Error Opening File That Refers to Shortcut (132976)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95
This article was previously published under Q132976

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, when you open a workbook that contains a reference to a shortcut to a workbook, one of the following symptoms occurs:

  • If the workbook that you open contains the defined name "Auto_Open" that refers to a macro in the shortcut to the workbook, you receive the following error message
    Cannot find '<filename>'!<macro>, which has been assigned to run each time [<book>] is opened. Continuing could cause errors. Cancel opening [<book>]?
    where <filename> is the name of the shortcut to the workbook that contains your macro, <macro> is the name of the macro you want to run automatically, <book> is the name of the workbook that you are opening that contains the Auto_Open defined name.
  • If the workbook that you open contains a link to a cell in the shortcut to the workbook, the File Not Found dialog box appears (if you choose to reestablish the link).

CAUSE

In Microsoft Windows 95, you can create a shortcut to any program, document, or printer, and put this shortcut in any folder or on the desktop. This makes it easy to access the objects that you use most frequently. However, if you create a link or reference to a shortcut to a workbook in a Microsoft Excel workbook, the above behavior occurs because Microsoft Excel does not recognize the workbook that the shortcut refers to.

WORKAROUND

To work around this behavior, create the link or reference to the original workbook instead of to a shortcut to the workbook.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

REFERENCES

For more information about creating and using a shortcut in Microsoft Windows, click the Index tab in Windows Help, type the following text

shortcuts, about

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "More Ways T Customize Windows" topic.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:8/15/2005
Keywords:kbProgramming KB132976
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.