Excel linked to Word – Office 2003

[Mary Ann]

I have an Excel source file which is linked to a Word destination file. I
want to be able to do the following:
1. With the Word file closed, change the Excel source file and then close
and save the changes to the Excel file
2. Open the Word file and not update it.
3. With the Word file still open, open the Excel file and force Word to
update.
I can do all of the above but not force Word to update in step 3. I know I
can go into Edit > Links in Word and update it there but I would like it to
happen automatically. Is this possible and if so, how?
I am using 2003

 

[Jay Freedman]

I don't understand the point of separating steps 2 and 3. If you go to Tools

Options > General and check the option for "Update automatic links at

Open", then both steps occur at once (although you will be prompted whether
to update or not).

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
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[Mary Ann]

Thanks for your reply.
It’s because it is on a shared network and one person is in charge of the
Excel file, but others may use the Word file. They may want to see the Word
file as it was before Excel was changed. But the person who is in charge of
the Excel file, at a later date, wants to be able to ensure the Word file is
up-to-date.

 

[Jay Freedman]

I don't think Word is really designed for this; the equivalent procedures
that are available are more manual.

If the option I mentioned is not checked, then the linked Excel object
doesn't update at all unless the user does something to force the update.
One way is to right-click the object and click Update Link, and another is
the Edit > Links that you mentioned.

If the option is checked, then there will always be a prompt when the
document is opened, asking whether to update links, with Yes and No buttons.
If the user chooses No, they can then see the pre-update data; but then they
still have to manually update the link. However, it doesn't seem that
right-click/Update Link is any less likely to be overlooked than opening the
linked sheet.

It might be possible to write a macro that intercepts the opening of the
linked sheet and forces an update first. But then you have to ensure that
everyone allows macros to run.

 

[Mary Ann]

Thanks Jay

I don't think Word is really designed for this; the equivalent procedures
that are available are more manual.

If the option I mentioned is not checked, then the linked Excel object
doesn't update at all unless the user does something to force the update.
One way is to right-click the object and click Update Link, and another is
the Edit > Links that you mentioned.

If the option is checked, then there will always be a prompt when the
document is opened, asking whether to update links, with Yes and No buttons.
If the user chooses No, they can then see the pre-update data; but then they
still have to manually update the link. However, it doesn't seem that
right-click/Update Link is any less likely to be overlooked than opening the
linked sheet.

It might be possible to write a macro that intercepts the opening of the
linked sheet and forces an update first. But then you have to ensure that
everyone allows macros to run.