Show All

Share a workbook

1. Create a workbook you want to make available for multiuser editing, and enter any data you want to provide.

   If you want to include any of the following features, add them now: merged cells, conditional formats, data validation, charts, pictures, objects including drawing objects, hyperlinks, scenarios, outlines, subtotals, data tables, PivotTable reports, workbook and worksheet protection, and macros. You can't make changes to these features after you share the workbook.

2. On the Tools menu, click Share Workbook, and then click the Editing tab.
3. Select the Allow changes by more than one user at the same time check box, and then click OK.
4. When prompted, save the workbook.
5. On the File menu, click Save As, and then save the workbook on a network location accessible to the intended users. Use a shared network folder, not a Web server.
6. Check any links to other workbooks or documents, and fix any that are broken.

   How?

   1. On the Edit menu, click Links.

      The Links command is unavailable if your file does not contain linked information.

   2. Click Check Status to update the status for all links in the list. This may take a while if there are a lot of links, or if the source workbook for the links is on a network location, and the network is slow.

   3. Check the status in the Status column, select the link, and then take the action needed.

      OK    No action required, the link is working and up to date.

      Unknown Click Check Status to update the status for all links in the list.

      N/A    The link uses Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) or Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE). Microsoft Excel cannot check the status of these types of links.

      Error: Source not found    Click Change Source, and select another workbook.

      Error: Worksheet not found    Click Change Source, and then select another worksheet. The source may have been moved or renamed.

      Warning: Values not updated    Click Update Values. The link was not updated when the workbook was opened.

      Warning  Click Open Source, and calculate the workbook by pressing F9. The workbook may be set to manual calculation. To set to automatic calculation, on the Tools menu, click Options, select the Calculation tab, and then click Automatic.

      Warning  Some names cannot be resolved until the source workbook is opened. Click Open Source, switch back to the destination workbook, and click Check Status. If this does not resolve the problem, make sure the name is not misspelled or missing. Switch to the source workbook, and then on the Insert menu, point to Name, and then click Define, and look for the name.

      Warning  Click Open Source. The link cannot be updated until the source is open.

      Source is open    The status of a link cannot be checked.

      Values updated from filename No action required, the values have been updated.

      Warning  Excel cannot determine the status of the link. The source may contain no worksheets, or be saved in an unsupported file format. Click Update Values.

Notes

• All users with access to the network share have full access to the shared workbook, unless you use the Protect Sheet command (Tools menu, Protection submenu) to restrict access.
• The users who will edit the shared workbook need Microsoft Excel 97 or later (Microsoft Windows) or Excel 98 or later (Macintosh).