Hyperlinks don't work anymore - two problems

[Chocky]

I use hyperlinks in my Access 2007 database (converted from 2003) to load
jpeg files (~500kB - 1.5MB) from my C: drive, but they don't work anymore.
They worked for several years before that (under Access 2003). If I re-do
them (and the link address appears to be exactly the same!) they work fine,
opening with Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. Why should I need to re-do all
of the hyperlinks? (approx 500).

I also have a version of the same database which is still in the original
Access 2003 format (working under Access 2003 on another computer) and the
hyperlinks do not work there either, but in this case, Microsoft Photo Editor
(MPE) tries (and fails) to open the large jpeg files. I have changed the
program association under Folder Options so that all jpegs open with Windows
Picture and Fax Viewer and I can open them directly from Windows Explorer no
problem, but that has made no difference to the database where MPE seems to
try to grab the jpeg hyperlinks.

What is happening please? It all worked so well before!

 

[Pete D.]

I suspect the actual stored hyperlink isn't the same as the displayed
hyperlink. Open the hyperlink by right clicking and see what it shows as
the actual link vs the displayed link. Hyperlinks in Access have many
parts.

They are stored as
DisplayText#Address#SubAddress#Tooltip

What you see in the displayed text may not be the actual address.
A search and replace of the actual address can be done with a update query
after you figure out what is wrong with the address.

 

[Chocky]

Hi Pete,

Thanks for the info. I have deliberately created the Display Text to be
different from the hyperlink address (to be more intelligible), but when I
look at the actual path e.g. go to 'Edit Hyperlink' there seems to be nothing
wrong with it. It is a little hard to tell because the address box is only
wide enough to give the last few parts of the path, but all the bits I can
see seem OK.

The puzzle is that all of these hundreds of hyperlinks worked fine and now
they don't.

 

[Pete D.]

Just highlight and copy the command box and paste it into notepad or word to
look at it. I have move thousands of hyerlinks back and forth between 2003
and 2007 and to date haven't seen a problem. Doesn't mean something didn't
get corrupted in the process. You could always link your 2003 file to your
2007, set the key fields together and run an update query from your old
working file to the new non-working one and see if that cures it. Make sure
you have a backup copy of all before starting.

 

[Chocky]

I tried your suggestion Pete, but Notepad just shows what the address box
shows. For example
'..\Document%20images/William%20F%20Henderson%201%201891.jpg'. The only bit
it doesn't show is the first part of the path, but the part it shows is
correct.

Don't forget that my original 2003 links don't work either, apparently for a
different reason that Microsoft Photo Editor is invoked and fails to open
these large files, but I will try moving the 2003 files to my other computer
to try the hyperlinks there, as you suggest.

 

[Pete D.]

To open files in a specific program you must set up a default program to do
it. The way to do this is to find one of the files. Right click on it and
select from the menu open with. Select the program you want to open these
files with and check the box to always open file with this program. Click
OK and that problem should be solved. Installing programs or updates to
programs can change the default program at anytime. Some programs think
they have the right to do this without asking your permission. MS Media
player, Quicktime, and a dozen other players all think they should be the
master player for example.