Troubleshoot linked and embedded objects

When I double-click a linked or embedded object, a message appears stating that the server application, source file, or item can't be found.

This message appears when the source file or source program can't be opened.

• Make sure the source program is installed on your computer in a version that can edit the object. If the source program isn't installed, edit the object with a program you do have installed, convert it to another format, or convert it to a Microsoft Office drawing object and edit.
• Make sure you have enough memory to run the source program. To free up memory, close any programs you don't need.
• If the source program is running, switch to it and close any open dialog boxes.
• If it's a linked object, make sure someone else doesn't have the source file open.
• If it's a linked object, make sure the source file you want to edit has the same name and location as when you created the link. To see the name and location of the source file, select the linked object, and then click Links on the Edit menu. If the source file has been renamed or moved, click Change Source in the Links dialog box to reconnect the links.

When I double-click an embedded object, I get the Format dialog box instead of the source program.

Either the embedded object has been ungrouped and converted to a Microsoft Office drawing object, or it was pasted in as a picture. After you convert an embedded object to a Microsoft Office drawing object, you can't use the original program to edit it. You must re-embed the object that was created in the original program.

The type of object I want to embed doesn't appear in the Insert Object dialog box.

The source program for the object you want to embed must be installed on your computer.

Microsoft PowerPoint sometimes crops the edges of my embedded Microsoft Word documents.

You can adjust the area of the document that displays in Microsoft PowerPoint by double-clicking the Microsoft Word object. Drag the sizing handles to display more of the Word document. Reformat the contents of the document, if necessary.

PowerPoint can't update a link to a file.

The source object has been moved, renamed, or deleted. If it has been moved or renamed, you can relink the object. On the Edit menu, click Links, and then click Change Source. Click the moved or renamed source object, and then click Open.

My Microsoft Graph doesnÆt update automatically when I open my presentation. 

If you want a graph that will update automatically when you open a presentation, use an embedded Microsoft Excel chart. If you added a Microsoft Graph object to your presentation that you want to update, you will need to double-click the Graph object to open it and edit it.