Word linking to Excel (hidden Excel)

[Doug Needham]

I've linked Word and Excel files. Under Windows 7, those paths are fixed rather than relative. So moving files to a new folder and/or renaming them causes the links to be broken. What I've resorted to is:

1. Revealing codes within the Word file.
2. Search and replace for the path of the new destination folder
3. Then update the links.

This methodology appears to be working fine, although it's far more difficult than the days of Windows XP when you could simply move files easily without breaking links. That's another story by itself.

Now to my problem: When I open the Word file, it is automatically opening the linked Excel file over and over again. It appears to be updating links within the Word document. This has not happened to me in the past. All of the links are set to "Manual" rather than "Automatic", so I'm not sure why it's opening the Excel file repeatedly.

Secondly, when it finally goes through this whole process, the Word file is now open. I notice that Excel is also running, but there is no file open. If I now try to open my linked Excel file, I'm prompted with an error saying that Excel cannot open two files with the same name at the same time. It looks as if my linked Excel file is "hidden", almost acting like a Personal.xlsx file.

There have also been times when I've tried to open my linked Excel file, and it's completely blank. I cannot see anything including books at the bottom, but I know that data/formulas are there because when I move the cursor around, the formula bar shows the contents of the cells. My solution to fix this has been under View, I select Arrange All, and then select Ok.

I hope there's a simple explanation for these issues and hopefully an equally simple solution.

Thanks