When I type a URL such as www.cnn.com, the URL is made into an active
hyperlink. However, when I copy that and paste it into a second place in
the same message, it is no longer an active hyperlink and nothing happens
when one clicks on it.

This happens only with HTML format, not plain text, so I can't demonstrate
the problem in a post here because it is in plain text.

Is this a known problem? Are there any workarounds.

Try writing the link with the protocol prefix, like this:
http://www.cnn.com.

Gary VanderMolen

"Mickey Segal" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> When I type a URL such as www.cnn.com, the URL is made into an active
> hyperlink. However, when I copy that and paste it into a second place in
> the same message, it is no longer an active hyperlink and nothing happens
> when one clicks on it.
>
> This happens only with HTML format, not plain text, so I can't demonstrate
> the problem in a post here because it is in plain text.
>
> Is this a known problem? Are there any workarounds.

Good thought, but it doesn't fix the problem.

"Gary VanderMolen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Try writing the link with the protocol prefix, like this:
> http://www.cnn.com.

Go ahead and post in HTML here so you can demonstrate the problem.

Gary VanderMolen

"Mickey Segal" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Good thought, but it doesn't fix the problem.
>
> "Gary VanderMolen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Try writing the link with the protocol prefix, like this:
>> http://www.cnn.com.

The typed link:
http://www.cnn.com

The copied link:
http://www.cnn.com

When I save in Drafts, I can click to CNN from the first link but not the second link. (It seems to be necessary to be in Rich Text (HTML) before typing the first link for this to happen, but for mail this is the normal situation).

"Gary VanderMolen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:Oc%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Go ahead and post in HTML here so you can demonstrate the problem.
>
> Gary VanderMolen
>
> "Mickey Segal" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Good thought, but it doesn't fix the problem.
>>
>> "Gary VanderMolen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Try writing the link with the protocol prefix, like this:
>>> http://www.cnn.com.

This did reproduce the problem. Here is the HTML that was generated:

<DIV>The typed link:</DIV>
<DIV><A href=3D"http://www.cnn.com">http://www.cnn.com</A></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>The copied link:</DIV>
<DIV><A href=3D"">http://www.cnn.com</A></DIV>

The URL is just missing from the copied link, yet the tags are there so the
expression is formatted like a hyperlink.

Yep, there's a definite difference. The moral of the story is that you
can't copy and paste URL links from within a HTML message.

Gary VanderMolen

"Mickey Segal" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> This did reproduce the problem. Here is the HTML that was generated:
>
> <DIV>The typed link:</DIV>
> <DIV><A href=3D"http://www.cnn.com">http://www.cnn.com</A></DIV>
> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
> <DIV>The copied link:</DIV>
> <DIV><A href=3D"">http://www.cnn.com</A></DIV>
>
> The URL is just missing from the copied link, yet the tags are there so the
> expression is formatted like a hyperlink.

I don't remember such a problem with Outlook Express. It is hard to
recommend Vista to people when there are so many problems, either apparent
bugs like this ones, or dropped functionality, such as the difficulty in
creating a new contact after searching the Contacts.

"Gary VanderMolen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Yep, there's a definite difference. The moral of the story is that you
> can't copy and paste URL links from within a HTML message.

BTW, the same problem occurs when copying text with a hyperlink from a Web
page. This is a huge drop in functionality since XP. Is this just a bug or
is this done purposely, for example for security reasons?

"Mickey Segal" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I don't remember such a problem with Outlook Express. It is hard to
>recommend Vista to people when there are so many problems, either apparent
>bugs like this ones, or dropped functionality, such as the difficulty in
>creating a new contact after searching the Contacts.