Forum Discussion
Jim6373
Oct 21, 2025Copper Contributor
Links from Word to pdf doc online not working
I I am suddenly unable to jump from a hyperlink in Word to a PDF on the internet. I insert a hyperlink in Word that points to the online PDF. When I click on the link I get a message stating "This fi...
Kidd_Ip
Oct 22, 2025MVP
Try to check and fix the following:
- Set default browser by protocol
- Windows Settings → Apps → Default apps → choose your browser → click Choose defaults by protocol → ensure HTTP and HTTPS are associated with that browser.
- Confirm PDF file association
- Windows Settings → Apps → Default apps → search for .pdf → ensure Adobe Acrobat Reader (or your preferred PDF app) is selected.
- Reset browser and PDF defaults
- In Default apps, scroll to Reset to the Microsoft recommended defaults, then reassign your preferred browser and PDF app.
- Repair Office and Acrobat
- Control Panel → Programs → Microsoft 365 (or Office) → Modify → Quick Repair (if that fails, try Online Repair).
- Do the same for Adobe Acrobat Reader (Modify/Repair).
- Check Word Trust Center and hyperlink behavior
- Word → File → Options → Trust Center → Trust Center Settings → Protected View: try temporarily disabling Protected View for files from the Internet to test (re-enable after testing).
- Word → File → Options → Advanced → under Editing options, ensure Use CTRL + Click to follow hyperlink is as expected.
- Test a different browser as default
- Temporarily set Chrome/Edge/Firefox as the default and try the link from Word to isolate whether the problem is the browser registration.
- Check for extensions or policies
- Disable any Word add-ins that might intercept links: Word → File → Options → Add-ins → COM Add-ins → Go → uncheck suspicious add-ins and restart Word.
- If company-managed device, check with IT for group policies that may block URL handling.
- Try creating a new hyperlink type
- In Word, insert a hyperlink and explicitly start with “https://” (not a file path). If link was added as a file:// URL, change it to https://.
- Registry troubleshooting
- If comfortable: verify HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http and \https point to correct handlers and that the browser’s ProgID exists.