Excel: Can't Evaluate Link to Closed Document in Formula Bar

 Last reviewed: September 26, 1995
Article ID: Q81025
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 3.x, 4.x, 5.0, 5.0c
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 5.0a

SUMMARY

A portion of an Excel formula can be evaluated in the formula bar by highlighting it and pressing COMMAND+= (equals sign) (F9 in Excel for Windows). Links to closed documents will return a #REF! error when evaluated in this way.

Microsoft Excel versions 3.0 and 4.0 will evaluate both complex and simple references to closed documents in cells but not in the formula bar. To determine the value of a link to a closed document, type the external reference by itself into a cell on the spreadsheet.

For a definition of simple and complex links in Excel, query on the following words: 

   definition and simple and complex and links

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Excel User's Guide," for the Macintosh, version 3.0, pages 288- 289

KBCategory: kbother
KBSubcategory:

Additional reference words: 3.0 3.00 4.0 4.00 5.00

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Last reviewed: September 26, 1995
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