How to Prevent Excel External Links from Breaking for Other Users in WPS Office
Question details
The user needs to prevent external workbook links in an Excel 2016 file from returning #REF! when other users open the same main workbook from a network share.
- Product
- WPS Office Spreadsheet and Microsoft Excel 2016 workbooks
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- A main workbook links to source workbooks on a network drive; one user opens it without errors, but another user sees broken links despite unchanged file names and locations.
- Observed behavior
- The affected user sees #REF! errors in cells that depend on external links.
Open the affected workbook in WPS Office Spreadsheet and locate Data > Edit Links or Data > Manage Links. Confirm that you can reach the same network location and source workbook paths from your account before changing any references.
Switch Workbook Links to a Consistent UNC Network Path
Use this when different users receive #REF! errors because their mapped drive letters or network access do not match.
External links often break because a source path saved as a mapped drive letter is only valid on one user's PC. Replacing it with a UNC path makes the link location identical for all users.
Open the main Excel workbook in WPS Office Spreadsheet.
Go to Data > Edit Links or Data > Manage Links to view all external workbook references.
If a source path uses a mapped drive such as Z:\shared\source.xlsx, select it and update the path to a UNC location such as \\server\shared\source.xlsx.
Have another user open the exact UNC path in File Explorer and open the source workbook before opening the main workbook.
Save the workbook in the current .xlsx format, then close and reopen it to confirm the links refresh without #REF! errors.
Check Source Workbook Access and Refresh Order
Use this when users cannot reach the source files before the spreadsheet recalculates the links.
Use WPS Office Spreadsheets as a Free Excel Alternative for Shared Workbooks
External link failures often come from Excel's network path handling and user-specific drive mappings. WPS Office is a free, lightweight Microsoft Office alternative that opens and saves .xlsx workbooks with full format compatibility, offering familiar Data > Edit Links tools in a clean ribbon interface.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Excel show #REF! for external links only when another user opens the workbook?
External links usually break because the source path uses a mapped drive letter that exists only on one user's PC, or because the user cannot reach the network location before the workbook recalculates. Change the source references to a consistent UNC path and verify Read access.
How do I replace a mapped drive link with a UNC path in WPS Office Spreadsheet?
Open the workbook, click the Data tab, and open Edit Links or Manage Links. Select the source link, update the path to a full UNC path such as \\server\share\source.xlsx, then save the workbook in .xlsx format.
Where is Edit Links in WPS Office Spreadsheet?
Open the workbook, select the Data tab, and look for Edit Links or Manage Links in the Data Tools or Connections group. If you do not see it, the workbook may not have external links or may be in an older format.
Can WPS Office open Excel workbooks that contain external links?
Yes, WPS Office Spreadsheet supports .xlsx and .xls workbooks and can open, update, change, and remove external workbook links through the Data > Edit Links tool.
