Using UNC path instead of URL to link cell to PDF file

[Francisco]

I have an attorney who wants to link text in a cell to a PDF file that
resides on a server in our domain. This server resides in the Boston office
and none of our Hartford users have mapped drives to this server. (We use
Docs Open for file management) When we save the UNC Path, close the
spreadsheet and reopen it the link does not work. It changes the UNC path's
back slashes to forward slashes like on the internet.

Does anyone know of a way to use a UNC path instead of a URL to link text to
a file? If we have a mapped drive to the source server this isn't a
problem. But because our hartford users don't need access to our Boston
server this will not will not work.

 

[Gary''s Student]

Try the =HYPERLINK() function. Since it uses a text string, Excel won't try
to re-map it:

=HYPERLINK("\\FINANCE\Statements\1stqtr.pdf", "beantown")

 

[Dave Peterson]

A few people have said that this has resolved the problem for them:

File|Properties|Summary Tab|Hyperlink Base
change it to C:\
(something that's always available)

======
I, personally like the =hyperlink() worksheet function, too.

I can put the UNC Path in a cell (hidden away) and put the filenames in column A
(if I have lots of links to use) and use a version of Gary''s Student's
suggestion:

With \\finance\statements\ in A1
and 1stqtr.pdf in A2
I'd put this in B2
=HYPERLINK("File:////" & $a$1 & a2, "Click Me")

Then when the IT folks move the files--or replace that server with a differently
named one, I can just make one change in $A$1 and all my links are working
again.