Absolutely nuts "This workbook contains one or more links to external sources that could..

Hi guys, this thing drives me nut now, half a day trying to figure, and nothing!

Basically, I had to re-install Windows, and I went from 8.1 to 10. Same Office Pro 2016, though.

In my filing system, I have Excel files, all in the same folder (10 of them), and all are linked-up as part of one system.

All Laptop files got uploaded from the back-up drive after Windows reinstalled.


THE PROBLEM

Now, when I try to open any of the linked-up files from that folder, I get a message that "This workbook contains one or more links to external sources that could be unsafe"

2019-03-15_1452.png

This comes as surprise because it was never this error before!

STEPS TAKEN

To figure from which file error is coming from, I first tried deleting all files one by one (in a Copied folder). Error did not go away, but then I realised that links to a no-longer-existing files are still active. So I broke them. And error went away.

Next, I thought let me just start by breaking the links first, see if I can catch from which file error is coming. And an error remained all the way until I broke a last link! After last link was broken, error went away (but I re-tested, error wasn't because of that one last file)

So it suggests that an error was coming from one of those links right?

Because I also looked into Inspect Workbook -> Check Compatibility. I do have some errors in there, but these are the same wether before or after I broke all links. And since error is no longer there after breaking all links, means it is not coming from Check Compatibility errors list.

One interesting thing I noticed was that one of my current files is linking to Local Disc E: which WAS a disc where I stored those files in 8.1 Windows. But in Windows 10 E: seems to become Local Disc D: now. So all my files are showing linking to other files in D: apart from that one link in one specific file which says E: I tried breaking that E: link and it would't!

Sorry for a long write up, but or armour here completely...

Any ideas please?