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Error message when you attempt to save a workbook in Excel 97: "Unable to save external link values"

Article ID: 178086 - View products that this article applies to.

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This article was previously published under Q178086

Microsoft Excel for Windows 95 7.0|7.0
Microsoft Excel for Windows 95 7.0a|7.0a

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SYMPTOMS

You try to save a workbook that contains either of the following:

A link to a large range of cells in another workbook (approximately 16,000 cells
Too many cells that are linked to a cell in another workbook

When you do this, you receive the following error message:

Not enough memory

Then, you receive the following error message:

Unable to save external link values

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This problem occurs when you save a workbook that contains a link to a range of cells in a different workbook, and the range is more than 16,000 cells. This problem occurs because Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows cannot save a workbook that contains a link to an external range of more than 16,000 cells.

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WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, link to multiple smaller ranges instead of one large range.

If you do not need to save a copy of the external link values, you can disable the option to save a copy of the external link values by following these steps:

Switch to the workbook that contains the link formulas.
On the Tools menu, click Options.
Click the Calculation tab in the Options dialog box.
Clear the Save External Link Values option under Workbook Options and click OK.

To work around this problem, you can also move the sheet or the sheets that contain the external data range that you are referencing in the VLOOKUP into the same workbook that contains the VLOOKUP formulas.

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STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

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Properties

Article ID: 178086 - Last Review: July 24, 2007 - Revision: 2.0

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition

kbbug kberrmsg kbpending KB178086

Retired KB Content Disclaimer

This article was written about products for which Microsoft no longer offers support. Therefore, this article is offered "as is" and will no longer be updated.

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