Since Microsoft 2010 requires the XLSM (Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook) file extension to store macros, you may be faced with the need to update hundresds of linked .XLS files to XLSM files when you upgrade to MS Office 2010. 

 

If you’re like most enterprise users, you may be using hundreds of Excel .XLS files as a "database" and have other files linked to each other to share information. If any user updates just one of your files to the newer .XLSX or .XLSM format, your “database” files won’t save correctly, or your links will be broken between files, causing errors and disconnecting your often sophisticated macros – putting months of effort and information at risk. 

 

How to Convert XLS to XLSM and Preserve All the Links Between the Files

There are many manual methods and programs that will help with batch conversions of the files from .xls to .XSLM, however the bigger concern is how to update all of the links in the files that reference .XLS files that are also being converted.   Some methods include: 

 

1.              You could open each file individually, update the links and macros manually and then save the files with the new XLSM extension  - could be months of work and very prone to errors.

2.              You could use OMPM to convert batches of files from .xls to .xlsm. This will result in all of your files being in the new format but will have the side effect of breaking all of your links. Each converted file will need to be opened so that each link can be manually updated.

3.              You could use an Excel Conversion Utility such as ConverterTechnology’s OfficeConverter™. OfficeConverter bulk file conversion helps you manage the risks of broken links during your .XLS to .XLSM file migrations.  You’ll be able to fix broken Excel links, chart problems, and row range issues with a powerful Search and Replace feature that replaces broken or invalid link strings with the new, correct link strings.  You’ll even have the choice to repair the links individually, on a document-by-document basis, or throughout the enterprise via batch mode. 

 

Find out how you can  by mass converting your XLS files to XLSM and preserving your links and macros by using OfficeConverter by ConverterTechnology. 

If the import task is interrupted for any reason (stopping the service during processing, system crash, power failure, etc.) it is possible that some, but not all, of the records contained in the import XML file would have been inserted into the OC_Import database. If this occurs the user must delete the existing records from the OC_Import database prior to reprocessing the import.

Use the following instructions to remove the incomplete date:

1. View the log file for the import task that was partially imported.
2. Record the Batch ID number.
3. Open the SQL Query Analyzer.
4. Select the OC_Import database.
5. Delete the import records from the “Import” table that match the batch ID recorded in the log file.
6. Create a new import task and import the XML file that had previously failed.

Methods vary depended upon the information being retrieved. We use the structured storage API where applicable, and also use the .NET streamreader class, as well as the Win32FileStream method from the Windows API. We also use the DAO component to read certain attributes from MS Access files.

To prevent the _OC2007 prefix on your converted files you'll need to choose "Activate Rectified Version of File" in the File Update Options section of the Scan/Convert dialogue. Please note that if you do this you'll also need to choose "Backup Original File" to prevent the original file from being deleted.