This formula:

='[Journal Entries April 2008.xls]PARTS YE'!$E$31

which is in the May workbook looking at the April workbook will update from
a closed April workbook just fine. When I open the May workbook with the
April workbook closed, Excel asks if I want to update from an external
source. I just click OK and it does it. I noticed that it even added the full
path to my formula.

It went from: ='[Journal Entries April 2008.xls]PARTS YE'!$E$31
To: ='C:\Documents and Settings\FULL PATH.................\[Journal Entries
April 2008.xls]PARTS YE'!$E$31

Why then does:

='[Journal Entries April 2008.xls]PARTS YE'!$E$31

work just fine and the same formula that figures the date part (in this
case: APRIL 2008) will not. Hence the need for a macro.

Why can't I just replace [Journal Entries April 2008.xls] with something
like: ="Journal Entries "&TEXT(DATE(YEAR(TODAY()),MONTH(TODAY())-1,1),"MMMM
YYYY") &".xls" (which returns Journal Entries April 2008.xls) And have Excel
ask me to update when I open the workbook just like it does with the 1st
formula above?

I have tried this but the structure of the formula is different. The orginal
formula uses brackets: [ ], while the one just above does not.

Anyway this is what I am trying to do so it is automated.

If someone could figure out how to make this formula work then no macro
would be needed. If it is really not possible I would like to know why so I
don't end up trying this again in the future.

Thank you.