OFF97: Cannot Use Pound Character in File Name for a Hyperlink

ID: Q160586

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you create a hyperlink to another file in any of the programs listed at the beginning of this article, the file name may appear to be truncated. For example, a hyperlink to a file with the following path:

c:\Files\My#Doc.xls
may appear as follows:
c:\Files\My - 1.xls
Also, when you attempt to click the hyperlink, you may receive the following error message:
Cannot Open the Specified File.
NOTE: You also cannot use "%20" (without the quotation marks) in a file name. If you attempt to, the %20 characters will be replaced with a space.


CAUSE

This problem occurs when the name of file to which you create the hyperlink contains a pound sign (#).


WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, rename the file with a name that does not include the pound sign, and then recreate the hyperlink.

For more information about how to rename a file in Windows, see your Windows printed documentation or online Help.

To recreate the hyperlink, use the following steps:

  1. Open the file that contains the link and select the cell that contains the problem hyperlink.


  2. To erase the hyperlink, press DELETE.


  3. To create a new hyperlink, click Hyperlink on the Insert menu.


  4. Click Browse next to the "Link to File or URL" box and locate the file to which you want to create the hyperlink and click OK.


  5. Click OK.


NOTE: The pound sign is a valid character to use in a file name.


MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q158300 XL97: "Cannot Open Specified File" Clicking Hyperlink


REFERENCES

For more information about hyperlinks, click the Index tab in Microsoft Office Help, type the following text

Hyperlinks
and then double-click the selected text to go to the "HYPERLINKS" topic.

Additional query words: XL97 


Keywords          : kbualink97 offweb xlweb 
Version           : WINDOWS:97
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        :

Last Reviewed: June 28, 1999