Office 2016 Excel HYPERLINK function unable to open linked local PDF file

Question

Hi all,

I'm having a curious issue with the HYPERLINK function. While I first noticed this issue on a work excel spreadsheet with over 6000 HYPERLINK functions linked to PDFs, I've been able to replicate this on a newly created XLSX file too.

ISSUE:

When creating a hyperlink with the HYPERLINK function, an error message will appear, "Alert, Cannot open the specified file."

However, if you use the Insert > Hyperlink feature, the PDF will open fine with only a warning box. Continuing through the warning box, the PDF file will open.

NOTES:

1. The original file when used on Windows, works with no issue. This is the same for the test file I created.
2. The HYPERLINK functions works fine with Office for Mac 2011.
3. When a particular PDF file has been linked with the Insert > Hyperlink feature, further HYPERLINK functions entered to that specific PDF file will open with no issues.
4. I'm currently running version 15.15 (151008) of Microsoft Excel for Mac.
5. I've tried using both relative and absolute paths to the file with no luck. The function in the original document all use relative paths.
6. The HYPERLINK function work in Office for Mac 2016 when linking to another Office document (docx, xlsx, etc.).

Because the original document has over 6000 PDFs linked, I can't manually insert each and every file. I only noticed this issue when we had to send the Excel index file to a client and he had Office for Mac 2016 installed.

Any tips or hints would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Answer 1

Sounds to me like this is an OS sandboxing issue, not an Excel one. I'm not sure how to get around it, but Excel 2016, obeys Apple's sandbox requirements, while Excel 2011 does not. Google "OS 10 sandbox" for some explanations.

Answer 2

I was having the same problem in Excel 2016 for Mac, but found a solution:

Add the folder path to "Hyperlink Base" - under File/Properties.../Summarye.g. /Users/username/Documents/Links%20Folder/

Then include the same path in the hyperlink formula

e.g. if my document name was in Cell A3:

=HYPERLINK("/Users/username/Documents/Links%20Folder/" & A3 & ".pdf", "Link Text")

My links only seem to work when i include the full path in both the base and the hyperlink formula.  Also - it doesn't like spaces, so make sure you use %20

Answer 3

Seems to me that the Excel HYPERLINK function should be able to take an argument that refers to a file on the Mac just as it will in Windows.

The help text says it can refer to a file.

This worked in 2011 and not in 2016.

That seems to me is a bug that Microsoft should fix.

Answer 4

Unfortunately, Apple and Microsoft product managers have convinced themselves that the benefits of sandboxing are so great that the catastrophic consequences of the scheme are outweighed by the benefits.

I think they're nuts. To me, sandboxing is like using a sledge hammer instead of a fly swatter. You kill the fly, but you cause a lot of damage.

Answer 5

Hi Bob,

Thanks for your reply. If it is indeed a sandboxing issue, is there ever going to be a solution for this? Would I need to contact Apple instead for this issue?

Thanks,