Update Links on file open

[Mick Southam]

Hi
Can anyone help please, I need to automatically update links as a file opens
without any user input.

 

[Dave Peterson]

You can toggle the setting (user by user, though) via:

Tools|Options|Edit Tab.
There's a checkmark for "ask to update automatic links"

But this means that you suppress the question--the links still get updated.

This setting is for the individual user--and affects all their workbooks.

If you want more control:
Try creating a dummy workbook whose only purpose is to open the original
workbook with links updated:

Kind of like:

Option Explicit
Sub auto_open()
Workbooks.Open Filename:="c:\my documents\excel\book2.xls", UpdateLinks:=1
ThisWorkbook.Close savechanges:=False
End Sub

Then you open the dummy workbook and the links will be refreshed.

And xl2002 added an option that allows you to have more control:
Edit|links|startup prompt button.
check the "don't display the alert and update links"

 

[Tom Ogilvy]

Just to add, any solution involving changing the user's settings using code,
will not work for the workbook being opened - at least not the first time it
is opened. The prompt appears before any macros are run.

 

[Mick Southam]

Dave

I have done as you suggested and it works the first time I use it, but not
if I open it again from within another macro.

Rather than use a normal file I am using a template as I need a blank file
open each time, it will open the template but does not run the Sub
Auto_Open() or at least I think that's what happens. Does this mean it need
to be written differently for a template. I have tried using Workbooks.Add
Template:= instead but when I do UpdateLinks will not work.

Regards

Mick

 

[Tom Ogilvy]

Put your code in the Workbook_Open event found in the ThisWorkbook module.

--
Regards,
Tom Ogilvy

Dave

I have done as you suggested and it works the first time I use it, but not
if I open it again from within another macro.

Rather than use a normal file I am using a template as I need a blank file
open each time, it will open the template but does not run the Sub
Auto_Open() or at least I think that's what happens. Does this mean it need
to be written differently for a template. I have tried using Workbooks.Add
Template:= instead but when I do UpdateLinks will not work.

Regards

Mick

 

[Mick Southam]

Dave

Just to add, if I step through the Sub Auto_Open() it works perfectly how
can I make this happen automatically?

As always Thanks
Mick

 

[Mick Southam]

Dave/Tom

Guys I'm sorry about this but I must be missing something here.

I have now put the following in the ThisWorkbook module but still have the
same problem, but again if I step through it works:

Sub Auto_Open
Workbooks.Open Filename:=ThisWorkbook.Path & ("\PS27a(manual).xlt"),
UpdateLinks:=3
'ThisWorkbook.Close savechanges:=False ' rem'ed out for now
End Sub

Regards

Mick

Put your code in the Workbook_Open event found in the ThisWorkbook module.

 

[Tom Ogilvy]

I said in the Workbook_Open Event.

In the thisworkbook module, in the left dropdown at the top, select Workbook
from the left dropdown and Open from the right dropdown. It will put in
code like this

Private Sub Workbook_Open()


End Sub

put your code in there


Private Sub Workbook_Open()
Workbooks.Open Filename:= _
ThisWorkbook.Path & ("\PS27a(manual).xlt"), _
UpdateLinks:=3
'ThisWorkbook.Close savechanges:=False ' rem'ed out for now
End Sub

--
Regards,
Tom Ogilvy


End Sub

 

[Dave Peterson]

Ah, but Tom suggested that you put the code into the Workbook_open
procedure--not just in the ThisWorkbook module.

But since it's a template, you could use another argument in the workbooks.open
statement:

Workbooks.Open Filename:=ThisWorkbook.Path & "\book1.xlt", UpdateLinks:=3, _
editable:=False

The editable:=false works nicely with the template.

And this worked in the Auto_open procedure for me, too.

====
and just for no good reason at all...

since you're in another macro, you can change the setting, open the workbook,
and change it back. (I wouldn't use this!):

Dim ExistingAskToUpdateLinks As Boolean
With Application
ExistingAskToUpdateLinks = .AskToUpdateLinks
.AskToUpdateLinks = False
Workbooks.Add template:=ThisWorkbook.Path & "\book1.xlt"
.AskToUpdateLinks = ExistingAskToUpdateLinks
End With

'ThisWorkbook.Close savechanges:=false

But something like this could come in handy(???) later on (probably not,
though!).

 

[Mick Southam]

Thanks Guys for all your help I'm now sorted.
Regards
Mick