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Gracie1's avatar
Gracie1
Copper Contributor
Jan 08, 2026

Hyperlinks not working on Macbook air

I have had an issue with permissions for accessing files with excel, in my Macbook Air (Apple M4 - Tahoe 26.2) for almost a year now. When I insert a link to a pdf and then I try and open the link, excel does one of three things.

  1. It either warns me that some files may have viruses etc etc and when I click open it opens the file
  2. it tells me that opening the file may cause issues etc etc and when I choose to open the file, it goes into the message above (1) and eventually opens the file
  3. it asks me to grant access to the file and it shows the file path and I need to click select, then it goes to the folder where the pdf is located and I need to click grant access - but when I do, it says that the file cannot be opened.

I have gone into my system settings and excel has access to my full disk and files and folders. 

I have googled the issue and it was suggested to give excel access to the particular folder where the files are located but I don't know how to do this, other than in system settings. I have tried clicking on the folder where the files are located when option 3 above has come up but when I click on the folder, the grant access button at the bottom is greyed out.

Can someone please suggest something, as it is driving me crazy now. I have inserted the links through the 'insert', 'add a link' button on the excel menu.

Thanks.

excel
Excel on Mac

1 Reply

  • NikolinoDE's avatar
    NikolinoDE
    Platinum Contributor
    Jan 09, 2026

    To resolve the hyperlink issue in Excel on your MacBook Air, follow these structured steps. The problem likely stems from macOS security permissions or Excel-specific settings:

    Step-by-Step Solution

     1. Check File/Folder Permissions

    • Right-click the PDF file or its containing folder → Get Info.
    • Under Sharing & Permissions, ensure your user account has Read & Write access.
    • If locked, click the lock icon (bottom-right), authenticate, and adjust permissions.

      2. Grant Excel Full Disk Access

    • Go to Apple Menu → System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access.
    • Ensure Microsoft Excel is listed and checked. If not:
    • Click + → Navigate to /Applications/Microsoft Excel.app → Add it.
    • Restart Excel after granting access.

     3. Manually Insert Hyperlinks
    Instead of using the "Insert Link" tool, use the formula bar:

    • Right-click the PDF in Finder → Copy "File.pdf" as Pathname.
    • In Excel, select a cell and type:
    • =HYPERLINK("Paste/Copied/Path/Here.pdf", "Display Text")
    • Replace Paste/Copied/Path/Here.pdf with the actual path.

     4. Reset Excel Preferences

    • Quit Excel.
    • Open Finder → Press Command + Shift + G → Paste:
      ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Preferences/
    • Delete com.microsoft.Excel.plist (backup first if needed).
    • Empty Trash and restart Excel.

     5. Clear Excel Cache

    • In Finder, navigate to:
      ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Caches/
    • Delete all files in this folder.
    • Restart Excel.

     6. Temporarily Disable Security Prompts (Testing Only)

    • Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Security.
    • Set Allow apps downloaded from to App Store (most restrictive).
    • Revert to App Store and identified developers after testing.
    • Manually open the PDF once via Finder to "trust" it, then retry the hyperlink.

     7. Update or Reinstall Excel

    • Update Excel: Open Excel → Help → Check for Updates.
    • Reinstall Excel if issues persist:

    Uninstall Excel via Finder → Applications.

    Delete residual files:
    ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/

    Download the latest version from the Mac App Store.

     

    If the issue persists after these steps, consider testing with a PDF in your Downloads folder (a trusted location) to rule out folder-specific restrictions.

     

    My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!

     

    Hope this will help you.

     

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