Local File Hyperlinks not working in Web Excel

Copper Contributor
I'm pasting hyperlinks to local files (email mailitems) into a shared excel online workbook held in a sharepoint library, for users to click and open.
The files are referenced using the UNC path to the local shared network area where they are stored.
\\servername\folder\file.msg
 
Excel online automatically changes these paths to "file:///" format, which browsers really struggle with.
 
Should I...
 1. Store these msg files somewhere else (needs to be somewhere that I can save them to using VBA)?
 2. Somehow configure excel on the web NOT to reformat URLs to the "file:////" format?
 3. Instruct all users of the sheet to carry out a task, allowing the "file:////" format URL links to work properly?
 
I tried changing what I'm pasting from "\\servername..." to "=hyperlink("\\servername..." but excel seems to add "https://" to the start of the URL.
I tried changing what I'm pasting from "\\servername..." to "=hyperlink("file:////servername..." but excel4Web says "Cant Open Link - May be a local file" or something similar.
 
I need the process to be as straightforward as possible for those using/sharing the worksheet. ie "Click the link and view the file."
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