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# Can't Add References If Filenames Similar

Article ID: 116189

Article Last Modified on 8/15/2005

APPLIES TO

- Microsoft Excel 95 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Excel 5.0 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Excel 5.0 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q116189

## SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel for Windows, you may be unable to add references to two different files when the names of the files are identical except for the presence of accent marks on certain characters in the filenames.

## CAUSE

This problem occurs because the Visual Basic Programming System, Applications Edition, is sometimes "accent-insensitive." When filenames contain accented characters, such as "e" (acute accent), "e" (circumflex accent), or "i" (grave accent), the characters may be "remapped" to a non- accented character, such as plain "e" or "i."

## WORKAROUND

To prevent this error from occurring, make sure your filenames differ by more than accents before you attempt to add references to them.

## STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here as it becomes available.

## MORE INFORMATION

If you attempt to add a reference to a file named "RESUME.XLS" (where the "E" characters have acute accents) when a reference to a file named "RESUME.XLS" (standard English/American "E" characters) already exists, you may receive the following error message:
Name conflicts with existing module, project, or object library
This problem may occur whenever filenames include accented characters. For example, "e" (acute accent), "e" (grave accent), "e" (circumflex accent), and plain "e" are all considered to be the same character when you are adding references.

Additional query words: XL

Keywords: KB116189