What does "Workbook has no bound sheets" mean?

[robinsgate]

I'm working with spreadsheets in Excel 2000, and keep getting the message
"Workbook has no bound sheets", and then get promptly thrown out of Excel.

Any idea why I keep getting this message, and how I can stop getting it?

[jeffo25]

I got this error in Excel today, 11jan06. I developed a spreadsheet in Excel 2003 under WinXP and created a Name that referred to a range in an external file, another Excel spreadsheet.

I update the 'other' spreadsheet from an accounting application (which exports its data in .XL5, yes 'five', format). I simply renamed the exported file extension from .XL5 to .xls and went on my merry way, assuming my named link would work. That's when I started getting the error.

After lots of frustrating attempts to figure this out, I simply opened the 'other' file in Excel and saved it back on itself in 'Microsoft Office Excel Workbook (*.xls)' format. The 'no bound sheets' error has gone away.

I hope this helps someone else out there...