"Enable Background Refresh" for MS Query in Excel

[Patrick]

We have created an Excel Spreadsheet by using MS Query to access a SQL
Server database.

End user doesn't like to get the pop up "Enable AutoRefresh" everytime when
he opens the Excel spreadsheet & he doesn't want to use Tools --> Run Query.
Most likely, he feels unfortunable to encounter a pop up message or does an
extra step to refresh data.

We would like to know by turning on "Enable Background Refresh" checkbox,
does the data will be refreshed automatically ? If not, what is the purpose
for this checkbox ?

Is there any suggestion in our case ?

Thanks

[Bill Manville]

Patrick wrote:
> We would like to know by turning on "Enable Background Refresh" checkbox,
> does the data will be refreshed automatically ?
>

I believe so.
But take care if you plan to use that option - I wouldn't do it in a
workbook that uses macros; the results could be bad.

> the pop up "Enable AutoRefresh"
>

I think this is a new feature in 2007?

If you uncheck all the Refresh options for the query you won't get the
pop-up - but the query won't automatically refresh. You would need to have
the user manually refresh it, or else include an Auto_Open macro in the
workbook to cause the refresh to happen - and then you would face the macro
warning (unless the workbook was opened from a trusted location or was
digitally signed)

Bill Manville
MVP - Microsoft Excel, Oxford, England