Microsoft KB Archive/176075

= XL: Link Path Changes Location to Xlstart or Preferences Folder =

Article ID: 176075

Article Last Modified on 8/18/2005

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 95 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0c
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0 for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0a for Macintosh
 * Microsoft Excel 98 for Macintosh

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This article was previously published under Q176075





SYMPTOMS
When you open a workbook that contains links to another file, one of the following messages appears.

Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition and Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
The workbook you opened contains automatic links to information in another workbook. Do you want to update this workbook with changes made to the other workbook?

Microsoft Excel 5.0 and 7.0
This document contains links. Re-establish links?

If you click Yes, the File Not Found dialog box appears. If you click No, the reference in the link is changed to one of the following folders depending on your operating system. Microsoft Windows Operating System:

The Xlstart folder under Microsoft Excel

Macintosh Operating System:

The :System Folder:Preferences:Excel folder

Note that  is the name of your hard disk.



CAUSE
This problem occurs when you do the following:


 * You create links to another workbook and save the files in your "Alternate startup file location" folder. -and-


 * You delete the "Alternate startup file location" setting in the Options (or Preferences) dialog box.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, follow these steps:


 * 1) If the workbooks are open, close them.
 * 2) Click Options (or Preferences) on the Tools menu, and then click the General tab. Change the folder location in the "Alternate startup file location" box to the folder you used when you saved the files.

This location should use the same hard disk and folder in which the files are located.

NOTE: You must open a workbook to make the Options (or Preferences command on the Tools menu available.
 * 1) Open the linked workbooks. Next, clear the "Alternate startup file location" box in the Options (or Preferences) dialog box.
 * 2) Save and close all the workbooks.

When you reopen the files, the links should refer to the correct workbook.



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

Keywords: kberrmsg kbbug KB176075

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