Microsoft KB Archive/155128

= XL97: Error Updating Link to Web Document =

Article ID: 155128

Article Last Modified on 10/21/2000

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q155128





SYMPTOMS
When you open a Microsoft Excel workbook, you may receive the following error message

The External Copy: file format is not valid

and your only option is to click OK.

NOTE: Your workbook opens, but if there have been any changes in the source file, these changes are not reflected in your workbook.



CAUSE
You may receive the error message if both of the following conditions are true:
 * Your Microsoft Excel workbook has links to files in the .htm file format. -and-


 * When you open your Microsoft Excel workbook, you click Yes when you are prompted to update links in the file.



WORKAROUND
You cannot update links in your Microsoft Excel workbook to .htm files. To avoid the error message, when you open your Microsoft Excel workbook and are prompted to update links, click No. Note that if the source .htm document has been changed since it was linked to your Microsoft Excel workbook, these changes are not made to your linked worksheet cells.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.



MORE INFORMATION
In Microsoft Excel 97, you can create links to workbooks on either an intranet or the Internet. For example, to create a link to a workbook on the Internet, use the following syntax ='http:////[WorkbookName]Sheet1'!A1 where  is the name of a home Internet Web page, for example, www.microsoft.com.

You can also open your source document in Microsoft Excel and then use the following steps:
 * 1) Select the cell(s) in your source document that you want linked.
 * 2) On the Edit menu, click Copy.
 * 3) Select the cell(s) in your destination workbook that you want linked to your source document.
 * 4) On the Edit menu, click Paste Special. In the Paste Special dialog box, click Paste Link.

