Software⏱️ 4 min read📅 2026-06-15

How to Fix: Disable "Unable to open <URL>. Cannot locate the Internet server or proxy server" error

Excel error message handling

Quick Answer: Use the On Error GoTo 0 statement to disable error messages and instead handle errors in a more robust way.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 💡 Why You Are Getting This Error
  2. 🔧 Proven Troubleshooting Steps
  3. ✨ Wrapping Up

The 'Unable to open . Cannot locate the Internet server or proxy server' error occurs when Excel is unable to connect to a web query due to a crashed server or proxy issues. This error affects users who rely on web queries for data updates, such as those using Excel 2003 and later versions.

This error can be frustrating because it disrupts the continuous update of data, which is crucial in many applications. In this guide, we will explore the root causes of this error and provide two primary fix methods to disable these message boxes.

💡 Why You Are Getting This Error

  • The primary reason for this error is that Excel may not be able to connect to a web query due to a crashed server or proxy issues. This can happen when the company's server experiences technical difficulties, causing the macro to fail and display an error message.
  • Another possible cause of this error is incorrect settings or configuration in Excel, which may prevent it from connecting to the web query correctly.

🔧 Proven Troubleshooting Steps

Disable Error Handling

  1. Step 1: To disable the error handling, add the following line of code at the top of your macro: `On Error GoTo 0`. This will reset the error handling settings and prevent Excel from stopping the macro when an error occurs.
  2. Step 2: Next, remove the `Application.DisplayAlerts = False` line of code. This setting was used to suppress the display of error messages, but it can also cause issues with data updates. By removing this line, you will allow the macro to continue running and update the data even if there are errors.
  3. Step 3: Additionally, consider adding a try-catch block around the web query connection code to catch any exceptions that may occur: `Try ... Catch Err`.

Configure Excel Settings

  1. Step 1: To configure Excel settings to prevent the error message from appearing, go to File > Options > Trust Center, and then click on 'Trust Center Settings'. In the Trust Center window, select the 'Trusted Locations' tab and click on 'Add new location'. Enter the URL of your company's server and click 'OK'. This will allow Excel to connect to the web query without displaying an error message.
  2. Step 2: Alternatively, you can also try setting the `HTTP` protocol to use a proxy server: `Applicationcfg.SetProxySettings 'http', `. However, this may not work if your company's server uses a non-standard proxy configuration.

✨ Wrapping Up

By following these two primary fix methods, you should be able to disable the 'Unable to open . Cannot locate the Internet server or proxy server' error message and ensure that your Excel spreadsheet continues to update with fresh data. Remember to monitor your company's server status and adjust your settings accordingly to prevent any further issues.

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