URL links in Excel spreadsheet
 

A business unit has published a web site on our Intranet that includes an
Excel spreadsheet containing URLs. We've made Internet Explorer available on
our Terminal Services system so their employees can access the content that
way. Sometimes the URLs work properly. Other times they don't; even though
in both cases the user is looking at the same file with the same links to the
same page.

For example, as I follow the links, if the final link in the spreadsheet is
"http://intranet/..." it will work OK.
But sometimes, that same link will report being "file:///W:\Documents and
Settings\..."; in that case it will fail.

How can one link report being "http://" in some cases, and "file://" in
other cases?

I asked this is the IIS General forum and they suggested I route this
question to the Excel newgroup.

This is an excerpt from the thread in the IIS forum:
Kristofer,

"Do you say that the same link sometimes uses http:// and sometimes
file://. That is, it is randomly changing?"

YES, that is exactly what I'm saying. I can't explain it either. That's
why I'm on this newsgroup.

The links are in an ordinary Excel spreadsheet; as hyperlinks in cells. We
do that stuff all the time with no issues.

Thanks.

Tab

URL links in Excel spreadsheet
 

Tab,

"\" indicates an absolute path.
"/" indicates a relative path.
More here...
http://www.dicks-blog.com/archives/c...ce/hyperlinks/
Also, read the comments.

Jim Cone
San Francisco, USA
http://www.realezsites.com/bus/primitivesoftware



"Tab" wrote in message...
A business unit has published a web site on our Intranet that includes an
Excel spreadsheet containing URLs. We've made Internet Explorer available on
our Terminal Services system so their employees can access the content that
way. Sometimes the URLs work properly. Other times they don't; even though
in both cases the user is looking at the same file with the same links to the
same page.
For example, as I follow the links, if the final link in the spreadsheet is
"http://intranet/..." it will work OK.
But sometimes, that same link will report being "file:///W:\Documents and
Settings\..."; in that case it will fail.
How can one link report being "http://" in some cases, and "file://" in
other cases?
I asked this is the IIS General forum and they suggested I route this
question to the Excel newgroup.
This is an excerpt from the thread in the IIS forum:
Kristofer,
"Do you say that the same link sometimes uses http:// and sometimes
file://. That is, it is randomly changing?"

YES, that is exactly what I'm saying. I can't explain it either. That's
why I'm on this newsgroup.

The links are in an ordinary Excel spreadsheet; as hyperlinks in cells. We
do that stuff all the time with no issues.
Thanks.
Tab

URL links in Excel spreadsheet
 

You sure about the absolute/relative path stuff?

I just figured that MSIE (and links in general) were pretty forgiving.

I'm not sure what relative and absolute paths mean when you have a link like:

file:///W:\Documents...



Jim Cone wrote:

Tab,

"\" indicates an absolute path.
"/" indicates a relative path.
More here...
http://www.dicks-blog.com/archives/c...ce/hyperlinks/
Also, read the comments.

Jim Cone
San Francisco, USA
http://www.realezsites.com/bus/primitivesoftware

"Tab" wrote in message...
A business unit has published a web site on our Intranet that includes an
Excel spreadsheet containing URLs. We've made Internet Explorer available on
our Terminal Services system so their employees can access the content that
way. Sometimes the URLs work properly. Other times they don't; even though
in both cases the user is looking at the same file with the same links to the
same page.
For example, as I follow the links, if the final link in the spreadsheet is
"http://intranet/..." it will work OK.
But sometimes, that same link will report being "file:///W:\Documents and
Settings\..."; in that case it will fail.
How can one link report being "http://" in some cases, and "file://" in
other cases?
I asked this is the IIS General forum and they suggested I route this
question to the Excel newgroup.
This is an excerpt from the thread in the IIS forum:
Kristofer,
"Do you say that the same link sometimes uses http:// and sometimes
file://. That is, it is randomly changing?"

YES, that is exactly what I'm saying. I can't explain it either. That's
why I'm on this newsgroup.

The links are in an ordinary Excel spreadsheet; as hyperlinks in cells. We
do that stuff all the time with no issues.
Thanks.
Tab

--

Dave Peterson

URL links in Excel spreadsheet
 

Dave,
I am not sure about anything in Excel. <g
Jim Cone


"Dave Peterson" wrote in message ...
You sure about the absolute/relative path stuff?

I just figured that MSIE (and links in general) were pretty forgiving.
I'm not sure what relative and absolute paths mean when you have a link like:
file:///W:\Documents...



Jim Cone wrote:
Tab,

"\" indicates an absolute path.
"/" indicates a relative path.
More here...
http://www.dicks-blog.com/archives/c...ce/hyperlinks/
Also, read the comments.

Jim Cone
San Francisco, USA
http://www.realezsites.com/bus/primitivesoftware



"Tab" wrote in message...
A business unit has published a web site on our Intranet that includes an
Excel spreadsheet containing URLs. We've made Internet Explorer available on
our Terminal Services system so their employees can access the content that
way. Sometimes the URLs work properly. Other times they don't; even though
in both cases the user is looking at the same file with the same links to the
same page.
For example, as I follow the links, if the final link in the spreadsheet is
"http://intranet/..." it will work OK.
But sometimes, that same link will report being "file:///W:\Documents and
Settings\..."; in that case it will fail.
How can one link report being "http://" in some cases, and "file://" in
other cases?
I asked this is the IIS General forum and they suggested I route this
question to the Excel newgroup.
This is an excerpt from the thread in the IIS forum:
Kristofer,
"Do you say that the same link sometimes uses http:// and sometimes
file://. That is, it is randomly changing?"

YES, that is exactly what I'm saying. I can't explain it either. That's
why I'm on this newsgroup.

The links are in an ordinary Excel spreadsheet; as hyperlinks in cells. We
do that stuff all the time with no issues.
Thanks.
Tab

--

Dave Peterson

URL links in Excel spreadsheet
 

Them hyperlink thingies (thingys???) is weird in any application! <vbg

Jim Cone wrote:

Dave,
I am not sure about anything in Excel. <g
Jim Cone

"Dave Peterson" wrote in message ...
You sure about the absolute/relative path stuff?

I just figured that MSIE (and links in general) were pretty forgiving.
I'm not sure what relative and absolute paths mean when you have a link like:
file:///W:\Documents...

Jim Cone wrote:
Tab,

"\" indicates an absolute path.
"/" indicates a relative path.
More here...
http://www.dicks-blog.com/archives/c...ce/hyperlinks/
Also, read the comments.

Jim Cone
San Francisco, USA
http://www.realezsites.com/bus/primitivesoftware


"Tab" wrote in message...
A business unit has published a web site on our Intranet that includes an
Excel spreadsheet containing URLs. We've made Internet Explorer available on
our Terminal Services system so their employees can access the content that
way. Sometimes the URLs work properly. Other times they don't; even though
in both cases the user is looking at the same file with the same links to the
same page.
For example, as I follow the links, if the final link in the spreadsheet is
"http://intranet/..." it will work OK.
But sometimes, that same link will report being "file:///W:\Documents and
Settings\..."; in that case it will fail.
How can one link report being "http://" in some cases, and "file://" in
other cases?
I asked this is the IIS General forum and they suggested I route this
question to the Excel newgroup.
This is an excerpt from the thread in the IIS forum:
Kristofer,
"Do you say that the same link sometimes uses http:// and sometimes
file://. That is, it is randomly changing?"

YES, that is exactly what I'm saying. I can't explain it either. That's
why I'm on this newsgroup.

The links are in an ordinary Excel spreadsheet; as hyperlinks in cells. We
do that stuff all the time with no issues.
Thanks.
Tab

--

Dave Peterson

--

Dave Peterson

URL links in Excel spreadsheet
 

Jim,

Thanks for the info and link.

The odd thing is that there is just ONE spreadsheet. When opened on some
(five) Term Svrs, the hyperlink is "http://...". When opened on other
(three) TSs, the SAME hyperlink reports properties of
"file:///W:\Documents..."
Very strange.
On the TSs with the "file://" URL, I found a copy of the spreadsheet in the
Docs&Sets folder in Temporary Internet Files. Deleting that copy caused the
link to report "file not found" rather than "file inaccessable". But in ALL
cases the URL should read "http://" and never "file:///".

I've never seen anything like this behavior.

Thanks.

Tab


"Jim Cone" wrote:

Tab,

"\" indicates an absolute path.
"/" indicates a relative path.
More here...
http://www.dicks-blog.com/archives/c...ce/hyperlinks/
Also, read the comments.

Jim Cone
San Francisco, USA
http://www.realezsites.com/bus/primitivesoftware



"Tab" wrote in message...
A business unit has published a web site on our Intranet that includes an
Excel spreadsheet containing URLs. We've made Internet Explorer available on
our Terminal Services system so their employees can access the content that
way. Sometimes the URLs work properly. Other times they don't; even though
in both cases the user is looking at the same file with the same links to the
same page.
For example, as I follow the links, if the final link in the spreadsheet is
"http://intranet/..." it will work OK.
But sometimes, that same link will report being "file:///W:\Documents and
Settings\..."; in that case it will fail.
How can one link report being "http://" in some cases, and "file://" in
other cases?
I asked this is the IIS General forum and they suggested I route this
question to the Excel newgroup.
This is an excerpt from the thread in the IIS forum:
Kristofer,
"Do you say that the same link sometimes uses http:// and sometimes
file://. That is, it is randomly changing?"

YES, that is exactly what I'm saying. I can't explain it either. That's
why I'm on this newsgroup.

The links are in an ordinary Excel spreadsheet; as hyperlinks in cells. We
do that stuff all the time with no issues.
Thanks.
Tab

URL links in Excel spreadsheet
 

Try replacing each hyperlink with a formula to force absolute path,
e.g.:

=Hyperlink("http://www.breezetree.com")

Otherwise, Excel treats hyperlinks as relative addresses, not absolute.

Nick Hebb
BreezeTree Software
http://www.breezetree.com

URL links in Excel spreadsheet
 

Oh, never mind. I see that's what Dick's blog recommends too.

Nick Hebb

URL links in Excel spreadsheet
 

I have had similar problems. For some reason, the "file://..." seems to be
added to the URL whenever the link cannnot be established. ie. it seems to
look for the file in the local directory.

When de-bugging a website problem, watch out for old files existing in the
buffer on client machines. As you mention, they can make problems seem to be
inconsistent - but they are not.

I my case, Excel was corrupting existing (working) links each time I saved
the file as a web page (having fixed some previously non-functioning link).
The non-functioning link then worked, but others (that I had not touched) no
longer functioned - giving the impression that the fault was random!!! You
won't believe the "solution"...

Open your Spreadsheet, refresh all hyperlinks (repeat "all" hyperlinks),
save and then publish as a web page. Everything works fine. Only problem
is... If you make a singe change on your spreadsheet you have to go through
the whole process again. Kinda sucks but at least it works. Hope this
helps...

"Tab" wrote:

A business unit has published a web site on our Intranet that includes an
Excel spreadsheet containing URLs. We've made Internet Explorer available on
our Terminal Services system so their employees can access the content that
way. Sometimes the URLs work properly. Other times they don't; even though
in both cases the user is looking at the same file with the same links to the
same page.

For example, as I follow the links, if the final link in the spreadsheet is
"http://intranet/..." it will work OK.
But sometimes, that same link will report being "file:///W:\Documents and
Settings\..."; in that case it will fail.

How can one link report being "http://" in some cases, and "file://" in
other cases?

I asked this is the IIS General forum and they suggested I route this
question to the Excel newgroup.

This is an excerpt from the thread in the IIS forum:
Kristofer,

"Do you say that the same link sometimes uses http:// and sometimes
file://. That is, it is randomly changing?"

YES, that is exactly what I'm saying. I can't explain it either. That's
why I'm on this newsgroup.

The links are in an ordinary Excel spreadsheet; as hyperlinks in cells. We
do that stuff all the time with no issues.

Thanks.

Tab