How to create a dynamic link to Excel

[matthewR]

I received this powerpoint presentation that I have to replicate using different data. It looks like the data in the presentation is linked to Excel - I think. When I open the presentation, it asks to refresh links. I am not real familiar with PowerPoint. How do I create a dynamic link from Powerpoint to Excel. The data in Excel would be updated on a monthly basis so I am not sure how to refresh the excel file that would in turn update the PowerPoint.

[HansV]

Copy data in Excel.
Switch to PowerPoint.
Click the lower half of the Paste button on the Home tab of the ribbon and select Paste Special...
Click Paste Link, then click OK.
If the Excel data are updated, they will be updated in PowerPoint too.

[matthewR]

Maybe this is an Excel question. Would I overwrite the Excel file with a new file? How would I update Excel without breaking the link between excel and powerpoint? If the Excel file changes monthly - by change I mean create a new report and overwrite the old report. Maybe just keep the same name. Would the link be broken, if I overwrite the Excel file? I am completely clueless in this arena.

[Timelord]

If the name of the excel file and the sheet names remain the same AND the data is in the same column and row, then it will all be fine. If the Excel file is variable for locations then the settings within PPT become a little more complicated. Can you give us a scrubbed sample to look at? Or some example of the excel files? Last month and this month to see if there are changes that will affect you.

[matthewR]

I was just given a prototype of what is expected. Someone created this PPT presentation and now I have to replicate the presentation using reports that I create. I think once I get started, I may be back with more questions but for now I will take what Hans said and what you said and see what happens.

[matthewR]

There has to be a better way to do this. I create a query in Access. I export the query to Excel and in excel I have to manipulate the data to put into a powerpoint slide. I have to create a chart from the data and also do some manipulation to the data like summing and percentage and doing the top 6 clients etc. Maybe I am approaching this all wrong. I can't figure out how to make this easy since I have to do this every month. I have 44 slides to update. I tried naming the new excel file the same as the original excel file and the tabs also but when I went to refresh the data in PP, it didn't refresh. Like I said, I may to doing this all wrong. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[HansV]

You can use Data > From Access to import tables and/or queries from an Access database into your Excel workbook, with a link to the database, so that changes in the data in Access will be reflected in the workbook.

If you can manage to base the charts on the linked data, they will be "live". And perhaps you can use formulas to create the tables that you want in Excel - they would be "live" too.

It should then be possible to use copy / paste special as link into the PowerPoint presentation, resulting in a "live" chain from Access via Excel to PowerPoint.