Fast Tip Friday: Refresh Data Connections in Excel on Open

We do a lot of spreadsheet reporting against a variety of data environments - for example ACT, Quickbooks, and other SQL vertical applications.  By default, Excel does not automatically refresh the data connections when you open the file.  You need to "turn on" this option.  Note, if the data being imported is a large amount, this will mean it will take longer to open your Excel file - which is why it is turned off by default.

Here's what you do to turn it on.

Click on the Data tab in Excel. Next, in the Connections area, click on the word Connections Highlight the connection document for the data Click on Properties Check the "Refresh data when opening file. Save the spreadsheet and your data will refresh every time you open the file.