changing decimal places in linked charts: format data labels

[TomYC]

I have an Excel file containing many charts; the file is linked to several other Excel file. All of my charts in this file appear as I wish, with data labels displaying values with 2 decimal points.
When I save a copy of this file and, in the new copy, break the links (so I can email it, etc.), all of the data labels "revert" to many decimal places. Moreover, in the Excel files to which the chart was originally linked, the format is still/always, two decimal places.

Question: how can I prevent this "reversion" or change in my formatting when I break links. Of course I could highlight each and every data lable and run Format Data Labels Number, but I have hundreds!

 

[xlhelp]

Will you please outline how you break the links?

A man has only two choices: He can be right or he can be happy.

 

[TomYC]

Sure thing:
In a saved copy of the file, I choose Edit Links, select all the links, and Break Links, acknowledging the non-Undo.
Is there another way?

 

[xlhelp]

I find it better to break the links in the charts first. Select each series, click in the formula bar; hold the CTRL key and press = key. That makes the chart loose any references to cells, worksheets or workbooks. The charts sort of become hard coded.

If you have many charts, you could also write a macro to do the same thing.

You may still want to break the links to the original files.

A man has only two choices: He can be right or he can be happy.

 

[TomYC]

Thanks, xlhelp--
Your suggestion did not work consistently, for reasons I cannot fathom. And I still do not understand the relation betweent links and data label formatting! I really need a global solution (I'm willing to try a macro, although I'm not sure how to record one in which I select each data series in a chart, of which there are several, and then move on to the next chart, of which there are many, and so on). Is there something I can research?