How the Excel link works

When exporting data from Excel to PowerPoint, UpSlide stores information in both the source file and the recipient file.

Storing information in Excel allows versioning to work. When creating a copy or a new version of the same Excel file, the link information is already there. The information in PowerPoint is accessed through the Link Information menu. This is a useful tool for finding which file was used as the source for the last update of a given link. 

When updating links, UpSlide searches through all opened Excel files to find the latest source available for a given link. If a single source is found, the update is carried out. If not, a warning is displayed. This article lists the different types of warnings that can show in the Excel Link Manager, the cause and how to resolve them.

Warning Types

No Source

No link information

No source happens when no source is found in the opened workbooks. You can double-click the warning to open the Link Information window and open the last file used to update the link.

This issue can occur in different cases:

• The Excel file wasn't saved after exporting to PowerPoint. 
• The Excel file was restored from a version that didn't contain the link information.
• The source was deleted from Excel.

The link information can't be found in the Excel file, so UpSlide can't identify it as the source, even if part of it is available in PowerPoint. 

Solution

The only solution in this case is to export the link again. To avoid this warning, be sure to save both your Excel and PowerPoint files when exporting content. 

Update with last workbook

If the option Update with last workbook is checked, UpSlide will only look for the source of the link in the workbook marked as the source in Link Information. This makes the update faster because UpSlide isn't looking for the source in every opened file, but it deactivates versioning: any update performed on an older or more recent version of the file results in a no source.

Solution

Click Fix next to the warning in the Excel Link Manager. In the Issue view, a button is available to disable the option and try updating the link again.

Outdated Data

If the data you are trying to update is older than the data stored PowerPoint, you will receive this warning. This was included to prevent overwriting new data with old data.

This issue can occur in different cases:

• The Excel file wasn't saved after exporting to PowerPoint.
• The update is done using an older version of the file.

Solution

This warning can be bypassed by checking the Ignore outdated data warning option.

Multiple Sources

If several versions of the source file are open when you click Update, UpSlide won't know which one to use and display the warning. This issue tends to occur when charts or sheets are duplicated, resulting in duplicated link information.

Solution

By double-clicking the error, you can open the Link Information and navigate between available sources. To visualize where the source is located in Excel, double-click the sheet name.

When you have determined which source is the correct one, select it and click Use for update to solve the conflict.