Impossible to insert relative path hyperlink with Action; I can with Hyperlink

Question

Hi, I have Powerpoint Office 365.

I noticed that when I insert an hyperlink through the INSERT|HYPERLINK button to another ppt presentation in the same folder a relative path will be created. When I do the same through the INSERT|ACTION button an absolute path will be created.

That's quite strange, and painfull also because with the latter method is very easy to insert also a specific slide in the linked presentation as target.

Do you have any help and clarification, please.

Lauro

Answer 1

1. PowerPoint has done this at least as far back as Office 2003.
2. I don't know, only the programming team might have an answer.
3. OLE links cannot be relative either, like when you link to an Excel or Word file.
4. When creating the Hyperlink, click on the Bookmark button in the Insert Hyperlink dialog. Choose the slide you want to link to, then OK out.

Answer 2

Instead of using an action button, please try inserting an ordinary shape and add a hyperlink to it. It will work the same way as an action button, but with a relative link.

Answer 3

2007 works the same way, adding the complete path to an action button. I have every version, Mac and Windows back to 2003, installed, so I'm able to check.

Answer 4

Thank you again John.

1. Of course I'm not 100% sure. But I remember linking to other presentations (and slides) with the Action method in PowerPoint 2007 and not noticing any problem at all when moving the entire folder to other computers.
2. I didn't know that.
3. I will follow your advice.

Thanks, Lauro

Answer 5

Thank you John for your quick answer.

That's exactly what I did to discover the dfferent behavior of PowerPoint with the two ways to insert a hyperlink.

What I was trring to understand is the following.

1. It seems to me that this is a problem only with Powerpoint 16/365. I don't remember this kind of problems using previous versions.
2. Why there is this kind of different behaviours?
3. Everywhere on the net I found that the only condition to have a relative path (instead of absolute) is that the file linked should be already saved and in the same folder (or subfolder) of the presentation. That's not true in the case of Action.
4. Inserting the Hyperlink through Action gives the possibility to choose easily also the specific slide linked; this opportunity is not gven with the other way.

Bye, Lauro