PowerPoint 2007 Links to Excel

[tgialanella]

We frequently use links from PowerPoint to Excel. I have recently
upgraded to Office 2007 and have encountered the following problem.

When linking from PowerPoint to a range of cells in Excel which
contains a chart (e.g.-the link is to Sheet1!$A$1:$L$50, there is some
data and the chart "covers the area from $C$4:$J$40), the PowerPoint
slide will not readily show the chart (as it would in earlier versions
of PowerPoint.) If I right click and chose update links, still no
chart. If I double-click and go to Excel, then right-click and update
link the chart will appear. Since our reports may contain dozens of
such links this is not a practical way to view the report. Updating
all links upon opening, or while in the document does not show the
charts. In earlier versions, charts always appeared.

Some investigation seems to indicate that the links to whichever sheet
in Excel may be active (whether the Excel file is open or not) will
update. Also, if the link is to the chart and not a range of cells
which contain a chart, then the link seems to update. Linking to the
chart itself creates other issues for us and is not always practical.
Links to ranges of cells with no charts operate as before.

I have tried saving files in various versions of both PowerPoint and
Excel and nothing seems to help. I have also looked through any
settings that I thought might be relevant but again no luck.

Is there any way to have to have PowerPoint 2007 display charts from
linked Excel worksheets?

Thanks.

Tony

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

In another thread, we're discussing something similar-sounding. In that case,
the problem is with links in PPT that point to an XLSX stored on a network
share mapped to a drive letter. The links won't update and when you try to
force the issue, PPT claims that it can't find the file (an erroneous error
message; it can find the file, it just can't make the links update for some
reason).

It's a known bug. There's a knowledgebase article about it but that simply
suggests removing and re-creating the links. No help there.

The same links re-pointed to a local drive seem to work though.

Is that consistent with what you're seeing?

 

[tgialanella]

In another thread, we're discussing something similar-sounding.  In thatcase,
the problem is withlinksin PPT that point to an XLSX stored on a network
share mapped to a drive letter.  Thelinkswon't update and when you try to
force the issue, PPT claims that it can't find the file (an erroneous error
message; it can find the file, it just can't make thelinksupdate for some
reason).

It's a known bug.  There's a knowledgebase article about it but that simply
suggests removing and re-creating thelinks.   No help there.

The samelinksre-pointed to a local drive seem to work though.

Is that consistent with what you're seeing?

 wrote:





-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ:  www.pptfaq.com
PPTools:  www.pptools.com
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No.

I don't get the can't find file error. The link exists. It points to
the correct location in Excel. When I create the links everything is
fine. My problem occurs when I re-open the files.

It doesn't matter whether I say yes or no to the update links question
when opening PowerPoint. The links are still pointing to the correct
files and locations. If I double-click it takes me to Excel.
Everything just like it is supposed to do. Only problem is that if
there is a chart in the range of the link in Excel, nothing displays
in PowerPoint. We usually have gridlines turned off (and no background
color) in Excel so I get a blank section in PowerPoint. If gridlines
are on (or if I link to just cells with data in them) then I see the
lines and/or data.

It happens with all combinations of Excel 2007 or 97-2003 and
PowerPoint 2007 97-2003. If I use the same files on a machine with
Office 2003 or XP everything works just as it has for the thousands of
reports we have done this way over the past six years.