Add-In problem with Excel2003

[Michael Hoffmann]

Hi Experts,

I need some help. We have an Excel workbook that uses an add-in to access external data. After a daily update this workbook is sent
by email to a number of recipients which don't have the add-in installed on their computers.

Opening this workbook with Excel 2000 brought up a message telling about external references that cannot be resolved. But the user
gets the option to keep the current values which works just fine.

When this workbook is opened with Excel 2003, all cells show an error value (#NAME) and the user does not have the choice to retain
the current values. However, a different dialog appears which would allow the user to resolve the links. Unfortunatley they cannot
be fixed because the add-in isn't available.

I've spent considerable time on searching for an Excel option to fix this problem but I failed.

Anyone out there who can help?

Best regards,

Michael Hoffmann

 

[Charles Williams]

Here are some suggestions:

- write some code that uses paste-special values to convert all the external
links to values and saveas the distributed version of the workbook.

- try using Excel 2003 to do a Full Calculation (ctr/alt/f9) before saving
and distributing to avoid the 'calculate when opening from a different excel
version' problem

- apply registry patch to all the recioients machimes (this does not sound
very practical)
Under: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Excel\Options create
a new DWORD item named: FullCalcOnLoadOldFile and Leave its value at the
default of 0.

regards
Charles
______________________
Decision Models
FastExcel 2.3 now available
Name Manager 4.0 now available
www.DecisionModels.com

 

[Michael Hoffmann]

Hello Charles,

thanks for your fast reply.

Here are some suggestions:

- write some code that uses paste-special values to convert all the external links to values and saveas the distributed version of
the workbook.

Last resort. I still hope for the setting...

- try using Excel 2003 to do a Full Calculation (ctr/alt/f9) before saving and distributing to avoid the 'calculate when opening
from a different excel version' problem

Are you saying that this problem would be fixed with the sender and the
recipients using the same version of Excel?

- apply registry patch to all the recioients machimes (this does not sound very practical)
Under: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Excel\Options create a new DWORD item named: FullCalcOnLoadOldFile and
Leave its value at the default of 0.

I think that's what I was looking for!

Thanks,

Michael Hoffmann

 

[Ron de Bruin]

Hi Michael

Convert the workbook to values
http://www.rondebruin.nl/values.htm

My mail add-in have also a option to do this
http://www.rondebruin.nl/mail/add-in.htm

 

[Michael Hoffmann]

Thanks everyone for helping!

The problem is fixed with the registry setting Charles mentioned.

Best regards,

Michael

 

[Charles Williams]

A bit more explanation:
the problem is caused by Excel doing a full calculation (all formulae) when
opening a workbook that was last calculated with a different version of the
calculation engine. doing Full calculation tries to recalculate the external
links/addin functions.
So if you can ALL use the same version of Excel and you full calculate the
workbook before saving it you should not have the problem.

If you can do it this way its probably a better solution than the registry
fix.

BTW the registry fix (originally made public by Jim Rech) should reference
11.0 rather than 9.0 for Excel 2003

Charles
______________________
Decision Models
FastExcel 2.3 now available
Name Manager 4.0 now available
www.DecisionModels.com