Manual Part 4 - Altering the Relative Hyperlink Path in Excel

There are two types of hyperlinks, one to a file (which opens in a programme installed on your computer) and one to a folder (which opens in Windows Explorer).

By default, this refers to the original folder and file’s location. For example, if you catalogue “C:\MyFolder\”, and the hyperlink to “Folder2\A.docx” will open the Word document “C:\MyFolder\Folder2\A.docx”. You can see this by hovering over the hyperlink. Some characters in the hovered hyperlink, such as “:”, may be altered for technical reasons.

It can be seen that the folder which has been calculated is “C:\MyFolder”, and the file is contained in “C:\MyFolder\Folder2\A.docx”, and the hyperlink shows “C:\MyFolder\Folder2\A.docx” (albeit that the colon has been converted into “%3A”, which in computer terms is the same).

However, what happens if you move the folders. For example, what if you catalogue a folder, then put it on CD, or vice versa? Or if you archive it onto an external hard drive. Then the hyperlink will no longer work.

For example, if the spreadsheet is saved into “C:\MyFolder”, the folder that was catalogued, and then all the files and folders are moved onto a E drive into “E:\MyFolder”, then the hyperlinks will no longer work.

However, Filecats Standard and Filecats Professional gives maximum flexibility.

  • You can create a catalogue and save it in the root folder, or anywhere, and the hyperlinks will work as long as the files remain in the same place.
  • You can create a catalogue and save in the root folder, and if you change the path to “Spreadsheet path” then, if you move the catalogue and the data to a new location, as long as the catalogue is moved to the new root folder, the hyperlinks will work. This can be used for CDs and for archiving.
  • You can create a catalogue and use a custom path. As long as it is maintained and the filing structure and the files remain intact, then the hyperlinks will work.

More of this can be seen on our video about Changing the Relative Hyperlink.