A workbook on a network share may use a drive letter path in Excel 2003 if you open the workbook by using a UNC connection and if the location is mapped to a drive letter (917877)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Excel 2003
Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows registry

SYMPTOMS

Consider the following scenario. You map a network location to a drive letter. Then, you use a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) connection to open a workbook from the network location. For example, you use the following UNC connection to open the workbook:

\\share\folder\filename.xls

In this scenario, references to a hyperlinked workbook may use a drive letter location. Additionally, may receive unexpected results.

For example, you may experience the following symptoms:
  • If the following conditions are true in the workbook, you receive unexpected results:
    • The workbook contains an INDIRECT field.
    • The INDIRECT field references a cell that contains a hyperlink to a cell that is in another workbook.
    In this situation, you receive a #REF! error message in the cell that contains the INDIRECT field.
  • If you click a hyperlink in the workbook to open another workbook, a drive letter is used for the location of the workbook instead of the UNC location.

RESOLUTION

How to obtain the hotfix

This issue is fixed in the Excel 2003 post-Service Pack 2 Hotfix Package that is dated April 10, 2006. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

917876 Description of the Excel 2003 post-Service Pack 2 hotfix package: April 10, 2006



Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

To enable this hotfix, follow these steps:
  1. Exit Excel 2003.
  2. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
  3. Locate and then click to select the following registry subkey:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Options

  4. After you select the subkey that is specified in step 3, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click DWORD Value.
  5. Type DisableUNCDriveMap, and then press ENTER.
  6. Right-click DisableUNCDriveMap, and then click Modify.
  7. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
  8. On the File menu, click Exit to exit Registry Editor.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:7/26/2006
Keywords:kbOffice2003preSP3fix kbxlerrref kbxlslink kbopenfile kberrmsg kbExpertiseInter kbQFE kbbug kbfix kbpubtypekc KB917877 kbAudKnowledgeWorker
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.