Hyperlink in excel not opening

Summary:

In this article you will explore the exact reason of why your Excel Hyperlinks not working. You will also get to learn about different solutions on how to fix Hyperlinks not working in Excel issue.

Why Are My Hyperlinks In Excel Not Working?

Don’t know why hyperlinks in Excel not working? Not to worry just go through the below listed causes to get answer to this question.

• Hyperlinked Worksheet File Name Is Renamed

Excel unable to open hyperlink when someone has renamed the worksheets that are linked with the hyperlinks.

Such task of renaming the target worksheets will make your hyperlinks won’t work as expected.

• Abrupt Closing Of Worksheet File Or System

Abrupt system shutdown with improper closing worksheet file also affects the worksheet’s hyperlinks and other data.

In excel there is an inbuilt option to update the hyperlinks each time when the workbook got saved. So if these links will get updated every time you save your workbook, in that case chances of hyperlinks not working raises.

Some other causes behind Excel unable to open hyperlink issue are:

• Commonly due to plenty of data stored in the workbook
• Due to performing unintentional functions on Excel
• Excel Services does not support relative hyperlinks.

These are some of the possible causes of the problem in Excel. This problem is not limited to any particular Excel version.

Many users of the Excel 2010, 2007, 2013 and even Excel 2016 are found reporting about the issue. So here follow the working solution to get rid of this.

How To Fix Hyperlinks In Excel Not Working Issue?

1# Recreate Excel Hyperlink

If you have renamed the worksheet in which hyperlinks are created; commonly those one which are targeted for the Hyperlinks. In that case Excel hyperlinks might not work. So to fix this you need to recreate the Hyperlinks.

Solution:

• Try recreating the Hyperlinks again to target renamed worksheet.
• Make use of the correct address presented in current worksheet.

The entire process might be tiresome but will help you to open the Excel Hyperlinks.

2# Uncheck Update Links on Save Option

Check whether you have performed any unintentional function like unexpected system shutdown without saving and closing the Excel file.

Well, in Excel there is an inbuilt option available to update Hyperlinks when the workbook is saved every time.

And when the hyperlinks are updated every time while saving the workbook, than this result hyperlink in Excel not working.

So, to make Excel Hyperlinks working, follow the steps given below.

Solution:

I know the complete process looks tedious to you. But it is much better than the situation in which you are completely restricted to open your Excel Hyperlinks.

• In Excel 2007: Hit the Office button and make tap over the Excel Options.

In Excel 2010/ 2013: go to the File tab and then from appearing menu hit the Options.

• Now in the opened dialog box of excel options, from the left panel hit the advanced tab.

• Scroll down until you will get the General Here you have to hit the Web Options button. This will open the dialog-box of web options.

• In the opened web options window move to the File tab and uncheck the “Update Links on Save”

• Hit the ok button to get out of the Web Options and Excel Options dialog box.

Hope doing this will help you to make your hyperlinks functional again, But if the Excel hyperlinks are still not working then the only option left is to make use of the automatic repair utility.

3# Repair Corrupt Excel Workbook

In most situation it is seen that due to the corruption of Excel workbook you can’t perform any task in it. So there may be a chance that your excel workbook is got corrupted and thus the hyperlink inserted in it not working.

To make your excel workbook accessible again you need to fix it by using reliable repair tool like MS Excel Repair Tool. It easily repairs corrupt, damaged as well as errors in Excel file. This tool allows to easily restore all corrupt excel file including the charts, worksheet properties cell comments, and other important data.

* Free version of the product only previews recoverable data.

With the help of this, you can fix all sort of issues, corruption, errors in Excel workbooks. This is a unique tool to repair multiple Excel files at one repair cycle and recovers the entire data in a preferred location. It is easy to use and compatible with both Windows as well as Mac operating system. This supports the entire Excel versions and the demo version is free.

Steps to Utilize MS Excel Repair Tool:

FAQ:

Conclusion:

Well, I have done my job now it’s your turn to follow the given fixes to solve the hyperlinks in Excel are not working issue.

Facing these types of error is common in Excel, but the good news is that it can be fixed by following certain fixes.

Additionally, Excel is an essential application and used in daily life, so it is recommended to handle the Excel file properly and follow best preventive steps to protect your Excel files from getting corrupted.

Despite it, always create a valid backup of Excel data and as well scan your system with good antivirus program for virus and malware infection.

Good Luck….

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• Can’t Open Hyperlink in Excel? Here’s How to Make it Work

Hyperlinks in your Excel file could be references to a file’s location on the computer or a location within the same worksheet. Or, hyperlinks might be pointing to a URL. Sometimes, the hyperlinks won’t work and any of the following errors may pop up on your screen on clicking a hyperlink:

‘Cannot open the specified file.’

‘This operation has been canceled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator.’

Causes of ‘hyperlinks not working in Excel’ problem, and solutions thereof

Here are some of the possible causes behind the ‘hyperlinks not working’ issue and solutions to fix it:

Cause 1 – Change in the name of the hyperlinked file

If the file name that appears in the hyperlink text is different than the actual file name, it will prevent the hyperlink from working.

Solution – Link to the renamed file

Ensure that the links in the Excel file are updated and points to the renamed file. For this, right-click the hyperlink and select ‘Edit the hyperlink’. Next, in the hyperlink address, replace the current filename with the renamed one in the hyperlink address.

Cause 2 – File name has a pound (#) sign

When you create a hyperlink for a file in Excel, you cannot use a pound character (#) in the file name that appears in the hyperlink. That is because the pound sign is not accepted in hyperlinks and may lead to the ‘Cannot open the specified file’ error.

Note: While you can use a pound character in a file name, it cannot be used in hyperlinks in an MS Office document.  

Solution – Rename the file name and remove the pound sign

Open the file that contains the ‘#’ sign and rename it by following these steps.

• Right-click the cell containing the hyperlink that is not working, and click Edit Hyperlink.
• From the Address box, copy the address of the file you are linking to.
• Go the location where the file is stored, right-click on the file, and click Rename.
• Remove the ‘#’ character from the name of the file. 
• Go back to the Excel file, right-click on the problematic hyperlink, and choose Edit Hyperlink. Next, browse and select the renamed file.
• The renamed file without the pound sign will be added in the Address box.
• Click OK.

Now try opening the hyperlink.

Cause 3 – Sudden system shutdown causes abrupt closing of Excel

There may be a discrepancy in the data in hyperlinks when a system shutdown suddenly, without properly closing the Excel file. And so, when trying to open a link, it won’t open.

Solution – Enable the option to save hyperlinks

There is an inbuilt option in Excel to update hyperlinks every time the workbook is saved. Follow these steps to enable that option:

Note: The steps may vary based on the Excel version you are using.

For Excel 2013, 2016, or 2019:

• Open Excel Workbook ->Go to File->Options->Advanced
• Scroll down to find the General tab and click on Web Options
• Web Options Window pops-up
• On Web Options, pop-up, Click on Files and select the ‘Update Links on save‘ checkbox
• Click OK button and your option is saved

The steps are also explained in the image below:

For Excel 2007:

• Click the Office button
• Select Excel Options, then follow Step 1) to Step 5), as mentioned above and get the Excel Hyperlinks to work again.

Still unable to open hyperlink in Excel?

If you fail to make Excel hyperlinks work using the above-discussed solutions, use an Excel repair tool to fix the hyperlinks issue. Download the Stellar Repair for Excel to repair an XLS/XLSX file and restore the hyperlinks.

See the working of Software here:

The tool recovers all components of the Excel file including tables, charts, chart sheets, cell comments, images, formulas, and more. You can repair multiple worksheets and fix all dysfunctional Excel hyperlinks across multiple worksheets in a single workbook. Click on the workbook, select all worksheets and start repairing

Check MVP’s review on the software: Microsoft Excel File Repair Software

Conclusion

Carefully read the possible causes behind the ‘Excel Hyperlinks not working’ issue to understand what resulted in the issue in the first place. If nothing helps, use Stellar Repair for Excel to restore the hyperlinks and save the result in a new Excel file, without interfering with worksheet properties and cell formatting.

Whenever you are using Excel or Word, you may use the hyperlink. It refers to a file’s location on the computer or within the same worksheet. A hyperlink can also be a reference to a URL. You can visit the site through this link. However, some users complain about hyperlinks not working in Excel and receive the error message below:

Cannot open the specified file

If you are one of the victims of the «Excel hyperlink not working» error, this post can get you out of your problem. It addresses everything related to this error, and you may get the way out.

Possible Causes of Hyperlink Not Working in Excel

Generally, there are four main reasons for Excel not working in Windows 10. Here is the list of the leading causes.

• The file name has a pound (#) sign.
• The Excel has become corrupted or Excel keeps crashing.
• There is a change in the name of the hyperlinked file.
• A sudden system shutdown causes the abrupt closing of Excel.

How to Fix Hyperlink Not Working in Excel in Windows 11/10

Do you meet the situation above? If you can’t open the specified file because of Excel hyperlink errors, follow these solutions below to fix the Excel hyperlink not working.

Method 1. Link to the Renamed File Location

You may receive this error message — you cannot open the specified file if you have changed the file location or name. The most straightforward way to fix this error is to edit the link again.

Step 1. Copy the address of the new file from File Explorer.

Step 2. Open Excel and right-click the hyperlink.

Step 3. Select «Edit hyperlink» in the menu.

Step 4. In the address box, replace the current filename with the renamed one and click «OK».

After that, you can try to open this Excel file and check if this error still exists.

Method 2. Repair Corrupted Excel Files to Fix Hyperlink Errors

You may encounter this issue if the Excel file has become corrupted and damaged. Repairing the corrupted files can get you out of this problem. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is an all-in-one data recovery and repair software. It can repair all corrupted videos, documents, and pictures with simple clicks. This Excel repair tool has many excellent features.

Download this data recovery software and follow the steps below to repair Excel files in Windows 11/10/8/7.

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, and then scan disk with corrupted documents. This software enables you to fix damaged Word, Excel, PPT, and PDF files in same steps. 

Step 2. EaseUS data recovery and repair tool will scan for all lost and corrupted files. You can find the target files by file type or type the file name in the search box. 

Step 3. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can repair your damaged documents automatically. After file preview, you can click «Recover» to save the repaired Word, Excel, and PDF document files to a safe location.

After you have repaired the Excel file, click the hyperlink to check if you have solved your problem.

Method 3. Rename the File and Remove the Pound Sign

If you find a «#» sign in your file name, remove it and edit the hyperlink again. Open the file that contains the «#» sign and rename it by following these steps.

Step 1. Right-click the hyperlink that is not working, and click «Edit Hyperlink».

Step 2. In the Address box, copy the file address you are linking to.

Step 3. Go to the location where the file is stored, right-click on the file, and click «Rename».

Step 4. Remove the «#» character from the name of the file.

Step 5. Return to the Excel file, right-click the problematic hyperlink, and choose «Edit Hyperlink».

Step 6. Browse and select the renamed file. Click «OK».

Method 4. Disable the «Update Links on save» Option

If this error still exists, you can try disabling the «Update Links on save» option. Here are the steps to disable the «Update Links on Save» feature in MS Excel. (Applies to Excel 2013, 2016, or 2019)

Step 1. Open Excel and go to «File > Options > Advanced».

Step 2. Scroll down to find the «General» tab and select «Web Options».

Step 3. When Web Options pop up, Click «Files» and uncheck the «Update Links on save» box.

Step 4. Click «OK» to save your changes.

Contact our experts for further assistance if you still need help making Excel hyperlinks work using the above-discussed solutions.

Conclusion

I hope you have solved your Excel problems with one of these solutions. If nothing helps, use EaseUS free data recovery software to restore all components of the Excel file, including tables, chart sheets, charts, cell comments, formulas, images, and more.

Hyperlink Not Working in Excel FAQs

Read these related questions and answers to get additional help.

1. How do I make a link clickable?

• Select the text or picture that you want to display as a hyperlink.
• Right-click the text or picture and click the Link on the shortcut menu.

2. How do I fix runtime error 1004 in Excel?

You can fix runtime error 1004 in Excel with these solutions:

• Delete the GWXL97.XLA Files
• Check the Trust Access to the VBA Project Object Model
• Create Another Excel Template
• Repair Corrupted Excel File

3. Why is the hyperlink file not working?

If your hyperlink is suddenly not working, the reasons might be as follows:

• The path has been changed
• The Excel file is corrupted
• There are security restrictions on your Internet browser

4. How can I fix Excel cannot open the file?

To fix Excel cannot open the file because the extension is not a valid error:

• Ensure you have enough permissions
• Enable Safe Mode
• Open Excel in Safe Mode
• Repair and recover the Excel

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It isn’t uncommon for hyperlinks in Excel to not work. Excel offers the feature of establishing a link between certain locations on either the web or your device. However, sometimes this tool does not work as you expect. When this happens, you can expect a dialog box alerting you about a broken hyperlink. 

If you’re facing a similar issue, we’re here to assist you. This article will break down the causes for why the hyperlink tool isn’t functioning in Excel. After that, we’ll give you insights on how you can fix this issue, so keep reading! 

Fix the Hyperlink Issue in MS Excel

For each of the problems we’ve listed above, there are simple solutions you can try on your own. You don’t have to be an Excel expert to try these fixes because we’ve broken the fixes down into easy steps. After skimming through the problems, refer to the most relevant solutions listed below. 

Enable Automatic Hyperlink

You may have forgotten about turning off automatic hyperlinks in Excel. Microsoft pushed this feature so that you don’t accidentally create hyperlinks in your workbook. You can easily enable the automatic hyperlink feature for Excel through Proofing under Excel options. Although the steps may look long, we assure you it’s as easy as ever. 

Follow along with these steps to enable automatic hyperlinks for Excel:

1. Launch MS Excel.
2. From the homepage, locate and select Options from the sidebar. If you do not see Options, click on More, then select Options.
3. From the Excel Options window, select Proofing on the left panel.
4. Under AutoCorrect options, select the AutoCorrect Options… button.
5. Head on to the AutoFormat As You Type from the AutoCorrect window.
6. Under Replace as you type, check the box next to Internet and network paths with hyperlinks.
   
7. Select OK on the bottom-right corner of the window to confirm changes.

After you’ve enabled this feature, select the cell with your hyperlink. From the formula bar, delete the space after the link and hit Enter on your keyboard.

Update Path Name

If your hyperlink is suddenly not working, the path must have been changed. MS Excel does not automatically update paths when changed, so you will be redirected to the path you’ve mentioned that no longer exists.

You can update the path name by editing the address leading to the file. While you check the path name, also ensure that the Pound symbol (#) is not mentioned in the address. If the address has the pound symbol, remove it. 

Here are the steps you can use to edit the address of your hyperlink:

1. Open Microsoft Excel to open your document.
2. Right-click on the cell with the hyperlink.
3. From the list of options, select the Edit Hyperlink option.
4. In the Edit Hyperlink window, locate Address. 
5. Change the path name on the address bar next to Address. If any, remove the Pound symbol (#).
   

Assign a Drive Letter (Windows)

The alphabet assigned to external drives is temporary. However, if your hyperlink redirects you to an external device, its name must stay static. As already mentioned, Excel does not identify path changes, so your hyperlink may not be working because the name of your disk is changed.

You can permanently assign a drive letter to removable memory from disk management. Remember, you need to have administrative access to complete this action.

Follow these steps to change the drive letter of a disk:

1. Connect your removable disk to your computer.
2. Launch Start, then type Disk Management and hit enter.
3. Locate your driver under Volume and right-click on it.
4. From the list of options, select Change Driver Letter and Paths…
5. On the new window, click on the Change button.
6. Next to Assign the following drive letter, select the drop-down menu and choose a letter you want to assign the disk.
   
7. Select OK.

Disable “Update Links on Save”

Your hyperlinks may not work if your workbook is unexpectedly closed. This is because your workbook will fail to establish a connection with the location you wished to be redirected to. You can fix this issue by turning off the option, Update Links on Save from the Web options of Excel.

Here are the steps to turn off the Update Links on Save options for Excel:

1. Open the Microsoft Excel application.
2. From the panel to your left, select Options. If it is not available, click on More… then Options. If your document is already open, head to File from the menu bar.
3. Select Advanced from the left panel.
4. Scroll down to the General section.
5. Click on the Web Options button.
6. From the Web Options window, navigate to the Files tab.
7. Uncheck the box next to Update links on save under File names and location.
   
8. Select OK on the bottom-right corner of the window.

Repair Office App (Windows)

Some errors in Excel are caused due to corrupted or missing program files. When certain files do not work, you will not be able to enjoy the features the file contains. 

You can recover these missing or corrupted files by repairing the application. When you repair an app, your system scans for corrupted files and then swaps them for a new, working program file. 

Follow these steps to repair office application on Windows:

1. On your keyboard, hit the combination Windows key + I to open the Settings application. 
2. Select Apps from the navigation panel to your left.
3. Click on Apps & Features.
4. Scroll down to locate the Office application.
5. Click on the vertical Three-dot menu next to the application and select Advanced Options. 
6. Scroll down to the Rest option, then select the Repair button.