Breaking all links in Excel may seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually quite simple once you know the steps. By breaking links, you are essentially disconnecting the connection between your current workbook and any external sources it may be linked to. This can be helpful if you’re looking to share your workbook without sharing sensitive data or if you want to prevent any further updates from external sources.
Step by Step Tutorial: How to Break All Links in Excel
Before we dive into the steps, it’s important to understand what breaking links in Excel will accomplish. By breaking links, you are making sure that your Excel workbook is no longer connected to any external data sources. This means that any data that was previously being updated automatically from these sources will no longer be updated.
Step 1: Open your Excel workbook
Open the Excel workbook where you want to break the links.
This step is straightforward – you can’t break links if you don’t have your workbook open!
Step 2: Go to the Data tab
Click on the ‘Data’ tab at the top of your Excel window.
The Data tab is where you’ll find all the options related to external data connections, including the option to break links.
Step 3: Click on ‘Edit Links’
In the Connections group, click on ‘Edit Links’.
‘Edit Links’ is the feature in Excel that allows you to manage all of the external connections your workbook has.
Step 4: Break the links
In the Edit Links dialog box, select the links you want to break and click ‘Break Link’.
You’ll be asked to confirm that you want to break the selected links. Once you confirm, the links will be broken.
After you complete these steps, all of the selected links in your Excel workbook will be broken. This means that any data that was being pulled from external sources will no longer be updated automatically. Make sure to save your workbook after breaking links to ensure that your changes are saved.
Tips: Breaking All Links in Excel
- Before breaking links, make sure that you no longer need the data to be updated from external sources.
- Breaking links is a permanent action – once you break a link, you cannot undo it.
- If you’re not sure whether or not to break a link, you can always check where the link is coming from in the Edit Links dialog box.
- Keep in mind that breaking links will not delete any data from your workbook – it will simply stop the data from being updated.
- If you have a lot of links to break, you can select multiple links at once by holding down the Ctrl key while clicking on the links you want to break.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I break a link by accident?
If you break a link by accident, you will not be able to undo the action. However, you can always create a new link to the external source if needed.
Can I break links in multiple workbooks at once?
No, you’ll need to open each workbook individually and break the links one by one.
Will breaking links affect any formulas in my workbook?
Breaking links may affect formulas that rely on data from external sources. Make sure to check your formulas after breaking links.
Can I still share my workbook after breaking links?
Yes, you can still share your workbook after breaking links. In fact, breaking links can be a good way to protect sensitive data before sharing your workbook.
Is there a way to break links in Excel without opening the workbook?
No, you’ll need to open the workbook in Excel in order to break the links.
Summary
- Open your Excel workbook.
- Go to the Data tab.
- Click on ‘Edit Links’.
- Break the links.
Conclusion
Breaking all links in Excel is a fairly straightforward process once you know the steps. Whether you’re looking to share your workbook without external data or simply want to prevent updates from external sources, breaking links can be a useful skill to have. Just remember to double-check that you no longer need the data to be updated, as breaking links is a permanent action. And don’t forget to save your workbook after breaking links to ensure that your changes are preserved. Happy Excel-ing!
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.