Creating External References in

Microsoft Excel 2010

Table of Contents
LINKING TO CELL REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 2
CREATE A CELL REFERENCE ON THE SAME WORKSHEET ................................................................................................... 2
CREATE A CELL REFERENCE TO ANOTHER WORKSHEET .................................................................................................... 3
CREATE A CELL REFERENCE BY USING THE LINK CELLS COMMAND ................................................................................. 3
CHANGE A CELL REFERENCE TO ANOTHER CELL REFERENCE ............................................................................................ 4
CREATE LINKS TO OTHER WORKBOOKS ............................................................................................................ 4
CREATE A LINK BETWEEN CELLS IN DIFFERENT WORKBOOKS ........................................................................................... 4
MANAGE LINKS ............................................................................................................................................................. 5
CONTROL WHEN EXTERNAL REFERENCES (LINKS) ARE UPDATED ..................................................................................... 5
Control the startup prompt for updating all of the links .............................................................................................. 5
Decide whether to update links when prompted at startup.......................................................................................... 6
Manually update links to other workbooks ................................................................................................................. 6
Change the source of a link ......................................................................................................................................... 7
Break a link to an external reference ........................................................................................................................... 7
OVERVIEW OF CONNECTING TO (IMPORTING) DATA .................................................................................... 7
CONNECT TO ACCESS DATA FROM EXCEL......................................................................................................... 8
MANAGE CONNECTIONS BY USING THE WORKBOOK CONNECTIONS DIALOG BOX ............................................................ 9
Identify a connection ................................................................................................................................................... 9
Add a connection ......................................................................................................................................................... 9
Remove one or more connections ............................................................................................................................... 9
Display connection information ................................................................................................................................ 10
Refresh the external data ........................................................................................................................................... 10
Display the locations of one or more connections in the workbook ......................................................................... 10
CONNECTION PROPERTIES .............................................................................................................................................. 11
Connection name and Description boxes .................................................................................................................. 11
Usage tab options ...................................................................................................................................................... 11
Definition tab options ................................................................................................................................................ 12
ADD, REMOVE, OR MODIFY A TRUSTED LOCATION FOR YOUR FILES ................................................... 14
ADD A TRUSTED LOCATION ............................................................................................................................................ 14
REMOVE A TRUSTED LOCATION ...................................................................................................................................... 14
MODIFY A TRUSTED LOCATION....................................................................................................................................... 15
WHEN SHOULD I USE A TRUSTED LOCATION? ................................................................................................................. 15
WHICH TRUSTED LOCATIONS ARE BETTER? .................................................................................................................... 15
VIEW MY OPTIONS AND SETTINGS IN THE TRUST CENTER............................................................................................... 15

Excel 2010: Creating External References

Topics came directly from Microsoft Excel 2010 Help.
ICT Training, Maxwell School of Syracuse University
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Linking to Cell References

A cell reference refers to a cell or a range of cells on a worksheet. The cell reference can be used in a formula
so that Microsoft Office Excel can find the values or data that you want that formula to calculate.
In one or several formulas, you can use a cell reference to refer to:
Data from one cell on the worksheet.
Data that is contained in different areas of a worksheet.
Data in cells on other worksheets in the same workbook.
For example:
This formula:

Refers to:

And Returns:

=C2

Cell C2

The value in cell C2.

=AssetLiability

The cells named Asset and

Liability

The value in the cell named Liability subtracted from the value
in the cell named Asset.

=Sheet2!B2

Cell B2 on Sheet2

The value in cell B2 on Sheet2.

Create a cell reference on the same worksheet

1) Click the cell in which you want to enter the formula.
2) In the formula bar
, type = (equal sign).
3) Do one of the following:
a) Select the cell reference.
Cell reference: To create a reference, select a cell or range of cells on the same worksheet.
(1) Cell references and the borders around the corresponding cells are color-coded to make it easier
to work with them.
The first cell reference is B3, the color is blue,
and the cell range has a blue border with square
corners.
The second cell reference is C3, the color is
green, and the cell range has a green border
with square corners.
b) Type the defined name.
Defined name: To create a reference to a defined name, do one of the following:
(1) Type the name.
(2) Press F3, select the name in the Paste name box, and then click OK.
Note: If there is no square corner on a color-coded border, the reference is to a named range.
4) Press ENTER.

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Create a cell reference to another worksheet

You can refer to cells that are on other worksheets by appending the name of the worksheet followed by an
exclamation point (!) to the start of the cell reference. In the following example, the worksheet function named
AVERAGE calculates the average value for the range B1:B10 on the worksheet named Marketing in the
same workbook.
Refers to the worksheet named Marketing
Refers to the range of cells between B1 and B10, inclusively
Separates the worksheet reference from the cell range reference
1)
2)
3)
4)

Click the cell in which you want to enter the formula.

In the formula bar, type = (equal sign).
Click the tab for the worksheet to be referenced.
Select the cell or range of cells to be referenced.
Note: If the name of the other worksheet contains nonalphabetical characters, you must enclose the name
(or the path) within single quotation marks (').

Create a cell reference by using the Link Cells command

Alternatively, you can copy and paste a cell reference and then use the Link Cells command to create a cell
reference. You can use this command to:
Easily display important information in a more prominent position. Let's say that you have a workbook
that contains many worksheets, and on each worksheet is a cell that displays summary information about
the other cells on that worksheet. To make these summary cells more prominent, you can create a cell
reference to them on the first worksheet of the workbook, which enables you to see summary information
about the whole workbook on the first worksheet.
Make it easier to create cell references between worksheets and workbooks. The Link Cells command
automatically pastes the correct syntax for you.
1) Click the cell that contains the data you want to link to.
2) On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Copy
3) Click the cell that you want to link from.

4) On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Paste

a) By default, the Paste Options

button appears when you paste copied data.

b) Click the Paste Options button, and then click Paste Link

c) Alternatively, you can right-click the cell and choose Paste Link

from the menu.

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Change a cell reference to another cell reference

1) Double-click the cell that contains the formula that you want to change.
a) Excel highlights each cell or range of cells with a different color.
2) Do one of the following:
a) To move a cell or range reference to a different cell or range, drag the color-coded border of the cell or
range to the new cell or range.
b) To include more or fewer cells in a reference, drag a corner of the border.
c) In the formula bar, select the reference in the formula, and then type a new reference.
d) Press F3, select the name in the Paste name box, and then click OK.
3) Press ENTER.

Create links to other workbooks

A link is a formula that gets data from a cell in another workbook. When you open a workbook that contains
links (called the destination workbook), Microsoft Excel reads in the latest data from the source workbook or
workbooks. Use links when you want to maintain information in a single workbook, but also use the
information in other workbooks.
When you create a link, Excel creates a formula that includes the name of the source workbook in brackets [ ],
followed by the worksheet name, an exclamation point, and the cell reference.

Create a link between cells in different workbooks

1) Open both the workbook that will contain the link, and the workbook that contains the data you want to
link to.
2) Do one of the following:
a) Use Paste Link:
In the source workbook, select the cells you want to link to and click the Copy button.
Switch to the destination workbook and click the upper left cell of the range where you want the
links.
Right-click in the cell, and then choose click Paste Link.
b) Enter a formula:
Select the cell that will contain the link, and do one of the following:
(1) If you are creating a new formula, type = (an equal sign).
(2) If you are entering the link elsewhere in the formula, type the operator or function that you want
to precede the link.
Activate of the source workbook, and then click the worksheet that contains the cell(s) you want to
link to.
Select the cell(s) you want to link to.
When you finish entering the formula, press ENTER.
3) You can copy and autofill linking formulas as you do other Excel formulas.
FYI, when you click a cell containing a link and the source workbook is closed, you'll see the full path to the
source workbook.
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Manage Links
You can use the Edit Links dialog box to manage your links.
When you open the Edit Links dialog box (Data /
Connections / Edit Links), you are able to manage
your sources.
When you click Update Values, your destination
file is updated with the most current data from a
source file
Click the Change Source button if the source
file name or location has changed.
When you click Open Source, whatever sources
you have selected in the list will open.
Click Break Link to break the link between the source file and the destination file.
Click the Check Status button to make sure there are no problems with your source file.
o OK indicates that the source file is found, and working normally.
o If a source file is opened on your computer, you will see Source is open.
o If your values in the destination file are not up to date, you will see Warning: Values not
updated.
o If a source file cannot be found, you will see Error: Source not found.
Click Startup Prompt to view or edit whether a destination file should be automatically updated upon
opening the file, should not be automatically updated upon opening the file, or whether a prompt should
alert the user that there are links and then let the user decide to update or not update.

Control when external references (links) are updated

If the workbook that you have opened (called a destination file) contains links to other workbooks or files
(called source files), and the source files have changed, the links in the workbook that you are opening may
display information that is out of date. When you create external references, you can control whether the
external references stay up to date, and when they are updated. If another user has changed a value in a cell,
Microsoft Excel does not look for the new value unless you tell it to. When the source workbook and the
destination workbook are open on the same computer, links are updated automatically.

Control the startup prompt for updating all of the links

Don't ask to update links for this workbook, and let me control whether links are updated
Warning: This option affects all users of the workbook. If you choose not to update links, and not to prompt,
users of the workbook will not know that the data is out of date.
1) On the Data tab, in the Connections group, click Edit
Links.
2) Click Startup Prompt.
3) Select the option that you want.
Note: Even if you specify that Excel should not ask whether to
update links, you will still be notified if there are any broken
links.
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Don't ask whether to update links when I open any workbook, and update links automatically
This option is for the current user only, and affects every workbook opened. Other users are not affected. This
option also affects links to other programs.
1) Click the File tab, click Options, and then click the Advanced category.
2) Under When calculating this workbook, clear the Update links to other documents check box. If this
check box is clear, the links are automatically updated, and no prompt is displayed.

Decide whether to update links when prompted at startup

There are a number of decisions you can make in the Startup Prompt dialog box.
If you know you are not connected to the source
Click Don't Update. Excel cannot update from a source that is not connected. For example, the source
may be on a network, and you may not be connected to that network.
If you want the data as it already exists, and don't want it replaced with new data
Click Don't Update.
If you tried to update last time, and it took too long
Click Don't Update. If the data does not need to be the most current, you can save time by not updating all
of the links. After opening the workbook, on the Data tab, in the Connections group, click Edit Links,
and then update the links only from the sources that you need.
If someone else created the workbook, and you don't know why you are seeing this prompt
Click Dont Update. Contact the owner of the workbook. You can also investigate what links are in the
workbook. On the Data tab, in the Connections group, click Edit Links.
Don't prompt for all workbooks I open, and update the links automatically
This option is for the current user only, and affects every workbook opened. Other users of the workbook are
not affected.
1) Click the File tab, click Options, and then click the Advanced category.
2) Under General, clear the Ask to update automatic links check box. If this check box is cleared, the links
are automatically updated, and no alert is displayed.
If you know the workbook Excel is trying to connect to is available
Click Update. This ensures that you have the latest data.

Manually update links to other workbooks

1) Open the workbook that contains the links.
2) On the Data tab, in the Connections group, click Edit Links.
3) In the Source list, click the linked object that you want to update.
a) To select multiple links, hold down CTRL and click each linked object.
b) To select all links, press CTRL+A.
4) Click Update Values.

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Change the source of a link

Change the source workbook for all links that use the source
1) Open the workbook that contains the link.
2) On the Edit menu, click Links.
3) In the Source box, click the name of the link whose source you would like to change.
4) Click Change Source.
5) In the Change Source dialog box, click the source workbook you want to refer to.
Change the source of one link without affecting other links that use the source
1) Select the cell with the link.
2) In the formula bar
, look for a reference to another workbook, such as C:\Reports\[Budget.xls],
and change it to the name of the new workbook.

Break a link to an external reference

Important: When you break a link to the source workbook of an external reference, all formulas that that use
the value in the source workbook are converted to their current values. For example, if you break the link to
the external reference =SUM([Budget.xls]Annual!C10:C25), it is converted to =45. Because this action
cannot be undone, you may want to save a version of the destination workbook.
1) On the Data tab, in the Connections group, click Edit Links.
Note: The Edit Links command is unavailable if your file does not contain linked information.
2) In the Source list, click the link that you want to break.
a) To select multiple linked objects, hold down CTRL, and then click each linked object.
b) To select all links, press CTRL+A.
3) Click Break Link.
4) If the link used a defined name, the name is not automatically removed. You may want to delete the name
as well.
a) How to delete a name:
On the Formulas tab, in the Defined Names group, click Name Manager.
In the Name Manager dialog box, click the name that you want to change.
Click the name to select it.
Click Delete / click OK to confirm the deletion

Overview of connecting to (importing) data

Data in an Excel workbook can come from two different locations. The data may be stored directly in the
workbook, or it may be stored in an external data source, such as a text file, a database, or an Online
Analytical Processing (OLAP) cube. This external data source is connected to the workbook through a data
connection, which is a set of information that describes how to locate, log in to, and access the external data
source.
When you are connected to an external data source, you can also perform a refresh operation to retrieve the
updated data. Each time that you refresh data, you see the most recent version of the data, including any
changes that were made to the data since it was last refreshed.
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To bring external data into Excel, you need access to the data. If the external data source that you want to
access is not on your local computer, you may need to contact the administrator of the database for a
password, user permissions, or other connection information. If the data source is a database, make sure that
the database is not opened in exclusive mode. If the data source is a text file or a spreadsheet, make sure that
another user does not have it open for exclusive access.

Connect to Access data from Excel

To bring Access data that can be refreshed into Excel, you can create a connection to the Access database and
then retrieve all of the data from a table or query. The main benefit of connecting to Access data instead of
importing it is that you can periodically analyze this data in Excel without repeatedly copying or exporting the
data from Access. After you connect to the data, you can also automatically refresh (or update) your Excel
workbooks from the original Access database whenever the database is updated with new information.
1) Click the cell where you want to put the data from the Access database.
2) On the Data tab, in the Get External Data group, click From Access.
3) Locate and double-click the Access database that you want to import.
4) In the Select Table dialog box,
click the table or query that you
want to import, and then click
OK.

5) In the Import Data dialog box, do the following:

a) Under Select how you want to view this data in your
workbook, do one of the following:
To view the data as a table, select Table.
To view the data as a PivotTable report, select
PivotTable report.
To view the data as a PivotChart and PivotTable
report, select PivotChart and PivotTable report.
Optionally, click Properties to set refresh, formatting,
and layout options for the imported data, and then
click OK.
b) Under Where do you want to put the data? do one of
the following:
To return the data to the location that you selected, click Existing worksheet.
To return the data to the upper-left corner of the new worksheet, click New worksheet.
c) Click OK.
6) Excel puts the external data range in the location that you specify.

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Manage connections by using the Workbook Connections dialog box

You can use Microsoft Excel to create and edit connections to external data sources that are stored in a
workbook or in a connection file. By using the Workbook Connections dialog box, you can easily manage
these connections, including creating, editing, and deleting them.
Security: Connections to external data may be currently disabled on your computer. To connect to data when
you open a workbook, you must enable data connections by using the Trust Center bar, or by putting the
workbook in a trusted location. For instructions on how to use the Trust Center, see page 14.
The Workbook Connections dialog box helps you
manage one or more connections to external data
sources in your workbook. You can use this dialog
box to do the following:
Create, edit, refresh, and delete connections that
are in use in the workbook.
Verify where external data is coming from,
because, for example, the connection was defined
by another user.
Show where each connection is used in the
current workbook.
Diagnose an error message about connections to
external data.
Redirect a connection to a different server or data source, or replace the connection file for an existing
connection.
Display the Existing Connections dialog box to create new connections.
Display the Connection Properties dialog box to modify data connection properties, edit queries, and
change parameters.
Make it easy to create and share connection files with users.

Identify a connection
In the top portion of the dialog box, all connections in the workbook are displayed automatically with the
following information:
Name: The name of the connection, defined in the Connection Properties dialog box.
Description: An optional description of the connection, defined in the Connection Properties dialog box.
Last refreshed: The date and time that the connection was last successfully refreshed. If blank, then the
connection has never been refreshed.

Add a connection
1) Click Add to display the Existing Connections dialog box.

Remove one or more connections

1) Select one or more connections to be removed from the workbook, and then click Remove.

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Notes:
This button is disabled when the workbook is protected or an object, such as a PivotTable report, that uses
the connection is protected.
Removing a connection only removes the connection and does not remove any object or data from the
workbook.
Important: Removing a connection breaks the connection to the data source and may cause unintended
consequences, such as different formula results and possible problems with other Excel features.

Display connection information

1) Select a connection, and then click Properties to display the Connection Properties dialog box.

Refresh the external data

1) Click the arrow next to Refresh, and then do one of the following:
a) To refresh specific connections, select one or more connections, and then click Refresh.
b) To refresh all connections in the workbook, clear all connections, and then click Refresh All.
c) To get status information about a refresh operation, select one or more connections, and then click
Refresh Status.
d) To stop the current refresh operation, click Cancel Refresh.

Display the locations of one or more connections in the workbook

1) Select one or more connections, and then under Locations where connections are used in this workbook,
click the link Click here to see where the selected connections are used.
a) The following information is displayed.
Sheet: The worksheet where the connection is used.
Name: The Excel query name.
Location: The reference to a cell, range, or object.
Value: The value of a cell, or blank for a range of cells.
Formula: The formula of a cell, or for a range of cells.
2) Selecting another connection at the top of the dialog box clears the display of the current information.

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Connection properties
Use the Connection Properties dialog box to control various settings for connections to external data
sources, and to use, reuse, or switch connection files.

Connection name and Description boxes

These display the connection name and an optional
description. To change the name and description, click
the text in the box, and then edit the text. The connection
name and description are displayed as columns in the
Workbook Connections dialog box. (On the Data tab,
in the Connections group, click Connections.)

Usage tab options

The settings on the Usage tab control the way that the
connection information is used in the workbook.
Refresh control
Enable background refresh: Select this check box
to run the query in the background. Clear this check
box to run the query while you wait. Running a query
in the background enables you to use Excel while the
query runs.
Refresh every n minutes: Select this check box to
enable automatic external data refresh at regular time
intervals, and then enter the number of minutes
between each refresh operation. Clear this check box
to disable automatic external data refresh.
Refresh data when opening the file: Select this check box to automatically refresh external data when
you open the workbook. Clear this check box to immediately open the workbook without refreshing
external data.
Remove data from the external data range before saving the workbook: Select this check box if you
want to save the workbook with the query definition but without the external data. Clear this check box to
save the query definition and data with the workbook. This check box becomes available only after you
select the Refresh data when opening the file check box.
OLAP Server Formatting
Controls whether the following OLAP server formats are retrieved from the server and are displayed with the
data.
Number Format: Select or clear this check box to enable or disable number formatting, such as currency,
date, or time.
Font Style: Select or clear this check box to enable or disable font styles, such as bold, italic, underline, or
strike-through.
Fill Color: Select or clear this check box to enable or disable fill colors.
Text Color: Select or clear this check box to enable or disable text colors.
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OLAP Drill Through

Maximum number of records to retrieve: Enter a number from 1 to 10,000 to specify the maximum
number of records to retrieve when you expand a level of data in a hierarchy.
Language
Retrieve data and errors in the Office display language when available: Select or clear this check box
to enable or disable the retrieval of translated data and errors, if any, from the OLAP server.

Definition tab options

The settings on the Definition tab control how the
connection information is defined and the source of the
connection information, either the workbook or a
connection file.
Connection type
Displays the type of connection that is used, such as
Office Data Connection or Microsoft Access
Database.
Connection file
Displays the current connection file that is used to
store the connection information and enables
switching to a revised or new connection file. If this
field is blank, a connection file was never used, or it
was used and then modified so that the link to the
connection file was broken.
To re-establish the link to the connection file, for
example because it was updated and you want to use
the new version, or to change the current connection
and use a different connection file, click Browse,
which displays the Select Data Source dialog box. You can then select the revised connection file, a
different connection file, or create a new connection file by clicking New Source, which starts the Data
Connection Wizard.
Always use connection file: Select this check box to ensure that the most up-to-date version of the
connection file is always used whenever the data is displayed or refreshed. Clear this check box to use the
connection information in the Excel workbook.
Important: If the connection file is not available, Excel resorts to the connection information that is saved
in the workbook. If you want to ensure that the most up-to-date version of the connection file is always
used, make sure that the connection file is accessible and available.
Connection string
Displays the current connection information in the form of a connection string. Use a connection string to
verify all of the connection information and to edit specific connection information that you cannot change
through the Connection Properties dialog box.

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Save password
Select this check box to save the username and password in the connection file. The saved password is not
encrypted. Clear this check box to log on to the data source, if a user name and password are required, the
first time that you access it. This check box does not apply to data retrieved from a text file or a Web
query.
o Security: Avoid saving logon information when connecting to data sources. This information may
be stored as plain text, and a malicious user could access the information to compromise the
security of the data source.
Command type
Select one of the following command types:
o SQL
o Table
o Default
If the connection is to an OLAP data source, Cube is displayed, but you cannot change the command type.
Command text
Specifies the data returned based on the command type. For example, if the command type is Table, the
table name is displayed. If the command type is SQL, the SQL query used to specify the data returned is
displayed. To change the command text, click the text in the box and then edit the text.
Excel Services
Click the Authentication Settings button to display the Excel Services Authentication Settings dialog
box and to choose a method of authentication when you access the data source that is connected to a
workbook and that is displayed in Excel Services. Select one of the following options to log on to the data
source:
o Windows Authentication: Select this option to use the Windows user name and password of the
current user. This is the most secure method, but it can impact performance when there are many
users.
o SSS: Select this option to use Secure Storage Service, and then enter the appropriate identification
string in the SSS ID text box. A site administrator can configure a SharePoint site to use a Secure
Storage Service database where a user name and password can be stored. This method can be the
most efficient when there are many users.
o None: Select this option to use information saved in the connection string for authentication, for
example, when you select the Save Password check box.
Note: The authentication setting is used only by Microsoft Excel Services, and not by the Excel desktop
program. If you want to ensure that the same data is accessed whether you open the workbook in Excel or
Excel Services, make sure that the authentication settings for the connection are the same in Excel and
Excel Services.
Edit Query
Click this button to change the query that is used to retrieve data from the data source. Depending on the
type of data source, displays one of the following:
o The Data Connection Wizard for an Office Data Connection (ODC) file (.odc) OLEDB connection.
o Microsoft Query for an ODBC connection.
o The Edit Web Query dialog box for a Web page.
o The Text Import Wizard for a text file.
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 Note: You cannot edit the query if the connection information is currently linked to a connection file.
Parameters
Click this button to display the Parameters dialog box and to edit parameter information for a Microsoft
Query or Web Query connection.
Export Connection File
Click this button to display the File Save dialog box and to save the current connection information to a
connection file.

Add, remove, or modify a trusted location for your files

A trusted location is a folder on your hard disk or a network folder. Any file that you put in a trusted location
can be opened without being checked by the Trust Center, and does not open in Protected View. In this article,
you can learn more about trusted locations, also how and where you can create them. It also outlines
precautions you should take before you use a trusted location.
Note: Outlook does not have trusted-location features.

Add a trusted location

1) Click the File tab.
a) The Microsoft Office Backstage
view appears.
2) Under Help, click Options.
a) The Options dialog box appears.
3) Click Trust Center.
4) Click Trust Center Settings.
5) In the Trust Center, click Trusted
Locations.
6) Click the Add new location button
a) The Trusted Locations dialog box
appears.
7) Click Browse to find the folder; select
a folder and then click OK.

The image is the Trusted Locations area

of the Trust Center.

Remove a trusted location

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)

Click the File tab.

Under Help, click Options.
Click Trust Center.
Click Trust Center Settings.
In the Trust Center, click Trusted Locations.
Select the location to be removed, and then click Remove.
Click OK.

Excel 2010: Creating External References

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Modify a trusted location

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
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Click the File tab.

Under Help, click Options.
Click Trust Center.
Click Trust Center Settings.
In the Trust Center, click Trusted Locations.
In the Trusted Locations list, select a location, and then click Modify.
a) Make the modifications you want.
7) Click OK.

When should I use a trusted location?

You should use a trusted location to store a file when you don't want that file to be checked by Trust Center,
or if you don't want it to open in Protected View. This applies particularly to files with active content, such as
macros, data connections, ActiveX controls, and so on. If you think the macro in a file is from a reliable
source, it is better to move the document to a trusted location, instead of changing the default Trust Center
settings to a less-safe macro security setting.

Which trusted locations are better?

If you work in an organization, the system administrator might have created trusted locations. For more
information, contact the system administrator, if you have one. For additional safety, recommend that you use
a subfolder in the Documents folder in Windows Vista, or the My Documents folder in Windows XP, if you
use a Microsoft Windows log-on password to help protect your computer.
A strong password has at least 14 characters and should include at least three of the following:
Upper-case letters (A through Z)
Lower-case letters (a through z)
Numerals (0 through 9)
Non-alphabetic characters (such as # $ % @ + and so on)
It should not include your user name
Important: We recommend that you don't designate your entire Documents or My Documents folder as a
trusted location. If you do this, it creates a target for a hacker to potentially exploit and increases your security
risk.

View my options and settings in the Trust Center

The Trust Center is where you can find security and privacy settings for Microsoft Office 2010 programs.
With the consistent appearance of the Ribbon in Office programs, steps to find the Trust Center are the same.
1) In an Office program, click the File tab. The Microsoft Office Backstage view appears.
2) Under Help, click Options. The Options dialog appears.
3) Click Trust Center, then click Trust Center Settings.

Excel 2010: Creating External References

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The image is an example of

the Trust Center and Trust
Center Settings buttons.

4) The following list of options appears (some options may vary):

a) Trusted Publishers: Build a list of publishers of code projects you trust.
b) Trusted Locations: Designate folders on your computer in which to place files you trust from reliable
sources. Files in a trusted location folder do not go through File Validation.
c) Trusted Documents: Manage how Office programs interact with active content.
d) Add-ins: Select if add-ins require digital signatures, or if add-ins are disabled.
e) ActiveX Settings: Manage security prompts for ActiveX controls in Office programs.
f) Macro Settings: Enable or disable macros in Office programs.
g) Message Bar: Show or hide the Message Bar.
h) File Block Settings: Determine if previous versions of Office program files will open.
i) Privacy Options: Make selections that determine your level of privacy with Office programs.
5) Click the area that you want and make selections you need.
Important: Changing Trust Center settings can greatly reduce or increase the security of your computer, its
data, data on your organization's network, and other computers on that network. We advise that you consult
with your system administrator, or carefully consider the risks, before making Trust Center settings changes.

Excel 2010: Creating External References

Topics came directly from Microsoft Excel 2010 Help.
ICT Training, Maxwell School of Syracuse University
Page 16