Updating linked Excel charts in PowerPoint - excel

Question

I can do this by going to file -> links -> update automatically.
However, this leads to crashes on other people's computers. This might be a compatibility issue since I'm on PowerPoint 2016.
I have 30+ charts that I would like updated.
I tried the following VBA but I end up with a pop-up from Excel saying:
Microsoft Excel is waiting for another application to complete an OLE action.
This continued popping up for 15 minutes.
Sub ChangeChartData()
Dim pptChart As Chart
Dim pptChartData As ChartData
Dim pptWorkbook As Object
Dim sld As Slide
Dim shp As Shape
For Each sld In ActivePresentation.Slides
For Each shp In sld.Shapes
If shp.HasChart Then
Set pptChart = shp.Chart
Set pptChartData = pptChart.ChartData
pptChartData.Activate
Set pptWorkbook = pptChartData.Workbook
On Error Resume Next
'update first link
pptWorkbook.UpdateLink pptWorkbook.LinkSources(1)
On Error GoTo 0
pptWorkbook.Close True
End If
Next
Next
Set pptWorkbook = Nothing
Set pptChartData = Nothing
Set pptChart = Nothing
End Sub

Answer 1

One thing I would be interested in trying is, change this:
On Error Resume Next
'update first link
pptWorkbook.UpdateLink pptWorkbook.LinkSources(1)
On Error GoTo 0
To this. (I had inquired earlier what happens if you remove On Error Resume Next and you never answered. As a general rule, you should never do that unless you are absolutely certain you know what you're doing with that, and are handling potential errors adequately, in this case you probably are not, but I don't know if there are errors).
'On Error Resume Next
'update first link
pptWorkbook.UpdateLink pptWorkbook.LinkSources(1)
'On Error GoTo 0
If that raises an error, please inform what specific error message is given.
If that doesn't raise an error, but results in the same problems, try this instead:
'On Error Resume Next
'update first link
pptWorkbook.UpdateLink pptWorkbook.LinkSources(1)
'On Error GoTo 0
Exit For '### Get out of the loop
If, as you say, all charts are linked to same data, then I think it's safe to Exit For to avoid redundant calls that aren't doing anything. Still problem, try:
'On Error Resume Next
'update first link
pptWorkbook.RefreshAll
'On Error GoTo 0
Exit For '### Get out of the loop
Finally, and I have some suspicion that this might actually work, try this. You've said there are no formula reference or external links (database, text, web queries, etc.) so it shouldn't seem necessary to do a RefreshAll or even UpdateLink seems pointless. Simply activating the chartdata worksheet and then immediately closing it seems like it should update the data in the PPT embedded Excel sheet and Chart. At least it does when I test on a non-Bloomberg file.
pptChartData.Activate
Set pptWorkbook = pptChartData.Workbook
'On Error Resume Next
'update first link
'pptWorkbook.UpdateLink pptWorkbook.LinkSources(1)
'On Error GoTo 0
pptWorkbook.Close True
Exit For
Note: again you want the Exit For because there is no sense in refreshing the same file 30 times.

Answer 2

For me worked this:
For Each sld In ActivePresentation.Slides
For Each shp In sld.Shapes
If shp.HasChart Then
shp.Chart.ChartData.Activate
shp.Chart.ChartData.Workbook.UpdateLink shp.Chart.ChartData.Workbook.LinkSources(1)
shp.Chart.ChartData.Workbook.Close True
End If
Next
Next
i.e. not creating new variables just working with the original ones.

Answer 3

I've just come across this happen today on a colleagues laptop. To solve the issue, in Excel go to File>Trust Center>Trust Center Settings>External Content select top radio button Enable all Data Connections