I have been sent a file (file 1) and a slightly different version of
it (file 2) from an outside party. Both of these files have the same
link to some other file (file 3) that they didn't send me. So, when I
try to open either file 1 or 2, it tells me it cannot find a file
(file 3 I'm sure) and asks me whether to "continue" opening file 1 (or
2) without updating the vlaues from file 3 or to try to "edit links".
I choose to continue.

Apparently, a value in file 3 changed between the time they produced
file 1 and file 2 and I am interested in that change.

It seems that, if I open file 1, I see results based on the older
vlaue. When I then open file 2, I see results based on the new value,
BUT, it also changes the results in file 1!

If I do the sequence the other way, just the reverse happens.

Since I have told both files to just "continue", it seems bizarre to
me that the file opened first gets an update from the file opened
second, when the latter is opened.

Has anyone experiecned this? It is as if EXCEL is saying, though i
can't see the source file, since you have now opened another file that
looks at that same source file location, I will use that 2nd file's
cell value in place of what I had there in the first file. Obviously,
if file 2 was just a mere update of file 1, it would make some sense
to have file 1 defer to file 2's values. If you open the newer file
first, then the older one, you'd get the old value in both files.

I contend it should ignore any updates, since you told it to
"continue"

Thanks!
Dean