Excel - Re : Excel Hyperlink to Open an External File

Asked By tkt_tan

20-Sep-07 09:37 PM

Re : Excel Hyperlink to Open an External File

01. Enter an Excel (version 2000) WorkSheet and construct a clickable
hyperlink as follows :-

=Hyperlink("C:\Apps\West\ Glycol Regeneration Package\1061-L-DW-402-3
SHT. 1.pdf","Click")

02. Upon activation of the given hyperlink, the .pdf drawing file
opens as desired.

03. Then, construct another hyperlink (leading to an AutoCad drawing
file) such as,

=Hyperlink("C:\Apps\East\ Glycol Reboiler Package\1061-L-DW-402-3 SHT.
2.dwg","Click")

04. However, upon activation of the given hyperlink, the .dwg file
does not open as desired (plus, the error message reads, "No Prrogram
is Registered to Open this File").

05. Ordinarily, the .dwg file can be opened by an AutoDesk viewer
application called "AutoVue".

06. The requirement is, How could an AutoCad file be opened (via
Autovue) by the activation of an Excel hyperlink ? Reckon that certain
VBA coding may be added to facilitate the given requirement.

07. Pleas share your experience. Regards.

21-Sep-07 06:46 AM

It may be as simple as setting the file association in Windows. "No Program
is Registered to Open this File". Go to MyComputer/Tools/Folder Options/File
Types. In the list of file extensions find .DWG and see if Auto View is the
program that opens this file type. If not, make it so.
To check for proper file association, in MyComputer search for *.DWG and
then double click on a drawing file. If it opens with Auto View, then your
OK. That is essentially what the hyperlink will do. It will first select a
file and then ask Windows to open the file with the program that is
registered to do so.

Mike F

23-Sep-07 09:52 PM

Mr. Mike Fogleman,

Thank you for replying to my query.

1. Upon MyComputer/Tools/Folder Options/File Types,
the Folder Options dialog box shows "Details for |*| extension" to be
oe of,
The other buttons such as New, Delete, Change and Advanced are dimmed
and so is Apply. OK remains clickable but it does not help my case.

2. Could not find .DWG file type for association as in Step 1 above.

3. When .DWG file is clicked directly under Explorer to open, the
dialog box "Oen With ..." intervenes ; and then, albeit showing that,

System

keeps intervention via "Open With ...." dialog box after another
clicking to open a .DWG file.

4. It appears that the Hyperlink formula does not work (with the
untamed) .DWG files ; however, .PDF files are well tamed to work
apparently.

5. So, What's Next ? Regards.

24-Sep-07 07:25 PM

You are on the right track, the file association is the key. I was a bit
surprised that "Always use this Program to Open these Files" did not take
hold. You might try to create a NEW file association for .DWG since it was
not listed in the list. If that doesn't work, leave it but delete the other
extension |*|. Then make sure the .DWG settings stayed and reboot. If all
that fails you should uninstall Auto Vue, reboot, re-install Auto Vue. If
all that fails then I'm stumped.

Mike F

28-Sep-07 07:37 AM

Mr. Mike Fogleman,

Thank you again.

The file type association between .dwg and AutoVue application has
been created.

Upon activation of a Hyperlink such as,

=Hyperlink("C:\Apps\East\ Glycol Reboiler Package\1061-L-DW-402-3
SHT.
2.dwg","Click")

AutoVue is loaded and the .dwg file opens.

However, there's System intervention via a dialog box that states,

need to restart the program."

And there, Excel is forced to shutdown.

Please share your experience. Regards.

28-Sep-07 09:53 AM

I have AutoDesk VoloView for .dwg files and using your hyperlink method
works fine on my machine (Winxp XL2000). I do get a dialogue box about
running harmful files. Other than that, no issues. I'm out of ideas, perhaps
re-submit the question for others to respond.

Mike F

16-Oct-07 11:03 PM

Mike Fogleman, Esq

After much diagnosis under the auspices of the IT group, the PC was
sent away to be re-built with Windows OS (2000).

And there again, the association of .dwg files and AutoVue was to be
effected.

Then, suffice to say that Excel Hyperlinks had functioned (well) to
open the Autocad files and alright, there was intervention by MS
Office (warning message box) against file containing virus being
harmful to the computer.

That was shortly before the PC was shutdown over the weekend.

PC was bootstrapped on the following week. And there, Excel Hyperlinks
functioned without the intervention of MS Office (warning message
box).

However, the customization of AutoVue via addition of Toolbar Icons
could no longer stick thereof despite that "Keep Changed Settings" was
checked indeed.

That's to say, the additional Toolbar Icons would have disappeared
when Excel Hyperlinks were activated to re-launch a new instance of
AutoVue.

Thank you for bearing with me all this while.

Regards.