Referencing cells in another workbook error

[Combat Womble]

Hello

I have a workbook that recives data from an external source (WB01). I am trying to create another workbook (WB02) that looks at certain cells in WB01, as the data in WB01 changes then the this is reflected in WB02.

I have both workbooks open and they are in the same folder (I have no idea if this makes a difference, but, when your grasping at straws ...).

If a go to cell A1 in WB02 and press =, and then go to WB01 and select a cell, there is no reference created in WB02.

I've searched around and found this :

=INDIRECT("'[sample data.xlsx]Sheet1'!A1")

from this website. Then I tried this I got #REF!. On Help with the error I get the following message "Your organization's administrator turned off the service required to use this feature".

This is my personal laptop with my personal files amd I cannot find out how to turn on the service required (The message doesn't even tell me the name of the service )

Please can you give a kick in the right direction.

Combat Womble

 

[Joe4]

I think you missed the note at the bottom of that link:

Note: if the reference is invalid, or if the workbook referenced is not open, INDIRECT will throw a #REF error. You can catch this error with the IFERROR function and display a custom result if you like.

So INDIRECT does not work on closed workbooks.

Check out this instead: How to reference or link value in unopened/closed Excel workbook file?

 

[Combat Womble]

Hello

I have both workbooks open.

Combat Womble

 

[Fluff]

Why not just use

='[sample data.xlsx]Sheet1'!A1

 

[Joe4]

Are they both open in the same Excel session, or different Excel sessions?
If they are in different Excel sessions, they will not be able to see one another.

If you opened the files from Windows Explorer, they are porbably in different Excel sessions.
If you opened one file, and then open the second by going to File Open... in Excel and open it that way, they are probably both in the same Excel session.

 

[Combat Womble]

Fluff - Perfect ti mon doe! Works perfectly.
Joe4 - Thanks for that info. I had opened WB02 by File open, but I didn't know about excel seesions - I think you've saved me hours of headaches!

Combat Womble

 

[Fluff]

Glad we could help & thanks for the feedback.