Orphaned Links Driving me Crazy

[Steve Drenker]

Mac PowerBook G4, 2 GB RAM running Excel 2004

I copied a range of cells into a a new worksheet in a workbook. Now I've got
a mysterious link I don't want somewhere on the copied range. I cannot find
any external links in the copied cells -- they are all numbers and text, no
formulas.

I've tried Edit|Links|Break Link but it doesn't work.

I tried moving the new worksheet out of the old workbook. When I try to save
the old workbook without the new worksheet, Excel asks me if I want to save
the link to the new unnamed worksheet. I have the options of OK and Cancel.
I hit Cancel, but get the same problem when I try to quit. So I clicked "OK"
and now I've got a SECOND useless and orphaned link to an unnamed worksheet.

Aaargh! I don't want any links and now I've got two useless ones that are
always causing error messages to pop up and the stupid "Compatibility
Report" icon to flash red at me. How do I get rid of the links?

I tried a macro approach from Joseph Rubin's ExcelTip site (
http://www.exceltip.com/show_tip/Links_in_VBA/List,_change_or_delete_externa
l_formula_references_(links)_using_VBA_in_Microsoft_Excel/487.html), but it
didn't find any links.

Why the hell can't Microsoft build less buggy software?

<RANT>

To top it off, my worksheet started life on a PC with a few ActiveX
controls. These can't be selected or deleted on my Mac. I was getting lots
of 32809 errors and the MS knowledge base said these are caused by exactly
the situation I've got -- sheet orginating on PC with ActiveX and moved to a
Mac. I had to take the file to Kinkos, open it on a PC, erase the ActiveX
controls, save it and move it back to my Mac.

Excel is what, 15 years old? Isn't it about time MS fixed these fundamental
problems??? Quit adding new features that nobody needs and fix the BASICS!!


</RANT>

 

[Steve Drenker]

I solved the problem. Found the hidden links in some Names that were pasted
in with the cells.

I have a couple hundred named ranges, so it was a chore. I found a VBA
utility written by By Bill Manville and David Ringstrom in an article titled
" Banish Phantom Links" that did the trick. I found the pointer to the
article on the MS site at
http://www.microsoft.com/europe/vba/resources/downloads/159.htm

 

[JE McGimpsey]

I have a couple hundred named ranges, so it was a chore. I found a VBA
utility written by By Bill Manville and David Ringstrom in an article titled
" Banish Phantom Links" that did the trick. I found the pointer to the
article on the MS site at
http://www.microsoft.com/europe/vba/resources/downloads/159.htm

Thanks for the link. Bill's add-in has been recommended many times in
this newsgroup. You can find direct links to his add-in if you search
the group's archives:

http://google.com/advanced_group_search?as_ugroup=*mac.office*