Frosty,
I have an Access/Excel “interface” for updating an Employee List, wherein I have code to automatically export data from the Access file each time anyone loads that file. The data is exported to a SEPARATE “constant filename” (called "Contact_Data.xls"

.
Then, with the Excel Employee List file, I have code in a “Workbook Open” event which automatically updates the data from the “Contact_Data.xls” file.
Below are the two sets of VBA code – the first for Access and the second for Excel.
I’ve included the entire code, some of which might not apply to your scenario, and some of which refers to specific worksheet names and range names – which you would naturally have to modify. Hopefully, these examples will at least serve to give you an appreciation for the process of “transferring data” from Access to Excel in an “automatic” way.
If you find the code useful (or if you don’t), please advise as to how you make out.
Regards, …Dale Watson dwatson@bsi.gov.mb.ca
ACCESS code
This is an “On Close” Event Procedure for a “Main Menu” form in Access. It gets activated every time a user uses the form/file.
Private Sub Form_Close()
' Export Employee Data to Excel file.
DoCmd.TransferSpreadsheet acExport, 8, "Contact_List_Qry", "C:\Employee Database\Contact_Data.xls", True, ""
End Sub
EXCEL code
This is code is a “Workbook Open” event in an Excel file called “Contact List”.
Dim FirstCell As String
Dim LastCell As String
Dim LastRow As String
Dim LastColumn As String
Sub Workbook_Open()
' - For importing "Contact_Data" - data exported from the Employee Database
' - last modified May 5, 2001
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Workbooks.Open FileName:="C:\Employee Database\Contact_Data.xls"
Range("A1:AZ1000"

.Select
Selection.Copy
ActiveWindow.ActivateNext
Sheets("BSI_Contacts"

.Select
Range("A20"

.Select
ActiveSheet.Paste
Application.DisplayAlerts = False
Workbooks("Contact_Data.xls"

.Close SaveChanges:=False
Application.DisplayAlerts = True
Sheets("BSI_Contacts"

.Select
Range("A1"

.Select
Set_Data_Range
Format_Data
Format_Toprow
Sort_Name
Update_Lists
ActiveSheet.PageSetup.PrintArea = "data"
Range("a1"

.Select
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
Sub Set_Data_Range()
Range("data"

.Select
FirstCell = ActiveCell.Address
Get_Last_Row
LastColumn = "I"
LastCell = LastColumn & LastRow
Data_Range = FirstCell & " : " & LastCell
Range(Data_Range).Name = "Data"
End Sub
Sub Get_Last_Row()
ActiveCell.SpecialCells(xlLastCell).Select
ActiveCell.Offset(3, 0).Select
ActiveCell.End(xlToLeft).Select
ActiveCell.End(xlUp).Select
LastRow = ActiveCell.Row
End Sub
Sub Format_Data()
Range("data"

.Select
With Selection.Borders(xlEdgeLeft)
.LineStyle = xlContinuous
.Weight = xlHairline
.ColorIndex = xlAutomatic
End With
With Selection.Borders(xlEdgeTop)
.LineStyle = xlContinuous
.Weight = xlHairline
.ColorIndex = xlAutomatic
End With
With Selection.Borders(xlEdgeBottom)
.LineStyle = xlContinuous
.Weight = xlHairline
.ColorIndex = xlAutomatic
End With
With Selection.Borders(xlEdgeRight)
.LineStyle = xlContinuous
.Weight = xlHairline
.ColorIndex = xlAutomatic
End With
With Selection.Borders(xlInsideVertical)
.LineStyle = xlContinuous
.Weight = xlHairline
.ColorIndex = xlAutomatic
End With
With Selection.Borders(xlInsideHorizontal)
.LineStyle = xlContinuous
.Weight = xlHairline
.ColorIndex = xlAutomatic
End With
With Selection.Font
.Name = "Times New Roman"
.Size = 10
.Strikethrough = False
.Superscript = False
.Subscript = False
.OutlineFont = False
.Shadow = False
.Underline = xlUnderlineStyleNone
.ColorIndex = xlAutomatic
End With
End Sub
Sub Format_Toprow()
Range("toprow"

.Select
Selection.Font.Bold = True
With Selection
.HorizontalAlignment = xlCenter
.VerticalAlignment = xlBottom
.WrapText = False
.Orientation = 0
.ShrinkToFit = False
.MergeCells = False
End With
End Sub