XL98: "Unable to Read File" Error Opening Workbook (175751)

SYMPTOMS

When you open a workbook in Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, you may receive the following error message:

The workbook you opened contains automatic links to information in another workbook. Do you want to update this workbook with changes made to the other workbook?

When you click Yes, you receive the following error message:

Unable to read file.

When Microsoft Excel opens the workbook, many of the cells in the workbook contain #REF! error values.

CAUSE

This problem may occur when the following conditions are true:

In Microsoft Access 7.0 or Microsoft Access 97, you export a table or query to a Microsoft Excel workbook (for example, Source.xls).

-and-
In any version of Microsoft Excel, you open Source.xls. You copy a range of cells in Source.xls, use the Paste Link command to paste the cells in another workbook, and then save the workbook (for example, as Depend.xls).

-and-
You close both Source.xls and Depend.xls.

-and-
In Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, you open Depend.xls, and click Yes when you are prompted to update Depend.xls with changes that are in the other workbook (Source.xls).

Specifically, the problem occurs because Microsoft Access may not write the workbook correctly when you export it from Microsoft Access. This may cause problems when you try to link to the workbook from a different workbook.

NOTE: This problem occurs only in Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition. It does not occur in Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, follow these steps:

In Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, open the original workbook that you exported from Microsoft Access (for example, Source.xls).
On the File menu, click Save. Then, click Close on the File menu.

When you open the dependent workbook and click Yes, you should not receive the "Unable to read file" error message. Also, none of the cells in the workbook should contain #REF! error values.

Note that you cannot use Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows to perform the steps in this section; you must use Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition.

If you cannot open and save the source workbook in Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, open the source workbook (Source.xls) before you open the dependent workbook (Depend.xls). After you open the dependent workbook (Depend.xls), close the source workbook (Source.xls).

NOTE: If you export the source workbook from Microsoft Access again, you may need to repeat these steps.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Access, you can export a table or a query to a Microsoft Excel workbook. To do this, follow these steps:

Switch to the table or query that you want to export. Then, click Save As/Export on the File menu.
In the Save As dialog box, click "To an External File or Database" and click OK.
In the Save As Type box, click either Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 5-7. Enter a name for the workbook in the File Name box. Click Export to export the workbook.

If you open this workbook in Microsoft Excel, copy a range of cells in the workbook, switch to another workbook, click Paste on the Edit menu, and then click Paste Link; you may receive the error message when you open the dependent workbook in Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition. Use the workarounds in this article to prevent this problem from occurring.