I have mywB.xls and linkedwB.xls.
I changed
=sum(linkedwb!B1:e1)
to
=sum(offset(linkedwb!B1,0,0,1,4)

But now when I open mywB, even if I say don't update links, I get a bunch of #VALUE if linkedwB is not already open. The linked cells work fine when I open linkedwB. Before it was fine, whether linkedWB open or not, and whether I said update or not.

This is awful. I can't even open myWB and print it without opening all of numerous linked files that I use SUM(OFFSET( on.

I have a theory that the volatile function OFFSET is to blame. I'm using those 4th and 5th args of offset and SUM, but my experimentation suggests that I could go
=sum(index(linkedwb!B1:E1,0,0)
I didn't know index would do that but apparently it does. I thought at very least I'd need to go
=sum(index(linkedwb!B1,0,0):index(linkedwb!e1,0,0))
By the way, that one also seems to work too. Both work fine with linkedWB closed.

So is the story here to stay away from volatile functions with a link? That would make sense; otherwise, he'd be updating the link of the close file (the SLOOOOW thing) every time I touched any cell, volatile or not ... or at least he'd be nagging me every time. Right?

XL03