OLE link problem in Template

[Guest]

For weekly report, I have set up a template (report_wk.dot) with links to
charts in Excel spreadsheets. Once current position is established (by
updating links when template opened), I want to break the links to save a
snapshot of the weekly status (as report_wk_n.doc).
Seems simple?
Using Edit/Links to break all the links doesn't work. All the links are
removed from the list and the document is saved, but there seems to be some
residual link back to the original template, and its links to the Excel
charts.
When I open report_wk_n.doc I get asked if I want to update links, but the
Edit/Links command is greyed out.
Looking at windows explorer, I can see the template listed as ~$rt_wk.dot
which usually means the document is open for editing.

Help - how can I get rid of the links, so that I can distribute the report
without questions re update.

 

[Jezebel]

Method 1: select all, then press Ctrl-Shift-F9. This replaces all fields
with their results. Following this, *nothing* in the document will update.

Method 2: Print the report to PDF, and distribute that. This is often better
practice anyway.


Thed ~$rt_wk.dot file is not significant. As you say, this means that the
document is open -- but that includes, for a template, any document based on
the template.

 

[Guest]

I create new document from template, selected Yes to update links, did Ctrl+A
to select all, Ctrl+Shift+F9 to replace fields with results.
When saving the document I was prompted "Do you want to save changes to the
document template?"
If I choose No, when I close the document I get asked if I want to update
report_wk.dot
If I choose Yes, I get no further questions when I close the document.

Unfortunately in both cases, when I reopen saved document, I still get asked
if I want to update links !! .. and Edit/Links is greyed out.

 

[Jezebel]

There are two things going on here.
1) the links to your Excel data, and
2) whatever is updating your template.

It's unlikely that these are related.

Ctrl-A, Ctrl-Shift-F9 won't work if you have links in headers and footers.


Output to PDF would save you having to solve these problems.

 

[Guest]

The conversion to PDF does completely get rid of all links, however a number
of weekly reports get consolidated before the final reported can be converted
to PDF, so I was hoping to eliminate the other problem earlier.

I have just discovered that the 'do you want to update' problem which
remains after links are broken, is only a problem if the original template is
accessible. So the administrator consolidating the final reports does not get
the annoying update questions....

So, although I haven't worked out what is causing the problem, it doesn't
get passed on with the document, so I can let it rest now.

Thank you for the Ctrl+Shift+F9 - I will ask all template users to use that
to break links in documents.