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Fixing a broken link

Links can be broken for a variety of reasons and it can take considerable time to diagnose the problem. Some examples of actions that can break links include:

  • Moving or deleting the Working Papers client file
  • Moving a Connector document
  • Referencing multiple client files in documents
  • Incorrect syntax in linkages

Use this topic as a guide for identifying the cause of the issue and the steps required to correct it. The following tips can be used as a general guideline for troubleshooting errors:

  1. Open the Link Paths dialog Tools | Link Paths.
  2. Ensure that paths do not contain a broken link: ()

If any link paths are broken, you can correct them from this dialog for DDE linkages. For UDF linkages you must search your document for links that use the client_file argument and correct the file paths.

If your document connects to the Working Papers client file that is currently open, then ensure Connector is recognizing this file. Use the Link Paths dialog or the Linkage dialog to check the current connection.

If you have multiple client files open, try closing the client file not in use.

If you are getting errors such as #VALUE, #N/A or #REF in your document refer to the topic Error Messages List for a complete list of errors and their causes.

If Connector commands are not working properly it can mean your settings in Excel are blocking or preventing Connector from working. Refer to the topic Common Issues in Excel.

When using Office 2010 or later, DOCX and XLSX file links may break when transferring files.

Example: Word document WD.DOCX in folder C:\Folder1 is linked to Excel workbook XL.XLSX in C:\Folder1.

  • Copy the content of C:\Folder1 to C:\Folder2.
  • C:\Folder2\WD.DOCX remains linked to C:\Folder1\XL.XLSX instead of C:\Folder2\XL.XLSX.

To resolve: 

  1. Open C:\Folder1\WD.DOCX and Save As .DOC format
  2. Copy C:\Folder1\WD.DOC to C:\Folder2
  3. Open C:\Folder1\WD.DOC and update the link to XL.XLSX.
  4. Press Alt+F9 and ensure that the path is changed to the local C:\Folder2.
  5. Save the document.
  6. Open C:\Folder1\WD.DOC and Save As WD.DOCX.