Cannot follow hyperlink to Office document (280680)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Excel 2003
  • Microsoft Excel 2002
  • Microsoft Excel 2000
  • Microsoft Word 2002
  • Microsoft Word 2000
This article was previously published under Q280680
Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows registry

SYMPTOMS

When you click a hyperlink in a Microsoft Word document or a Microsoft Excel worksheet, either the hyperlink does not go to the correct destination, or nothing happens.

CAUSE

This problem occurs if the following conditions are true:
  • The hyperlink links to a local file that uses the "file:" protocol.
  • You use the workaround that is described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article

    218153 Error message when clicking hyperlink in Office: "Cannot locate the Internet server or proxy server"

RESOLUTION

How to obtain the hotfix

This issue is fixed in the Word 2002 post-Service Pack 3 Hotfix Package that is dated February 20, 2006. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

915361 Description of the Word 2002 post-Service Pack 3 hotfix package: February 20, 2006

WORKAROUND

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

To work around this issue, you can modify the Windows registry to open a Word document or an Excel worksheet without using DDE.

When ShellExecute specifies "open", the setting in the following workaround prevents "open" from using the DDE key for opening a document or worksheet. If you open a file by using Windows Explorer, DDE is used as usual.

Note If you change the open method, you may experience performance problems in Word. Or, you may not be able to open files in the same instance of Word and of Excel from the Windows shell. Only change the open method if you are using a version of Office that is not covered by the hotfix package that is described in the "Resolution" section.

Modify the registry for Word

  1. Click Start, and then click Run. In the Open box, type regedit and then click OK.
  2. In Registry Editor, browse to the following subkey:

    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Word.Document.8\shell

  3. In the shell key, double-click Default, and then type OpenDDE in the Value data box.
  4. Right-click the Open key and click Rename. Type OpenDDE.
  5. Right-click the Shell key, point to New, and then click Key.
  6. Name the new subkey Open.
  7. Double-click Default in the Open key, and then type Open without DDE in the Value data box.
  8. Right-click the Open key, point to New, and then click Key.
  9. Name the new subkey Command.
  10. Double-click Default in the Command key, and then type

    "installation path\Winword.exe" /f "%1"

  11. On the File menu, click Exit.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:7/27/2006
Keywords:kbprb KB280680
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