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Hyperlinks no longer open into Word

Just this morning when I click on a hyperlink in a Word document in my Dropbox folder stored on my MacBook Pro to open another Word document in my Dropbox folder stored in my MacBook Pro, rather than opening the file in Word it opens in Dropbox on line and then I have to select the "Open in" tab and select Microsoft Word. How do I correct this? Thanks.

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Walter

Hi there @SteveBraff, sorry to hear about this.

Can you clarify how exactly you are accessing the Word doc in the first place?

Is it through the website directly through the Microsoft Office online integration or are you opening the file in Word on your computer?

Does it happen with a specific hyperlink or is this affecting all of your hyperlinks in Word? Are the files those links point to available offline on your computer or online only perhaps?

If you could also clarify the app's status and version as shown in your menu bar, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

SteveBraff

Hi Walter and thanks for getting back to me. My responses below:

1. Working from a Word document on myMacBook Pro.

2. Opening the file in Word on my computer

3. All hyperlinks embedded in the Word document.

4. All hyperlinks reference another Word document stored in Dropbox on my computer. Here's an example: https://www.dropbox.com/s/yle1uxbc43i0d0i/Vanguard Action Plan.docx?dl=0

Hannah

Sorry to jump in here, @SteveBraff.

How were the hyperlinks created? Are they Dropbox shared links?

If, as a test, you replace a hyperlink with the link to the location of the file in your local Dropbox folder, does that help?

SteveBraff

Hi Hannah and thanks for your suggestion. The hyperlink is to the location of the file in my Dropbox folder and worked for years. For reasons unknown now bringing me to the online version 😞

Hannah

I see, thanks, Steve.

Are these links to files that are currently set to online-only or available offline?

If they're online-only, can you change them to available offline, to see if that makes a difference?

SteveBraff

Per screenshot below, synch setting is "Available offline" and hyperlinks still bring me to the online version of the document rather than the document on my MAC (which is in a dropbox folder). And I pull the link from my MAC. Is this the setting you are referring to? Thanks!

Megan

Hi @SteveBraff, can you try quitting the app, and check the behavior once you do that?

Could you clarify the precise steps you followed, in order to create the hyperlinks, please?

As for the status of the files, (online-only or available offline) as Hannah asked; we would need to see the icons next to them, and not the app's preferences. Can you check again, please?

SteveBraff

Hi Hannah.

Hyperlinks created by highlighting a Word file in Dropbox on my MacBook Pro, right clicking, selecting from the drop down menu "Copy Dropbox Link" and pasting that link into another Word file in Dropbox on my MacBook Pro. For years these links opened up directly into the Word file resident on my MacBook Pro. Now opens into the online version of that file and I have to then select Open In Microsoft Word.

Your thoughts?

SteveBraff

Hi @SteveBraff, can you try quitting the app, and check the behavior once you do that?

Done. No change.

Could you clarify the precise steps you followed, in order to create the hyperlinks, please?

As for the status of the files, (online-only or available offline) as Hannah asked; we would need to see the icons next to them, and not the app's preferences. Can you check again, please?

Please see screenshot below and let me know if I've got this right. Thanks!

Nancy

Hi from me as well, @SteveBraff!

Is it possible to open your Finder > local Dropbox folder and upload a screenshot of the syncing status of the specific files?

The one you sent us shows the general syncing preferences of your Dropbox app, so we’ll need to check the syncing status of the files you're having this issue with.

Hope that makes sense.

SteveBraff

hi Nancy. thanks for your response. pls see screenshot below regards synching status. is this what you were asking for? My understanding is that the green checks indicate synching to dropbox.

green checkedits.jpg

Hannah

Hey Steve, thanks for your screenshot.

When you open a shared link on a computer, by default, the link will open through a browser, so this looks like the expected behavior.

However, I've passed your feedback along to our team, so thanks for letting us know.

If you need anything else, we'll be around the Community!

SteveBraff

Hi Hanna. Per your response- "When you open a shared link on a computer, by default, the link will open through a browser, so this looks like the expected behavior." I've been using hyperlinks to files on my MAC for years and they've opened up the file on my computer vs the online version. Any thoughts... Thanks. - Steve

Jay

Hi @SteveBraff, could you clarify exactly what hyperlink you were using, and how it opened in Finder on your Mac?

SteveBraff

Hi Jay.

Additional Notes

"Quit" Dropbox and the problem persists.
MSWord is the default app for opening all Word files on my Mac.
Tried quitting the app and problem persists.
All files that the hyperlinks lead to are set in my Dropbox folder as available offline.
All Word files on my Mac have the green check mark (available offline).

Appreciate any help you can provide.

- Steve

Jay

Thanks for the info. I'm not sure what to suggest, since what you're describing isn't possible regardless, since the URL would point to an online file, not a local one.

I'm sorry I can't be more helpful on this matter.

SteveBraff

Understood, Jay, and thanks. -Steve

Thusitha Fernando

I have a share folder link and after inserting the hyperlink into a word document, I find that the link does not open the folder

I get the error message from email:

"Error (400)

Something went wrong. Don't worry, your files are still safe and the Dropbox team has been notified. Check out our Status Page to see if there is a known incident, our Help Center and forums for help, or head back to home."

I get the error message from word

Screenshot 2023-10-27 10.06.46.png

Can anyone assist please

Megan

Hi there, @Thusitha Fernando, welcome to our Community!

Have you tried accessing the shared links using a different browser? If so, do they work as expected there?

Does this error happen for all of your shared links, or some of them?

Keep me posted, and we'll take it from there!