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Stupid Excel question: How do I disable automatic hypertext links?

Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2003 6:19 pm
by FlyingPenguin
I hate Excel. I use it for one thing only: my client database. I'll probably switch to some kind of Contact manager program.

Meanwhile, I need to know ONE THING which I can't find the answer for anywhere.

I have a column for client's email addresses. Friggin' Excel assumes you want to make all email addresses a hypertext link.

Is there anyway to disable automatic hypertext links in Excel?

Thanks...
:bonk

Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2003 6:32 pm
by TruckStuff
From the Excel Help file (that would be F1 on your keyboard) :) :
Deactivate several hyperlinks at once

Type the number 1 in a blank cell, and right-click the cell.
Click Copy on the shortcut menu.
While pressing CTRL, select each hyperlink you want to deactivate.
How?

To select a cell that has a hyperlink in it without jumping to the hyperlink destination, click the cell and hold the mouse button until the cursor becomes a cross , then release the mouse button.
Click Paste Special on the Edit menu.
Under Operation, click Multiply and then click OK.

Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2003 7:21 pm
by FlyingPenguin
Excel help file is worthless.

Thanks, but those instructions don't help. I can right click on a cell and select "Remove Hyperlink" and that leaves the text and just kills the hyperlink, but the next time you copy text from or edit that cell, the hyperlink is automatically restored.

I want to turn the friggin' hypertext feature off ENTIRELY. I don't want Excel presuming to make every URL and Email address a hyperlink.

I can this feature off in Word so surely there must be a way to disable it in Excel. However I've searched google and only found one reference to it but the link was dead :(

Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2003 6:38 am
by Darkheart
1) Go to the tools menu.
2) Go to autocorrect (or autoformat depends on Excel version, in XP it's autocorrect)
3) Go to Autoformat as you type (or format as you type in some older versions)
4) You will now see some options, one of which is "replce internet and network paths with hyperlinks" 5) Untick this option you can also get rid of some annoying features like automatic style generation in here too. e.g. "format last item like the one before it" causes many problems with lists like this (Word would want to put a 6 at the start of the line).

Darkheart

Darkheart

Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2003 9:03 am
by FlyingPenguin
GIVE THE MAN A CIGAR!!! :chicken

Suck simple stupid thing, but it's been annoying the hell out of me.

Someone tell me why "hyperlink" and "hypertext" searches in the excel help file doesn't bring up this information?

Thanks DH!

Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2003 12:37 pm
by DocSilly
Those infos will probably show up as needed in the next office version to make you upgrade ... or maybe not :p