Can't Open Hyperlink in Excel? Here's How to Make it Work

Do you meet the situation above? Are you unable to open hyperlinks in your Excel file due to an unspecified error? Well, we have got multiple solutions to your problem. The guide below shall address everything related to the “Excel hyperlink cannot open the specified file” error in detail, so you find a way out of the mess.

How to Fix Hyperlink Not Working in Excel in Windows 10/11 | Fix Excel Cannot Open the File

Part 1. Reasons for Hyperlinks Not Working in Excel Issue

Old Hyperlinked Worksheet Name

Hyperlinks help you view related information in multiple locations, including your computer network and the internet. However, if the name of any designated location is altered, the hyperlink would fail to find it, thus, a “cannot open the specified file” error might occur. Solving the error might appear a tedious task, but this would surely bring out results that you love.

You would need to correct the hyperlink address to the updated file name so that the file becomes detectable. Follow the steps below to edit the address.

Step 1: Copy the address of the new file from the file's explorer.

Step 2: Head to Excel.

Step 3: Right-click on the hyperlink, and click "Edit hyperlink" in the menu.

Step 4: In the address box, paste the copied address and click "OK".

Unusual Shutdown or Inappropriate File Closure

Unexpected shutdowns may cause your computer to malfunction. One potential risk of the unusual closure is discrepancies in the data stored, such as hyperlink not opening in an Excel file. Microsoft Excel comes with a built-in feature to update hyperlinks each time the device shuts down with an unsaved file. The automatic update often causes the hyperlink's address to alter, which might cause the resulting error. To fix the problem, you would need to make sure that the data is saved fully before you attempt a shutdown.

Part 2. Fix Excel Hyperlink Cannot Open the Specified File by Disabling "Update Links on save"

The reasons discussed earlier in the above section are usually the most common cause of Excel hyperlink can't open the specified file error. However, the error can be fixed by disabling the "Update Links on Save" feature in MS Excel. Here is the procedure to disable the "Update Links on Save" feature.

• Step 1: Launch Microsoft Excel and then go to the "File" tab.
• Step 2: Click on "Options" and then go to the "Advanced" menu.
• Step 3: Now, scroll down and look for the "General" tab.
• Step 4: Under the General tab, click on "Web Options".
• Step 5: When the "Web Options" window pops-up, click on "Files" and uncheck the box for "Update Links on save".
• Step 6: Now, click on the "OK" button to save the changes.

Part 3: Fix Excel Hyperlink Cannot Open the Specified File by Recovering the Original Excel File

What if you are eager to know the hyperlink in Excel? Don't worry, you can recover the original file. There is nothing more satisfying than having a secure, reliable, and user-friendly recovery tool, just like Tenorshare 4DDiG. Tenorshare 4DDiG offers a straightforward solution to diagnose and repair errors in the excel data files. Tenorshare 4DDiG data recovery tool can help you retrieve your data under different scenarios, either it is due to a system crash or errors in data files. The tool comes with a user-friendly interface that allows both technical and beginner users to use the software. The other highlights of Tenorshare 4DDiG include:

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Here is a step by step procedure to use Tenorshare 4DDiG:

• Step 1: Launch Tenorshare 4DDiG on your computer and then choose the location where you want to recover your excel to start Scan.
• Step 2: Wait for the program to scan out your original excel.

• Step 3: After the scan is completed, choose your desired file and then double click to preview the it, then click Recover. Once the file is recovered, you can exit Tenorshare 4DDiG and view the recovered data.

How to Recover Corrupted Excel File 2010/2013/2016?|4DDiG

Conclusion

Sometimes, cannot open the specified file hyperlink excel cause real trouble for you because it contains most of your necessary data. However, if you are also facing Excel hyperlink not working error, try Tenorshare 4DDiG as it would surely ease the trouble by recovering the original Excel file. Along with it, the tool takes less time and does all the job at one click as compared to the other complicated method. That is all we had for this section, and we hope the guide helped to resolve the problem of excel cannot open the specified file. Thank you for reading through.