Link

Question

I use multiple spreadsheets and to make it easier to quickly access the various spreadsheets, I created a master spreadsheet containing links to the other sheets. I click on the link and the spreadsheet opens. Until today.

Now when I click on the link I get a Microsoft sign-in screen. When the sign-in information is entered this message is returned "This d.docs.live.net page can’t be found."
I have been using this master spreadsheet for some time without an issue.

If I delete the line and create a new link the problem goes away.

Has anyone encountered this? What caused it? How can it be fixed?

jkpieterse · Answer

Are the links exactly the same?

gabe24 · Answer

Each link in the master spreadsheet is for a different different Excel file. Each is unique to the particular file it accesses. The links were all created in the same manner in Excel, working in the spreadsheet, right click to bring up the menu, click on "Link" on the bottom of the menu and follow through to locate the desired file.

All links were working until one day they just stopped working. I have since recreated all the links and they work. I would very much like to know how or what caused the changes so this time consuming happening can be avoided in the future.

Thank you for any help/ insight you can give.

JKPieterse

jkpieterse · Answer

I meant to say, when the links no longer worked, did they still contain the exactly right address, or did the address change in some way? If the address hasn't changed, try removing the link and writing it as flat text in a cell. Then use the HYPERLINK function to that cell like so (let's assume cell A2):
=HYPERLINK("file:"&A2)

gabe24 · Answer

The links having changed is a good point. I did check each link, they did not change. To get all 18 links working again I deleted all 18 and relinked the files to the spreadsheet using the same menus and steps that created the original links. It worked and continues to work, Until?? The linked spreadsheets are not on the same drive or folder as the master spreadsheet so I am wondering if the file address on one-drive may have varied/ changed enough to void the link. I did not compare the links that didn't work to the new links. Your thoughts?

jkpieterse · Answer

If the address changed then it makes sense the hyperlink does not work. But if the address hasn't changed that is odd. One way to find out is to add the link in two different ways:- Your existing method (which creates a hard-coded link)- Using the HYPERLINK function. This method requires you to write the link into a cell as text (lets assume cell A2). Then in an adjacent cell, use =HYPERLINK("file:"&amp;A2) to get a live link to the address which you wrote in cell A2.

Forum Discussion

Link

5 Replies