Deleting Stubborn Links

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 15, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021


Max has a client to whom he e-mails a workbook. The client somehow adds local links to the workbook; they are not in what Max sends him. The links clearly show they are linked to the client's machine, and Max can't seem to delete the added links and the client can't either. (The client has no idea how they are being added.) When they become annoying enough, Max simply creates a new workbook and moves the data to the new workbook, and the process starts over again. Max wonders how he can remove the links that won't "break" and how he can prevent his client from adding such links.

There are actually two questions here: how to remove the links and how to prevent their addition. Finding and removing links can be a challenge because those links can exist in so, so many places. In fact, I wrote a complete tip about this some time ago; check it out: Uncovering and Removing Links. You can find some great information there (which I won't repeat here) on how to track down stubborn links. You may also find that using an add-in to help track down links, such as the one created by Bill Manville (FindLink), to be a good resource. You can find information about the add-in here:

https://www.manville.org.uk/software/findlink.htm

As to how to stop the client from adding those links? My guess is that they are probably being added by the client copying information into Max's workbook. For instance:

  • The client is copying a range of cells from a different workbook into Max's workbook and those cells contain links.
  • The client is moving a copy of a worksheet from a different workbook into Max's workbook and that worksheet contains links.
  • The client is copying an image or other object and pasting it, with Excel using "paste as link" as the default because of the large size of the image or object.
  • The client is copying information from a Word document and using "paste as link" to place it in the workbook.

These are just a few common scenarios; there could be dozens of others. The key is knowing what the client is adding to the workbook and how the client is adding it. Once you know this, you can direct the client to either not add it or to add it differently (such as using "paste as text" or "paste values" instead of "paste as link").

If it seems impossible to get the client to change his or her pasting habits, then you may want to consider protecting your worksheets before sending the workbook. That way the cells cannot be changed. The client may still be able to add entire worksheets (depending on how you have protection applied), but in that case you would have a very good idea of where the links are located, knowing they are not on your protected worksheets.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (7653) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

End-of-Month Calculations

Don't want to use the EOMONTH function to figure out the end of a given month? Here are some other ideas for discovering ...

Discover More

Microsoft Word VBA Guidebook (Special Offer)

Microsoft Word VBA Guidebook can show you how to create and understand macros. Another way to increase your ...

Discover More

Extracting E-mail Addresses from Hyperlinks

If you have a list of hyperlinked e-mail addresses in a worksheet, you may want to extract the addresses from those ...

Discover More

Best-Selling VBA Tutorial for Beginners Take your Excel knowledge to the next level. With a little background in VBA programming, you can go well beyond basic spreadsheets and functions. Use macros to reduce errors, save time, and integrate with other Microsoft applications. Fully updated for the latest version of Office 365. Check out Microsoft 365 Excel VBA Programming For Dummies today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Stopping the Deletion of Cells

You can delete cells from a worksheet, and Excel will move the remaining cells either to the left or upwards. Deletions, ...

Discover More

Copying Rows between Worksheets Based on a Text Value

Want to move data from one worksheet to another based on a text value in a column. There are a couple of ways you can ...

Discover More

Typing a Schwa Character in Excel

How you add special characters to Excel can differ from how you add them in other Office programs, such as Word. This tip ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is two less than 6?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.