Grettings,

I haven't played with Excel for several months... I'm copying an area from
one spreadsheet file, and pasting it into another spreadsheet file. What I
expect to happen is that the pasted cells will retain their link to the
source spreadsheet. Instead what is happening is that the cells contain the
formula of the source cell which then wreaks havoc on my spreadsheet because
that formula makes no sense out of the original spreadsheet. Is there a
setting somewhere that must be off? Why are the pasted cells not retaining
the fully qualified path back to the originating source?

Thanks - Russ

Russ,

Instead of copy and pasting, try

1) copy / pastespecial link.

2) cut then paste, then close the workbook from which you cut the cell
without saving changes.

HTH,
Bernie
MS Excel MVP


"xrbbaker" wrote in message
...
Grettings,

I haven't played with Excel for several months... I'm copying an area from
one spreadsheet file, and pasting it into another spreadsheet file. What
I
expect to happen is that the pasted cells will retain their link to the
source spreadsheet. Instead what is happening is that the cells contain
the
formula of the source cell which then wreaks havoc on my spreadsheet
because
that formula makes no sense out of the original spreadsheet. Is there a
setting somewhere that must be off? Why are the pasted cells not
retaining
the fully qualified path back to the originating source?

Thanks - Russ

Bernie,

Weird. That worked. I shouldn't have to do that should I? Like I said
it's been a while since I built anything significant in Excel, and this is
now on a new machine. However I'm sure I never had to do that in the past.
A copy followed by a paste previously held the relationship to the
originating spreadsheet without having to jump through the hoops we did here.
Is this a known bug?

Thanks very much for your help. - russ

"Bernie Deitrick" wrote:

Russ,

Instead of copy and pasting, try

1) copy / pastespecial link.

2) cut then paste, then close the workbook from which you cut the cell
without saving changes.

HTH,
Bernie
MS Excel MVP


"xrbbaker" wrote in message
...
Grettings,

I haven't played with Excel for several months... I'm copying an area from
one spreadsheet file, and pasting it into another spreadsheet file. What
I
expect to happen is that the pasted cells will retain their link to the
source spreadsheet. Instead what is happening is that the cells contain
the
formula of the source cell which then wreaks havoc on my spreadsheet
because
that formula makes no sense out of the original spreadsheet. Is there a
setting somewhere that must be off? Why are the pasted cells not
retaining
the fully qualified path back to the originating source?

Thanks - Russ

A copy followed by a paste previously held the relationship to the
originating spreadsheet without having to jump through the hoops we did here.

No. Copy has always been a "relative" process, with Excel changing the references relative to where
the formula is pasted with a few quite notable exceptions:

1) when a cell address is given in absolute mode: $A1, A$1, or $A$1
2) when the cell reference also has a sheet reference: ='Sheet Name'!A1
3) Combinations of the above...

If you are working with existing formulas, you can change all cell references to sheet and cell
references easily. Select your cells with a formula, press alt and drag the selection onto a new
sheet, release it, then press alt and drag them back to where they were origianlly. Then when you
do the copy / paste Excel will keeep the sheet references.

HTH,
Bernie
MS Excel MVP

Now that is a very helpful hint!! Thanks again

"Bernie Deitrick" wrote:

A copy followed by a paste previously held the relationship to the
originating spreadsheet without having to jump through the hoops we did here.

No. Copy has always been a "relative" process, with Excel changing the references relative to where
the formula is pasted with a few quite notable exceptions:

1) when a cell address is given in absolute mode: $A1, A$1, or $A$1
2) when the cell reference also has a sheet reference: ='Sheet Name'!A1
3) Combinations of the above...

If you are working with existing formulas, you can change all cell references to sheet and cell
references easily. Select your cells with a formula, press alt and drag the selection onto a new
sheet, release it, then press alt and drag them back to where they were origianlly. Then when you
do the copy / paste Excel will keeep the sheet references.

HTH,
Bernie
MS Excel MVP