Open file on fileserver (using file:\\ or \\fileserver\directory)

[Abel MacAdam]

Hi,

In the past I was used to not send around files, but addresses of files. For
instance, if I have a document about a customer in a project directory on the
fileserver it would look like:
\\fileserver\projects\thebakery\documents\adocument.doc

This document adress can then be put as a link in another document. When
someone wants to read that document (s)he only has to click the link and the
document will be opened in another window.

In the past (when I was using Word 2002 or 2003) I could get the document
address from Word itself. Now I open my 'Windows Explorer', go to my network
locations, search for the directory, open it, and already have part of the
link in the address bar. At the end of this address I only have to paste the
name of the document, and I have the address of the document.

But one way or the other, it is not working any more. When I click the above
mentioned link to the file:
\\fileserver\projects\thebakery\documents\adocument.doc
I get an error the the file cannot be found.

So am I doing something wrong, is this behaviour broken since the
introduction of 2007?

TIA,
Abel

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

Hi,

In the past I was used to not send around files, but addresses of files.
For
instance, if I have a document about a customer in a project directory on
the
fileserver it would look like:
\\fileserver\projects\thebakery\documents\adocument.doc

This document adress can then be put as a link in another document. When
someone wants to read that document (s)he only has to click the link and
the
document will be opened in another window.

In the past (when I was using Word 2002 or 2003) I could get the document
address from Word itself. Now I open my 'Windows Explorer', go to my
network
locations, search for the directory, open it, and already have part of the
link in the address bar. At the end of this address I only have to paste
the
name of the document, and I have the address of the document.

But one way or the other, it is not working any more. When I click the
above
mentioned link to the file:
\\fileserver\projects\thebakery\documents\adocument.doc
I get an error the the file cannot be found.

So am I doing something wrong, is this behaviour broken since the
introduction of 2007?

TIA,
Abel

What exactly do you see when you open a Command Prompt and type this:

"\\fileserver\projects\thebakery\documents\adocument.doc" {Enter}

 

[Abel MacAdam]

When I copy/past the complete line
\\fileserver\projects\thebakery\documents\adocument.doc
in a Command window (Windows+R, type CMD, enter) I get the following response:
Cannot find the network path (have to translate from Dutch, sorry)

When I open the Run window (Windows+R) and paste the same line an Explorer
Window is opened displaying the directory of "adocument.doc"

Strangely enough, I checked a document containing a link as described above,
and clicking that link DID work. When I hover above that link I see something
like
file:///\\fileserver\projects\thebutcher\aDirectory\anotherDocument.doc
And clicking this link results in the document being opened!

Hovering above the link with the problem gives something like
file:///\\fileserver\projects\thebakery\documents\adocument.doc
And clicking this link results in an error condition

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

What you see is what I would expect - except that you use some rather
surprising folder names. Normally one would expect that the name

\\fileserver\projects\thebakery\documents\adocument.doc

refers to a .doc file. In your case it refers to a folder name, which is why
you get the error message "The network path was not found" at the Command
Prompt. I recommend that you repeat the test, this time by typing the
following at the Command Prompt:

\\fileserver\projects\thebakery\documents\adocument.doc\xxx.xls

where xxx.xls refers to an existing document. In order to avoid further
confusion, I strongly recommend that you use extensions such as .doc or .xls
for files and never for folders.