Error Message Updating or Editing Link with Excel 4.0 Running

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 4.0, 4.0a

SYMPTOMS

If you have both Microsoft Excel version 4.0, and Microsoft Excel version 5.0 installed on your computer, when you link information from a worksheet in Microsoft Excel to a document in another application, you receive an error message if you edit or update the linked information while Microsoft Excel version 4.0 is running.

Note that the error message appears whether the information is linked from a Microsoft Excel version 4.0 or 5.0 file.

WORKAROUND

To avoid this behavior, when you have both Microsoft Excel versions 4.0 and 5.0 installed on your system, exit Microsoft Excel version 4.0 before you update or edit the linked information.

Note that when you use this workaround to edit linked information from a Microsoft Excel 4.0 worksheet, the worksheet containing the linked information is opened in Microsoft Excel version 5.0.

MORE INFORMATION

When you edit or update linked information from a Microsoft Excel worksheet, when you have both Microsoft Excel versions 4.0 and 5.0 installed on your computer, the behavior that occurs depends on the application you are using to link to the information (the client application).

Microsoft Word

If you edit information linked from a Microsoft Excel worksheet as either a Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object, or as Unformatted Text, while Microsoft Excel version 4.0 is running, another instance of Microsoft Excel is started and the following error message appears in Microsoft Word:

   Word cannot edit the Microsoft Excel Worksheet

Microsoft Project

If you edit information linked from a Microsoft Excel worksheet as either a Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object, or as Text, while Microsoft Excel version 4.0 is running, another instance of Microsoft Excel starts and the following error message appears in Microsoft Project:

   Cannot start server application

   Can't update from link 'FILENAME.XLS'

Microsoft PowerPoint

When you edit a linked Microsoft Excel worksheet object in Microsoft PowerPoint, one of the following occurs:

• If Microsoft Excel version 4.0 is running, another instance of Microsoft Excel version 4.0 starts, and the following error message appears:

        The linked file was unavailable and could not be opened.
  

  -or-

• If Microsoft Excel version 4.0 is not running, the following error message appears (note that the workaround above won't work in this case):

        The server application, source file, or item cannot be found. Make
        sure the application is properly installed, and that it has not been
        deleted, moved or renamed.
  

Microsoft Access

If you edit or update information linked from a Microsoft Excel worksheet as a Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object, while Microsoft Excel version 4.0 is running, two more instances of Microsoft Excel start and the following error message appears in Microsoft Access:

• The Microsoft Excel Worksheet object does not appear to be correctly registered.