Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

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hlewton
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Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by hlewton »

Here is one I have never encountered before. For years I have used Excel spreadsheets to store all of my links, usernames, and passwords for all the sites I visit that require logging in including this site. I have never had one moment’s problem until today.

Today I joined another forum stored all the information I just mentioned and have no problem reaching it on any of my Win 7 machines using I.E. as the default browser. I tried to reach it on my old XP laptop using the same link and spreadsheet as is being used on the Win 7 machines but using FF as the default browser. I could not reach the site by clicking on the link but I could reach it if I copied and pasted or typed the same URL in the URL line. So I figured maybe FF was the problem so I made I.E. the default browser and could not reach the site by any means. When the link fails it takes me to a site provided by my ISP which is of no help at all.

I do not have any problem on this XP laptop with any of the other links within that same Excel spreadsheet but had to switch back to FF, type the link manually, and then was able to reach the site. Any ideas what to try to make the link work as all the others do?

Thanks.
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hlewton

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HansV
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by HansV »

Is the problem URL formatted as a hyperlink? (Usually blue underlined text)
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hlewton
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by hlewton »

HansV wrote:Is the problem URL formatted as a hyperlink? (Usually blue underlined text)
Yes it is. I have even used the "http://" and removed that but nothing makes the hyperlink work even though all the others in the same spreadsheet do work. Also the same spreadsheet and that same link work on the Windows 7 machines.
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hlewton

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stuck
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by stuck »

Is the URL of the link 'clean'? By that I mean does it NOT have a load of goobledegook on the end of it, part of which might be a session id, which might still work on the original PC that was used to create the link but is unlikely to be valid on another PC.

Also, have you tried recreating the link from scratch using the XP machine?

Ken

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hlewton
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

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stuck wrote:Is the URL of the link 'clean'? By that I mean does it NOT have a load of goobledegook on the end of it, part of which might be a session id, which might still work on the original PC that was used to create the link but is unlikely to be valid on another PC.
yes it is clean and only takes me to the sign in page of the forum no session is involved. I tried it on 3 Win 7 machines and it worked perfectly on everyone of them.
stuck wrote:Also, have you tried recreating the link from scratch using the XP machine?

Ken
Yes I manually typed it into the hyperlink box of the cell for that spreadsheet but knowing I do make mistakes I will try that again. Am I understanding correctly what you're asking?

Thanks.
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hlewton

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hlewton
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by hlewton »

I just typed the link manually again into the Hyperlink dialog box in the spreadsheet and still it does not work.
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hlewton

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hlewton
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by hlewton »

To add to the mystery I just created a new shortcut with the very same URL and the shortcut works. I'd still like to get the link in the spreadsheet to work so I didn't have to have a shortcut on the desktop for the site we are discussing.
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hlewton

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HansV
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by HansV »

Would it be possible to share the URL with us?
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hlewton
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by hlewton »

HansV wrote:Would it be possible to share the URL with us?
Here it is and it is identical to in the shortcut and the hyperlink box inside the Excel spreadsheet.

http://side-kicks.katkall.com/

BTW I tested it here and it works within this forum so you should be able to get to it.
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hlewton

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HansV
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by HansV »

The URL isn't turned into a hyperlink for me either. I don't know why, but try this:

1) Select the cell with the URL. Press F2, then Enter. Does it change to a hyperlink?

If that doesn't help:

2) Select the cell with the URL. On the Insert tab of the ribbon, click Hyperlink.
Copy the URL into the Address box, then click OK.
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Hans

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hlewton
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

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HansV wrote:The URL isn't turned into a hyperlink for me either. I don't know why, but try this:

1) Select the cell with the URL. Press F2, then Enter. Does it change to a hyperlink?
Hans I have already done this and it shows it as a cell containing a hyperlink but when clicking on it, it does not take me where it should. it takes me to page created by my ISP


If that doesn't help:
HansV wrote:2) Select the cell with the URL. On the Insert tab of the ribbon, click Hyperlink.
Copy the URL into the Address box, then click OK.
Maybe I should have mentioned that this machine is running Office 2003 but I have also already done this step as well with the same results. I have copied and pasted the URL and typed it manually all with the same results.

In searching the WEB I saw an instance where someone else was having a similar problem. It was suggested to try something like =hyperlink("www.side-kicks.katkall.com/","click here") and that too did not work. I may have the syntax wrong here but when I was reading it from the WEB I had it correct but I didn't save the site.
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hlewton

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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by jonwallace »

It doesn't work in LibreOffice either. I think it's the "-" in side-kicks.
Further experimentation shows that if you put quotes round the whole thing "http://side-kicks.katkall.com/" then it acts as a link in LibreOffice Calc.
John

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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by HansV »

That works for me in Excel 2013 too.
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hlewton
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by hlewton »

This is very strange because I have no problem opening the link on my Windows 7 machines. Two of them running Office 2010 and the other running Office 2013. However, with or without the quotes it will not open on the XP running Office 2003. I am going to boot up another XP machine running Office 2003 and see if I get the same results. I'll let you know.
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hlewton

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hlewton
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by hlewton »

Well apparently it is not caused by XP or Office 2003 because it works fine on another XP machine.

Allow me to add a little more to the confusion. On the second XP machine I ran the Excel file from a memory stick and seeing it worked I used the same memory stick and ran it on the XP laptop but still I could not reach that site.

This is puzzling to say the least.
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hlewton

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HansV
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by HansV »

I'm afraid I'm stumped.
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DaveA
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by DaveA »

Is your firewall blocking Excel from accessing the internet?
I am so far behind, I think I am First :evilgrin:
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hlewton
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by hlewton »

DaveA wrote:Is your firewall blocking Excel from accessing the internet?
I don't think so because other links work.
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by hlewton »

Ok so here is another problem that I am having at this same site. As I mentioned, on my Win 7 machines I can reach the site by clicking on the link within Excel but bot on my XP laptop. However, on the machines we are discussing my newest Win 7 machine will not allow me to copy and paste anything in a post in that forum. All my other machines I have no problem doing that. I am on that machine now and it has allowed me to copy and paste this from Word into this post so I cannot believe anything is wrong with the computer. That other sire is powered by vBulletin but since I can copy and paste on my other computers I don’t think that should matter.

Any ideas what I can try to get this computer capable of copying and pasting in that forum some obscure setting or something?
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hlewton

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HansV
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Re: Inactive Links Within An Excel Spreadsheet

Post by HansV »

How are you trying to copy text from that forum? In general, I have found that selecting text on a web page and pressing Ctrl+C fails to do anything quite often, but right-clicking the selection and selecting Copy from the context menu always works, as does selecting Edit > Copy (if you display the menu bar).
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Hans