Error message #N/A appears in linked cells

Error message #N/A appears in linked cells

Hello,
I'm using Excel 2003 and have files with lots of links.  Cells are linked to 
an external workbook.   The cells in the same column have inconsistent link 
results. Some cells display #N/A and some cells are fine.  The formulas are 
the same, except they refer to a cell in a different row.  When I open the 
supporting sheet the cells update fine and the #N/A disappears and I get the 
source data.  When I close the supporting workbook the #N/A returns.  The 
cells are linking text data.
Would anyone know what is causing this and how I could fix it?
Thanks,
Jake

date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:30:08 -0700 author: Jake

Re: Error message #N/A appears in linked cells

Could be the cells with #N/A are linking to cells with >255 characters?
Not much you can do about it if you want the full text to appear - 
except to open the source workbook.  

Bill Manville
MVP - Microsoft Excel, Oxford, England
No email replies please - respond to newsgroup

date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:29:15 GMT author: Bill Manville

Re: Error message #N/A appears in linked cells

Thanks for the suggestion Bill, but that's not the case.  Some of the cells 
contain much less than 255.  Could there be something in the text that causes 
Excel to display #N/A?

"Bill Manville" wrote:

> Could be the cells with #N/A are linking to cells with >255 characters?
> Not much you can do about it if you want the full text to appear - 
> except to open the source workbook.  
> 
> Bill Manville
> MVP - Microsoft Excel, Oxford, England
> No email replies please - respond to newsgroup
> 
>

date: Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:23:01 -0700 author: Jake

Re: Error message #N/A appears in linked cells

I guess I must be missing something.

Please post an example of a formula that is delivering #N/A when the 
source book is closed.

Is more than one source book referenced and if so are the errors 
specific to one source book?

Are merged cells or shared workbooks involved at either end of the 
link?

Bill Manville
MVP - Microsoft Excel, Oxford, England
No email replies please - respond to newsgroup

date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:55:22 GMT author: Bill Manville

Re: Error message #N/A appears in linked cells

Here is a sample formula:
='\\sh02y291\Resource Management$\6300-50000\Period 3\[MPS Period 3 
6300-50000 roll-ups.xls]MPS'!G5

There is only one source book, although I have other formulas with multiple 
source books that don't have a problem.
No merged cells and the workbooks aren't shared.
Thanks
"Bill Manville" wrote:

> I guess I must be missing something.
> 
> Please post an example of a formula that is delivering #N/A when the 
> source book is closed.
> 
> Is more than one source book referenced and if so are the errors 
> specific to one source book?
> 
> Are merged cells or shared workbooks involved at either end of the 
> link?
> 
> Bill Manville
> MVP - Microsoft Excel, Oxford, England
> No email replies please - respond to newsgroup
> 
>

date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:22:01 -0700 author: Jake

Re: Error message #N/A appears in linked cells

Jake wrote:
> Here is a sample formula:
>

Nothing obvious, I fear - but you knew that.
Do the cells in the source book referenced by the formulas that return 
#N/A themselves contain formulas?

If so, we might be looking in the wrong place and find that the cells 
in the source book (as saved) themselves contain #N/A and so are being 
faithfully represented.  When you open the source workbook though it is 
recalculated and you don't see the #N/A ??

I'm largely out of ideas - haven't experienced this issue myself - or 
heard about it from anyone else.  The only workaround I can suggest is 
opening the source workbook.

I'm willing to look at the workbooks if you would like to send them 
(though possibly the problem won't transfer with them).  Bill 
underscore Manville at Compuserve dot com

Bill Manville
MVP - Microsoft Excel, Oxford, England
No email replies please - respond to newsgroup

date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:17:58 GMT author: Bill Manville

Re: Error message #N/A appears in linked cells

I get this error frequently, it is caused because the files being linked to 
are large and the linked data can not be retrieved unless the source files 
are open.

More annoyingly sometimes opening the files with the links in I get an error 
message saying that there is not enough memory to open the file with the 
links and then the file opens but with none of its formatting.

The only way round is to open the large source files first and then the file 
which links to them.

I do rather bring it on myself by having files of several mb size linking to 
about 6 - 8 other files, often 2 or 3 of these source files are large too.

My advise is to use manual calculation (calculate on save, which prevents 
lost data when excel crashes, another side effect of numerous links) and to 
always open any files being linked to (edit links, open source).  Links to 
unopened files can give error messages, or more worryingly inaccurate 
results.

Barbara

"Bill Manville"  wrote in message 
news:VA.000014c0.7baa9a4b@msn.com...
> Jake wrote:
>> Here is a sample formula:
>>
>
> Nothing obvious, I fear - but you knew that.
> Do the cells in the source book referenced by the formulas that return
> #N/A themselves contain formulas?
>
> If so, we might be looking in the wrong place and find that the cells
> in the source book (as saved) themselves contain #N/A and so are being
> faithfully represented.  When you open the source workbook though it is
> recalculated and you don't see the #N/A ??
>
> I'm largely out of ideas - haven't experienced this issue myself - or
> heard about it from anyone else.  The only workaround I can suggest is
> opening the source workbook.
>
> I'm willing to look at the workbooks if you would like to send them
> (though possibly the problem won't transfer with them).  Bill
> underscore Manville at Compuserve dot com
>
> Bill Manville
> MVP - Microsoft Excel, Oxford, England
> No email replies please - respond to newsgroup
>

date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:54:50 +0100 author: Barbara Wiseman ess