Frequently asked questions about using links in Excel 2002 and in later versions of Excel

In Microsoft Excel 2002 and in later versions of Excel, a link can be any of the following items:

• A reference to another workbook (sometimes called an external reference)
• A link to another program (sometimes called a remote reference)
• A link to data on the Internet, the World Wide Web, or your company intranet

Because data in another workbook, another program, or on the Internet may change and outdate the data in your workbook, there are options for controlling the updating of links.

This article lists some frequently asked questions and troubleshooting tips about how to use links in Excel 2002 and in later versions of Excel. The article also includes corresponding Microsoft Knowledge Base articles.

General

• How do I check the status of the external links in my workbook?
  288940 How to check and manage the status of links in Excel 2002 or later versions of Excel
• How do I turn off the reminder message to update links in my workbook?
  826921 How to control the startup message about updating linked workbooks in Excel 2002 and in later versions of Excel
• How do I prevent the automatic creation of hyperlinks?
  291209 How to prevent the automatic creation of hyperlinks

Troubleshooting

• Why am I still prompted to update links after I've broken the links in my workbook in Excel 2002 and in Microsoft Office Excel 2003?
  288853 Defined name not removed when you break a link
• Why do I receive an error message when I open a linked workbook?
  291084 Error opening workbook containing links to HTML workbook