Access hyperlinks ignore file associations

[coffent]

Using Windows XP Control Panel / Folder Options / File Types, I have set the
"pdf" extension association to another pdf file viewer than Adobe Acrobat.
This works fine in all programs other than Access. For example, if I
double-click on a file with a pdf extension in Windows Explorer, it opens it
with the third-party viewer. However, if I create a hyperlink to that same
file in Access it is listed as "Acrobat Document" and if I double-click it,
Access ignores my file association and opens it with Adobe Acrobat. Is there
a way to get Access to honor the Windows file associations?

 

[Dorian]

Set the file associations in your browser.
The internet is not in the Windows world.
-- Dorian
"Give someone a fish and they eat for a day; teach someone to fish and they
eat for a lifetime".

 

[coffent]

I don't understand your suggestion, since Access isn't using the internet.
Both the program and hyperlinked file are on my local drive. Nevertheless
(as stranger things have happened!) I tried setting the association in my
browser, but it made no difference. Access still opens the file with Adobe.

 

[David W. Fenton]

Using Windows XP Control Panel / Folder Options / File Types, I
have set the "pdf" extension association to another pdf file
viewer than Adobe Acrobat. This works fine in all programs other
than Access. For example, if I double-click on a file with a pdf
extension in Windows Explorer, it opens it with the third-party
viewer. However, if I create a hyperlink to that same file in
Access it is listed as "Acrobat Document" and if I double-click
it, Access ignores my file association and opens it with Adobe
Acrobat. Is there a way to get Access to honor the Windows file
associations?

I would look carefully at the defined file associations. My guess is
there's something else defined that is overriding it.

You could also test what the apiShellExecute API code does with it:

http://www.mvps.org/access/api/api0018.htm

The other thing that's important is to realize that Access hyperlink
fields are problematic, and in my opinion, not worth the trouble.
It's just a special case of a memo field (in order to handle links
longer than 255 characters), and I tend not to use them at all,
precisely because of this kind of unpredictability, as well as the
complications of editing them.

I can't say that converting your hyperlink to a plain memo field
will fix the problem, but it is something I'd do, anyway. It does
mean you then have to write code to open the hyperlinks, though. But
that also gives you control over what happens.

 

[coffent]

Thanks for the suggestions, Bruce & David - I will try them.