I have a word document with a link to a range in excel. Under windows 11 the link fails

Question

I have a word document with a link to a range in excel. Under windows 11 the link fails

michael coltart 25

I have recently purchased a windows 11 laptop. I have a template file which is used to create a word document which is a newsletter. The template and therefore the document contain a link to an excel range containg the email addresses for a mail merge. This system was created on a windows 10 laptop. Under windows 11 the link is not present when the document is opened and has to be reset manually. After saving and reopening the link is not present again. It looks like a Windows 11 problem. Anyone else noted this or any suggestions.

Viorel 127K Reputation points

2025-07-05T14:30:09.18+00:00

To work around the issue, did you try to save the corrected document (and maybe the Excel file too) as a different file?
michael coltart 25 Reputation points

2025-07-06T12:58:21.2966667+00:00

No I haven't tried that but I suppose it would work as a new link would have to be established. I've done some research which is documented in the attached file. Hopefully the workaround described will not be required for documents created under win11. It seems that there is something about win 10 documents that win 11 can't interpretate.
michael coltart 25 Reputation points

2025-07-06T13:02:34.37+00:00

did u receive the attachment? It doesn't show on the "Comment" i just posted.
Stefan Blom 342.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-07-06T13:20:19.9666667+00:00

Michael, in the forum, you can only upload certain types of files: image files, PDFs and some more. To share sample Office files, you can post links to them. Upload the sample files to OneDrive (for example), generate download links and post the links in a message here.
michael coltart 25 Reputation points

2025-07-07T08:25:51.6833333+00:00

did u receive the attachment? It doesn't show on the "Comment" i just posted.

1 answer

Your answer

Viorel 127K Reputation points

2025-07-05T14:30:09.18+00:00

To work around the issue, did you try to save the corrected document (and maybe the Excel file too) as a different file?
michael coltart 25 Reputation points

2025-07-06T12:58:21.2966667+00:00

No I haven't tried that but I suppose it would work as a new link would have to be established. I've done some research which is documented in the attached file. Hopefully the workaround described will not be required for documents created under win11. It seems that there is something about win 10 documents that win 11 can't interpretate.
michael coltart 25 Reputation points

2025-07-06T13:02:34.37+00:00

did u receive the attachment? It doesn't show on the "Comment" i just posted.
Stefan Blom 342.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-07-06T13:20:19.9666667+00:00

Michael, in the forum, you can only upload certain types of files: image files, PDFs and some more. To share sample Office files, you can post links to them. Upload the sample files to OneDrive (for example), generate download links and post the links in a message here.
michael coltart 25 Reputation points

2025-07-07T08:25:51.6833333+00:00

did u receive the attachment? It doesn't show on the "Comment" i just posted.

Answer 1

michael coltart 25

Reference my post at 13:58 on6th July

Link failure Word to Excel: When opening a document under Windows 11

On opening the normal msgbox requests permission to establish the link. The SQL statement is shown and includes the correct excel range name.

On “Yes” instead of displaying the document the Data Source window is displayed.

Once the source excel file has been selected, and without allowing the range to be selected, the document is displayed with the link established.

Reopen the document and no request to accept the link appears and the link is not present.

Using Mailings/ Select Recipients/ Use an Existing List this time the range list is displayed for selection.

Close and save the document.

Reopen the document and the allow link msgbox appears as normal. On acceptance the document is displayed with the link.

Subsequent openings are normal.

michael coltart 25 Reputation points

2025-07-09T08:59:55.4733333+00:00

I have now discovered that documents that are linking successfully in windows 11 do not have the link when opened in windows 10, The same routine described in my previous comment corrects the problem. So the windows version must set something in the document which causes the issue. My difficulty is that the documents are shared (OneDrive) with users some with 10 and others with 11.

Share via

I have a word document with a link to a range in excel. Under windows 11 the link fails

1 answer

Your answer