Does Workbooks.open update links in the cells?

[Ceeyee]

Hi,

If I use Workbooks.open in VBA to open another workbook which has some links grabbing data from external source such as from the internet through an API.

Does that workbook being opened update the cells or it won't (if yes, then how to make sure it does NOT)?
Thanks.

 

[villy]

I think if you have a code in Workbook.Open declaration then it will run as it open.
If you dont want if to run automatically then remove any macro inside the Workbook.Open

 

[Ceeyee]

I don't have anything in the Workbooks.Open except for the path and file name.

So the cells and formulas in the opened workbook will not be updated when the book is being opened right?

 

[villy]

Not necessarily..
Because you are talking about a formula in the cell to be opened.
Supposed you have in a cell =TODAY() then as it open it will update to today's date automatically upon opening even without a macro in Workbook.Open

 

[Ceeyee]

Is there are way to control it so that they don't update?
Thanks.

 

[villy]

The only solution I have in mind is to put your formulas into a Macro/VBA code then only if you want it to update then run the Macro.
It that case you will not have any formula in the sheets so even if it opens the workbook no update will be made unless you run the Macro.
I don't know if others have their own idea how to control it but as for me it will work.
Thanks

 

[Ceeyee]

Thanks for the suggestion but I have thousands of those cells with many different links so it's not feasible to put them all in macros...

 

[villy]

Actually not all formaulas will automatically update as you opens a workbook as long as you did nothing to a cell that will trigger the formulas you have.
Only those like =TODAY(), =NOW() in a cell always update as you open.
All formulas related to changing depends on current date and time.
If you don't want to update this date as you open then only those formulas need to be in macro.

 

[RoryA]

You could disable calculation before you open the workbook and specify the updatelinks:=false argument for workbooks.open

 

[Ceeyee]

Maybe it relates to application.volatile?
If the functions in my cells are not volatile then they won't update right?