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Jan Grobbelaar's avatar
Jan Grobbelaar
Copper Contributor
Nov 13, 2018
Solved

HYPERLINK function returns "Cannot open specified file"

I am trying to use the HYPERLINK function but to no avail. I have exhausted all the standard help available on this, but I cannot figure out what is wrong, Here is an example of the syntax I am tryin...
excel
Formulas and Functions
office 365
  • Willy Lau's avatar
    Willy Lau
    Nov 14, 2018
    =HYPERLINK("#$A$3","Somewhere in the same worksheet")

    or

    =HYPERLINK("#'ANOTHER SHEET'!$A$3","Somewhere in another worksheet")

    if you want a dynamic link in cell A3, put

    #A5

    then, the hyperlink function

    =HYPERLINK($A$3, "Somewhere pointed by Cell A3")
KL1231385's avatar
KL1231385
Copper Contributor
Apr 15, 2021

@I All, I have created an interactive workbook however keeping getting an error as above (cannot open the specified file)

 

The hyperlink I have is: =HYPERLINK("["&Setup!$E$6&"]'Employee ("&E8+1&")'!E8","next employee ("&E8+1&") >>")

 

Essentially what should happen when I click on it is that it will go to the next empoloyee's data or a previous employees data.

 

Any help would be appreciated, thank you!

  • Daete's avatar
    Daete
    Copper Contributor
    Nov 24, 2021

    KL1231385 

    I encountered the same problem and I've noticed that when the sheet name contains the char '-' the function doesn't work properly (file cannot be opened).

     

    This doens't work:

    =HYPERLINK("#MR_FIN-0001_SDT_211124234354!B6","MR_FIN_0001_SDT_211124234354")

     

    This version (using underscore between FIN and 0001), works as expected:

    =HYPERLINK("#MR_FIN_0001_SDT_211124234354!B6","MR_FIN_0001_SDT_211124234354")

     

    Best regards

    Davide

    • FlipB045's avatar
      FlipB045
      Copper Contributor
      Oct 15, 2022

      Daete 

      I am trying to use Hyperlink function to access .jpg files in a folder on the computer. I am using Hyperlink because I need the dynamic function to provide the file name. If I just create the link, I get the "Cannot open . . " message. However if I go to a different cell and create a link to that file using the "Insert hyperlink" procedure, that link does access the file. AND if I go back to the cell which uses the Hyperlink function, it now works! The code generated by the Hyperlink function is character for character identical to that generated by the "Insert Hyperlink." For some reason Excel needs help finding the file the first time. Why the identical code can't find it, I can't figure out.

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