Microsoft KB Archive/176156

= XL: Error or Page Fault Linking to Workbook or Creating Formula =

Article ID: 176156

Article Last Modified on 11/4/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 98 for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q176156





SYMPTOMS
When you enter a formula to create a link from one workbook to another workbook in Microsoft Excel, you may receive one of the following error messages.

Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down. If the problem persists, contact the program vendor.

If you click Details, you receive an error message similar to the following

EXCEL caused an invalid page fault in module EXCEL.EXE at 0137:30218701.

and Microsoft Excel quits.

Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
' ' contains incomplete calculation.

In the error message, includes at signs (@), ampersands (&), less-than and greater-than signs, and other random characters.



CAUSE
This problem occurs when the following conditions are true:


 * The values in the workbook to which you are linking are not recalculated before you save the file, and this workbook is not open.

NOTE: For information about how this situation can occur, see the "More Information" section later in this article.

-and-
 * The workbook in which you are entering the formula is stored in a different folder from the folder that contains the workbook to which you are linking.

As a result, when you enter the formula to link to the other workbook, a File Not Found or Cannot Find dialog box appears and you are prompted to select the correct workbook.

When you select the correct workbook and click OK or Copy, you receive the error message in the "Symptoms" section of this article.



WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, include the complete path to the other workbook when you enter the formula. For example, instead of this formula

  =[Book2.xls]Sheet1!A1

type this formula:

  ='C:\Files\[Book2.xls]Sheet1'!A1

NOTE: When you include the complete path and enter the formula, you receive the following error message:

'' contains incomplete calculation.

However, the problem described in the "Symptoms" section in this article does not occur.

You can also prevent this problem from occurring by recalculating workbooks before you save them.



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, you may save a workbook in an uncalculated state if you follow these steps:


 * 1) On the Tools menu, click Options or Preferences. Click the Calculation tab.
 * 2) Click Manual, and click to select the Recalculate Before Save check box.
 * 3) Click OK.
 * 4) Make a change to the workbook that would normally force calculation; for example, enter a formula in cell A1.
 * 5) On the File menu, click Save, and then save the workbook.

If you enter a formula that links to this workbook, and then select the workbook in the File Not Found or Cannot Find dialog box, the problem described in this article may occur.

Additional query words: XL97

Keywords: kberrmsg kbbug KB176156

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