Excel -> PowerPoint links

[bfriis]

Hi

I have three projectors running different looping PPpresentations. The
input to these presentations are alle links to various Excel
spreadsheets. I have installed an add-in called UpdateLinks, that
automatically updates all the links everytime the presentaions has
completed a single loop. This is quite smart because the presentations
now automatically updates 24/7 in our production environment, whitout
any manual tasks.
Here I have a problem. When another user is editing one of the Excel
spreadsheets and the PPpresentation automatically tries to open the
same spreadsheet for the update sequence, the presentation computer
stops the presentation and displays a massage asking if if I want to
open the file af Read-Only. Here we manually have to click "Read-Only"
before the presentation again continues.
I have tried to share the workbooks, because then the message does not
appear, but then I am not able to edit fx. graphs in excel.
What do I do, fx to make the computer automatically select the
Read-Only option?
Other ideas eaer welcome, thanx.

 

[Guest]

Hi (e-mail address removed),

Great! I appreciate the procedure you are following for automatic
presentations.

And coming to your question ...
Instead of linking directly the actual spreadsheets, you can link a copy of
it. You have to make a temporary backup of each excel file either manually or
you can write a procedure/ macro to do this process for creating a automatic
back up every time the file is saved and you can use it to link to powerpoint
presentation. While creating the back up you should check whether the
temporary back up file is being used/opened by Powerpoint or not, if it is
opened, you should postpone the back up process.

Regards
NAVEEN

 

[bfriis]

Hi Naveen

This sounds a bit complicated, but it is a sollution for my problem.
Can You give me some input for the ''save'+'check if in use'+'back
up''-macro/procedure?

 

[bfriis]

BTW

To solve this in a more simple manner. Is it not much simpler just to
write a macro that automatically selects the read only button if the
spreadsheet is open allready. If possible what would a macro/procedure
like that look like?