XL: Can't Link to Worksheet with Exclamation Point in Name

ID: Q111941

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a

SYMPTOMS

If you link information from a Microsoft Excel worksheet to another program (client program) and the worksheet name contains an exclamation point (!), one of the following problems may occur:

You receive an error message in the client program.

The information appears in the client program, but the link cannot be edited or updated.

WORKAROUND

To avoid this behavior when you link information from a Microsoft Excel worksheet to a client program, make sure the worksheet name does not contain an exclamation point. To rename a worksheet in a Microsoft Excel workbook, point to Sheet on the Format menu, and click Rename on the submenu.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft Word for Windows

If you copy information from a worksheet when the name contains an exclamation point and click Paste Special in a document in Microsoft Word, the following options are available in the As list:


   Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object
   Formatted Text (RTF)
   Unformatted Text
   Picture
   Bitmap (Windows version only)

If you click Formatted Text (RTF) and click Paste Link, the following error message appears when you click OK:

Word cannot obtain the data for the Microsoft Excel Worksheet link.

If you select any of the other available options, and click OK with the Paste Link option selected, the worksheet information appears in the Word document. However the information is not updated when you change the data in Microsoft Excel.

In Microsoft Excel 97, if you select any of the options in the Paste Special Dialog Box and click Paste Link in Word 97, the following error message appears:

Word cannot obtain the data for the Microsoft Excel Worksheet link.

Microsoft Write (Windows Only)

If you copy information from a worksheet when the name contains an exclamation point, and click Paste Special in a document in Microsoft Write, the following options are available in the Data Type list:


   Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object
   Picture
   Bitmap
   Text

The Paste Link button is not available when you click the Text option. Note that this problem occurs even if the worksheet name does not contain an exclamation point.

If you click any of the other options and click Paste Link, the information appears in the Microsoft Write document. However, the information is not updated when you change the source information. When you edit the link in Microsoft Write, you receive the following error message:

Linked document is unavailable.

When you update the link using the Links dialog box, you receive the following error message:

The source document cannot be found.

Make sure that the object still exists in the source document, the link is uncorrupted, and the source document is still available (that is, it has not been deleted, moved, or renamed).

Additional query words: 5.00c 6.00 8.00 97 Word6 Word97 officeinterop ole xl5 xl95 xl97 wd97


Keywords          : kbinterop kbualink97 kbdta offinterop 
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0,5.0c,7.0,97; MACINTOSH:5.0,5.0a
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: May 2, 1999