How do I easily change hardcoded links to a file in Excel? - excel

Question

I have a project where I maintain a list of all my students and their information in an Excel file labeled "BigList.xlsx". Then, I have about 40-50 other separate ancillary excel files that link to BigList by using VLOOKUP.
For example, in cell A1 of an ancillary file you might see a formula that looks like this:
=Vlookup(B3,
'c:\documents and settings\user\desktop\[BigList.xlsx]Sheet1'!$a$1:$b$10000,
2,false).
The vlookup link above references BigList.xlsx. However, I just realized that I need to change that file name to something else, like MasterDatabase.xlsm (notice the different extension). Is there an easy way to do this without having to manually go through all 40-50 files and doing a find & replace?
I think the basic idea is to change a hardcoded link into a dynamic one where I can change the filename of BigList.xlsx anytime, and not have to go back through all 40-50 files to update their links.

Answer 1

This should do what you require - maybe not super fast but if you only need to do it once on 50 workbooks it should be good enough. Note that the replace line should make the replacement in all the sheets of the workbook.
Option Explicit
Public Sub replaceLinks()
Dim path As String
Dim file As String
Dim w As Workbook
Dim s As Worksheet
On Error GoTo error_handler
path = "C:\Users\xxxxxx\Documents\Test\"
Application.DisplayAlerts = False
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
file = Dir$(path & "*.xlsx", vbNormal)
Do Until LenB(file) = 0
Set w = Workbooks.Open(path & file)
ActiveSheet.Cells.Replace What:="'THE_LINK_YOU_WANT_TO_CHANGE'!", _
Replacement:="'THE_NEW_LINK'!", LookAt:=xlPart
w.Save
w.Close
file = Dir$
Loop
Application.DisplayAlerts = True
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Exit Sub
error_handler:
MsgBox Err.Description
Application.DisplayAlerts = True
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub

Answer 2

You can do this in Excel 2010 without using any code. (If memory serves, it will also work in earlier versions of Excel.)
Open all 50 ancillary excel files in Excel at the same time.
Open BigList.xlsx. (You now have 51 files open in Excel.)
Click File - Save As and save BigList as MasterDatabase.xlsm
Close the new MasterDatabase.xlsm file.
Look at one of the ancillary files and verify that Excel has it pointed to the new file.
Close and save all files.

Answer 3

This code will automate the link change directly
Update your paths to BigList.xlsx and MasterDatabase.xlsm in the code
Update your path to the 40-50 files (I have used c:\temp\")
The code will then open both these files (for quicker relinking), then one by open the files in strFilePath, change the link from WB1 (strOldMasterFile ) to Wb2 (strOldMasterFile ), then close the saved file
Please note it assumes all these files are closed on code start, as the code will open these file
Sub ChangeLinks()
Dim strFilePath As String
Dim strFileName As String
Dim strOldMasterFile As String
Dim strNewMasterFile As String
Dim WB1 As Workbook
Dim WB2 As Workbook
Dim WB3 As Workbook
Dim lngCalc As Long
strOldMasterFile = "c:\testFolder\bigList.xlsx"
strNewMasterFile = "c:\testFolder\newFile.xlsm"
On Error Resume Next
Set WB1 = Workbooks.Open(strOldMasterFile)
Set WB2 = Workbooks.Open(strNewMasterFile)
If WB1 Is Nothing Or WB2 Is Nothing Then
MsgBox "One (or both) of " & vbnerwline & strOldMasterFile & vbNewLine & strNewMasterFile & vbNewLine & "cannot be found"
WB1.Close False
WB2.Close False
Exit Sub
End If
On Error GoTo 0
With Application
.DisplayAlerts = False
.ScreenUpdating = False
.EnableEvents = False
lngCalc = .Calculation
.Calculation = xlCalculationManual
End With
strFilePath = "c:\temp\"
strFileName = Dir(strFilePath & "*.xls*")
'Error handling as link may not exist in all files
On Error Resume Next
Do While Len(strFileName) > 0
Set WB2 = Workbooks.Open(strFilePath & strFileName, False)
WB2.ChangeLink strOldMasterFile, strNewMasterFile, xlExcelLinks
WB2.Save
WB2.Close False
strFileName = Dir
Loop
On Error GoTo 0
WB1.Close False
WB2.Close False
With Application
.DisplayAlerts = True
.ScreenUpdating = True
.EnableEvents = True
.Calculation = lngCalc
End With
End Sub