Error when opening Excel-workbook

Copper Contributor

When I send an Excel-workbook to other person by email, she get's error message while opening the Workbook: 

"Excel detected at least one incorrect formula reference in the table. Please check that the cell references in the formulas, range names, defined names, and links to other workbooks are correct."

 

I've checked the whole workbook and can't find any issues or errors (for example #REF! or #VALUE!) or links to other workbooks. Error is hard to find because I don't get any error messages when opening the file and I've opened the file in other computer too without any issues. I've used hours to solve this problem.

 

How can I find the problem and fix it? Can it be possible that the error is caused by older or other Excel-version that the receiver is using? I'm using Microsoft Excel for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2208 Build 16.0.15601.20660) 32-bit.

1 Reply

@Emakkonen 

It is possible that the error is caused by compatibility issues between different versions of Excel. The version you are using may have certain features or functions that are not supported in the recipient's version of Excel. Here are a few steps you can take to try and identify and fix the problem:

  1. Ask the recipient to provide you with the specific version of Excel they are using. This will help you determine if the issue is indeed related to version compatibility.
  2. Check if you are using any specific functions, features, or formulas that are not available in older versions of Excel. For example, if you are using dynamic array formulas or certain new functions introduced in recent versions, they may not be supported in older versions of Excel. You can refer to the Microsoft documentation or help resources to identify any version-specific features you may be using.
  3. Check for any external references or links to other workbooks in your Excel file. Even if you could not find any, there might be hidden or indirect references causing the issue. Use the "Find" functionality in Excel to search for any references to other workbooks or external data sources.
  4. Consider saving the Excel file in a compatible format. You can try saving the file in an older Excel format, such as Excel 97-2003 (.xls) or Excel 2007-2019 (.xlsx), to ensure maximum compatibility with different versions of Excel.
  5. If possible, try sharing the Excel file in a different format, such as PDF, to see if the recipient can open it without any issues. This will help determine if the problem lies specifically with the Excel file or with the compatibility between versions.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, you may need to give more input about this issue. Information about the Excel version use the recipient, about you excel file (.xlsx or xlsm, etc.), Operating system, storage medium, etc. If photos or the file (without sensitive data) is added, it will also help.