XL: Link Path Changes Location to Xlstart or Preferences Folder

ID: Q176075

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

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 <Macintosh HD>:System Folder:Preferences:Excel folder

   Note that <Macintosh HD> 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.

3. Open the linked workbooks. Next, clear the "Alternate startup file

   location" box in the Options (or Preferences) dialog box.

4. 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.

Additional query words:

Keywords          : kberrmsg
Version           : MACINTOSH:5.0,5.0a,98; WINDOWS:5.0,5.0c,7.0,97
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: January 7, 1999