XL: Macro to Delete #REF! Defined Name Errors in a Workbook

• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel, if you have a workbook with defined names that refer to different worksheets and you then delete those worksheets, you will receive a #REF!<cell reference> error in the defined names dialog box. You can only delete the reference errors individually using the Define Name dialog box. However, you can use a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications procedure to delete all defined name reference errors within the active workbook.

MORE INFORMATION

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1. Create a new workbook with at least two sheets.

2. Select cell A1 in Sheet2.

3. On the Insert menu, point to Name, and then click Define.

4. In the Define Name dialog box, type "myname" (without the quotation marks) in the Names In Workbook box, and then click OK.

   This creates a defined name that refers to cell A1 in Sheet2.

5. Delete Sheet2.

   This makes the defined name "myname" refer to =#REF!$A$1.

6. Type the following code in a new module sheet.

         ' This procedure deletes every named range in which the RefersTo
         ' argument contains #REF!, where #REF! begins at the second character
         ' and ends at the fifth.
   

         Sub Delete_Every_Named_Range_With_A_Reference_Error()
            Dim nm As Object
            Dim mystr As String
   
            ' Loops through each name in the active workbook.
            For Each nm In ActiveWorkbook.Names
   
               ' Check for #REF! in the defined name reference.
               If InStr(1, nm.RefersTo, "#REF!") Then
   
                  ' Delete the defined name if it is a match.
                  nm.Delete
   
               End If
            Next
         End Sub
   
   

7. Run the macro.

   The defined name "myname" is deleted from the workbook.