linked files

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Linked files

resolvedResolved · High Priority · Version 2010

Edward has attended:
Excel Advanced course

Linked files

We have a number of budget and forecasts with multiple linked wrokbooks for each Budget or forecast. We have just upgraded to Office 2010. In Excel 2007, all the spreadsheets opened without any issues. Now, however, in Excel 2010 I find that there are a range of error messages that appear and teh files take an age to open. Messages like: This workbook contains one of more links that cannot be updated. These did not appear before. Is this due to Excel 2010 - if so how do we sort this out? - or is it due to server permissions, or both?

Many thanks

Edward


RE: Linked files

Hi Edward, thanks for your query. While this certainly could be do with your server permissions on shared folders where the linked files are stored, it is also a noted Excel 2010 problem as identified (with some work arounds) in the link below:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff726673.aspx

They have done a lot of re-wiring in the background of the application in 2010 and Microsoft are increasingly heading in the direction of dedicated apps to manipulate millions of rows of data. Older versions of Excel files are struggling to keep up with these structural changes. You may want to consider consolidating the files or migrating to an Access database if speed is becoming an issue.

Hope this helps,

Anthony

RE: Linked files

Do you have any info on:

1. How we need to set-up the server permissions for linked files;

2. How the security around linked files works in Excel 2010.

The link you sent was unfortunately not that useful.

Regards

RE: Linked files

Hi Edward. I'm afraid you'll need to contact your own IT department about setting up and managing your company server permissions for linked files. As for security issues in Excel 2010, unless your files are password protected, contain code or you are working with a content management system, any security issues you face would, again, be situational and beyond the scope of this forum. Difficult to advise you further without more specific information about the nature of the Excel project you are working on but if you'd like to discuss a more bespoke solution please don't hesitate to contact one of our advisers on 0207 987 3777.

Anthony

Tue 12 Oct 2010: Automatically marked as resolved.


 

Excel tip:

Use RANDBETWEEN to generate random numbers

There may be occassions where you need to generate random numbers in your spreadsheet. Use the RANDBETWEEN function to generate random numbers between two values that you specify.

The function looks like this:

=randbetween(LOW,HIGH)

where LOW is the lowest number you want generated; and HIGH is the highest number you want generated.

This formula will work with both positive and negative LOWs and HIGHs. Also it will only generate integer numbers unless forced to do otherwise by the following:

=randbetween(LOW*10^PRECISION,
HIGH*10^PRECISION)/(10^PRECISION).

where PRECISION represents the levels of decimal precision needed (i.e. if you need numbers with one decimal place, PRECISION would be 1; 2 for two decimal places and so on).

One final note, if the RANDBETWEEN formula does not work in your spreadsheet or returns a "#NAME" error, you need to install the Analysis Toolpak Add-In. You will need to press F2 then Enter following the installation.

View all Excel hints and tips


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