XL5: Can't Edit or Activate Copy Picture Link from Excel

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0
• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a
• Microsoft Project for Windows, version 4.0
• Microsoft Access, version 2.0
• Microsoft Write, versions 3.1, 3.11

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, when you use the Copy Picture command in an unsaved workbook, and you link this information to another application, the linked information is not updated, and you receive an error message when you activate or edit the linked object.

WORKAROUND

To avoid this behavior when you link picture information from Microsoft Excel to another application, do any of the following:

• Link the information in the Microsoft Excel workbook as a picture using the following steps:

  1. In Microsoft Excel, copy the information you want to link to another

        application (do not use Copy Picture).
  

  2. In the document to which you want to link the information, choose

        Paste Special from the Edit menu.
  

  3. Select the Paste Link option. From the As box, select Microsoft Excel

        5.0 Worksheet Object (or Picture) and choose OK.
  

  -or-

• Save the workbook in Microsoft Excel before you use the Copy Picture command.

  -or-

• If you have already used the Copy Picture command and linked information from an unsaved workbook, do the following to fix the link:

  1. In Microsoft Excel, save the workbook that contains the information

        that you want to link.
  

  2. In the document that contains the linked information, choose Links

        from the Edit menu.
  

  3. From the Source File list, select the link. Choose the Change Source

        button. From the File Name list, select the name of the file you
        saved in Step 1 and choose OK. The link is now re-established.
  

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

The following table shows the error messages that may appear when you use the Copy Picture command on a Microsoft Excel worksheet, and you select the Paste Link option in the Paste Special dialog box of the application to which you want to paste the information.

   Application        Error Message
   -----------------  ------------------------------
   Microsoft Word     Word cannot edit the Microsoft
                      Excel worksheet

   Microsoft Project  Cannot open linked document

   Microsoft Write    Linked document is unavailable

   Microsoft Access   A file needed to complete the
                      operation could not be opened