Broken OLE Link

[Volk359]

Greetings All,

We've got some drawings that have been turned over to us where an Excel spreadsheet has been linked as an OLE. The data needs to be updated however the original file is no longer available so the table cannot be opened in Excel.

By right-clicking on the object and selecting OLE\Open a "Failed to launch server application" error shows up. Selecting OLE\Convert gets the Convert dialog box but clicking OK does nothing but dump me back to the command line. (A linked object must be converted at the source.)

In OLELINKS I've tried to Change Source to a dummy XLS file but I get the same "Failed to launch server application" error. Breaking the link converts it to a Windows Metafile and I can copy\paste that into Windows Paint, Paintshop Pro, etc. and save as a TIF and insert the new file for processing. I'd rather avoid that.

Any suggestions? Versions 2008/2011

Thanks,

Keith

 

[MikeHalloran]

The data you need is not in the drawings. You need to get a copy of that "no longer available" spreadsheet. ... and you need to have Excel installed on the computer where you're trying to open the Excel file from within AutoCAD.

 

[MikeHalloran]

... or I'm misunderstanding something. That happens too.

 

[Volk359]

No, you had it right. Unfortunately "we can't find it" is all too common from our contractors. Since it's embedded the data should be in the drawing so it seems to me there should be a way to digitally extract it.