Extract text from an external Excel using the file path only

[gaker10]

Is there a formula or VBA to extract text from an Excel given the Excel's file path only? This should be simple but I can not get it to work. This is on a business network btw, which I know can create issues.

Example:

Excel I want my text result in (columns a-e, but lets just figure out "a" for now)

a b c d e path
P:\Business\CUSTOMERS\Customer\stuff\excel.xlsm

I want to put a formula or VBA in column "a" that goes to the excel in the path column and extracts the cell contents of a cell I give. This cell is a named range so I used the named range, but with no luck.

Normally it makes me browse for the Excel file even when I give it a path, and when I try to avoid this I get a #Name? error of course.

I had tried to figure this out before and could not get it to work. Now, I need to figure this out, whether I can use formulas or VBA or data validation if possible.

[gaker10]

The forum won't let me insert an image of my Excel to clarify, but "a b c d e path" represent columns. The pathway is in the path column.