available and about how to contact Microsoft, visit the following Microsoft Web site:http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS To create and use a Visual Basic macro to break the links from the active chart to the spreadsheet cells from which it was created, follow these steps:

NOTE: For the purpose of this macro, a chart is active when it is embedded into the active worksheet and the chart is selected by clicking it; or if it is on a separate chart sheet, the chart sheet is the active sheet.

1. Start Excel, and then type the following data into the spreadsheet:
   A1: 1 B1: 2 C1: 3
   
2. Select cells A1:C1.
3. Click Chart Wizard on the standard toolbar.
4. Accept the defaults, and then click Finish.
5. Change the value in cell A1 to 2, and then press ENTER.
   
   Note the change in the chart; the chart is linked to the cell.
6. Press ALT+F11 to start the Visual Basic Editor.
7. On the Insert menu, click Module.
8. In the module sheet, type the following code:

   Sub BreakChartLinks()
   For Each x In ActiveChart.SeriesCollection
      x.Values = x.Values
      x.XValues = x.XValues
      x.Name = x.Name
   Next x
   End Sub
   					

9. Press ALT+F11 to return to Excel.
10. Click the chart to select it.
11. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Macros.
12. In the Macro name list, click BreakChartLinks, and then click Run.
13. Change the value in cell A1 to 1, and then press ENTER.
    
    The chart does not change; the link is broken.

For more information about the Values property, in the Visual Basic Editor, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help on the Help menu, type values property in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

For additional information about manually removing links, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: