"External data range" message clicking Edit Query button to edit a Web query in Excel (180375)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
  • Microsoft Excel 2001 for Mac
  • Microsoft Excel X for Mac
This article was previously published under Q180375

SYMPTOMS

When you click the Edit Query on the External Data toolbar, you may receive the following error message:
This external data range contains data from a Web query. Web queries cannot be edited.
When this happens, the only option that you have is to click OK.

CAUSE

You cannot edit Web queries in Microsoft Excel. The Edit Query button on the External Data toolbar is used to edit queries that are created in Microsoft Query.

RESOLUTION

To edit a Web query, you must open the Web query file that you created for the Web query by using a text editor like SimpleText.

MORE INFORMATION

Like any other data query in Microsoft Excel, a Web query is a tool to extract information from a Web site and return it back to your worksheet.

To perform a Web query, follow these steps:
  1. Create a Web query file in a text editor with the following lines of text:

    Type of Query
    Version of Query
    URL
    Post Parameters (not required for "Get" queries)

    Note Microsoft Office installs several sample Web query files in the Queries folder. The following is the text of the Microsoft Investor Stock Quote file:

    WEB
    1
    http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/external/excel/quotes.asp?SYMBOL=["QUOTE0", "Enter up to 20 symbols separated by commas."]

    This is a "Get" query because the fourth line of text is not used.
  2. On the Data menu, click Get External Data, and then click Run Web Query.
  3. In the Run Query dialog box, locate and select the query file, and then click Get Data.
Note Based on the type of Web query file that you created, you may have to specify some information for the Web query.

Microsoft Excel performs the query. If the query is successful, the data is returned to the location that you specified.

For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

178870 How to create Web query files

274787 How to create Web query files for use with Excel for Mac

REFERENCES

For more information about Web Queries, click the Index button in Excel Help, type web, queries, click Show Topics, and then double-click the Get data from a Web source topic.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:7/13/2005
Keywords:kberrmsg kbweb KB180375
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