Why did Microsoft change the "Edit Links" to "Workbook Links" in the Queries and Connections tab?

Anonymous
2023-09-06T15:04:07+00:00

You used to be able to see if the workbook had any external links from the paper clip icon- if it were blue, you knew there were links. Now the "Workbook Links" icon always shows a blue paperclip, even when there are no links, forcing you to open the pane to see if there are really any links. Changing data source in "Edit Links" was so much easier with the old functionality. The new pane is much more difficult to navigate. Please change it back!

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-12-06T16:56:55+00:00

    How about giving users the ability to change your built-in groups instead of making custom groups? I want to REMOVE 'Workbook Links' from the ribbon and put back 'Edit Links'. The only reasonable option is to make a new Group, put the 'Refresh All', 'Q&C', etc. in this new Group and HIDE your 'new and not improved' version.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-12-06T16:34:43+00:00

    The links should be sorted alphabetically by file name in the task pane.

    You're right that the new task pane isn't as good for managing workbooks with 10s or 100s of linked files.

    This is one of the reasons we left the legacy Edit Links dialog in the product - it is better for some user scenarios, just not the most commonly used ones.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-12-06T02:35:57+00:00

    Dear James,

    Are there any plans to add the ability to sort the external links alphabetically in Excel for Mac? It so happens, in my line of work I have to deal with workbooks that sometimes have links to hundreds of files; finding and updating/replacing links is an insurmountable problem, and this essentially makes Excel for Mac unusable for me.

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-12-04T13:07:38+00:00

    I followed these instructions as "edit links" is one of the more useful and well-used features in my workbooks.

    Edit Links reappeared in New Group at the far right - not very helpful.

    It was greyed out and did not function.

    The unwelcome Workbook Links was also greyed out and did not function.

    So that meant nothing was working - a total shambles!

    Fortunately I came across Customization Reset which deleted the New Group and Workbook Links seems to be working again.

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-11-28T07:10:04+00:00
    1. Pane vs. Dialog Ease of User

    The task pane is supposed to be easier and better for Workbook Links.

    Hi

    new "Workbook links" does not allow to select multiple links and break links from multiple files at once. Very inconvenient as I want to clean up old links from a legacy file

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