How can I create a hyperlink to a file in the same folder as the document that will work on different computers?

Question

Good day everyone,

I need to set up a hyperlink in word that links to a photo that is in the same folder as the document. I've managed to do this but now when I open the document on another computer the hyperlink doesn't work. I understand that the file location has changed and the old path will no longer work but i want to ask if there is a way to create a hyperlink that will work on different computers without me having to physically change the file path for every different computer.

Thanks,

Owen

Answer 1

Hi Owen, hope you're doing well. I’m Ian, an Independent Advisor and Microsoft user like you. I’m happy to help answer your questions.

I'm sorry to hear about this issue.

For this one I change the link from Absolute link to Relative link.

Meaning it will link to where the Word file is.

Please follow this steps below.

1. Select "File > Options"
2. Select "Advanced"
3. Scroll down to "General" and select "Web Options"
4. Select the Files tab
5. Check "Update Links on Save" and Uncheck "Use long file names whenever possible"
6. Click Ok.

Answer 2

Ian's ( rianvillareal's) method is new to me, but one can learn something new every day.

I hope it works but suspect it will not. I have been haunting forums like this for more than two decades and this is the first time I had heard it.

Here is a screenshot summarizing his suggested method from File > Options.

Please let us know if it does work. If it does, please take the time to mark Ian's response as an Answer. This is a recurrent problem in Word and knowing this would help many people.

See MVP Paul Edstein's tutorial on this:

Word Fields and Relative Paths to External Files

Using the methods he explains, it is possible to create relative hyperlinks but is not all that simple.

Answer 3

There's an even simpler way, which works at least in current versions of Office (I'm not sure how far back in previous versions this is true).

Make sure the document and the photo file are saved in the same folder. In the document, press Ctrl+K (or click Insert > Link > Insert Link to open the same dialog).

The "Look in" box should already show the folder that contains both files, but if necessary you can navigate to the correct folder. Make sure the "Existing File or Web Page" box and the "Current Folder" box are selected. Click on the file name of the picture, which will automatically be put into the Address box and the "Text to display" box. You can edit the text to display if you want the document to show something other than the file name. You can also click the ScreenTip button if you want to change the text in the popup that appears when the mouse hovers over the hyperlink. Finally, click OK.

When the target file is in the same folder as the document, Word completely omits the folder path from the hyperlink. That means that when the hyperlink is clicked, Word will look only in the same folder where the document lives -- no matter whether it's in the same location or on a different computer.