4 Proven Ways to Fix Excel Hyperlinks Not Working

Whenever you are using Excel or Word, you may use the hyperlink. It refers to a file's location on the computer or within the same worksheet. A hyperlink can also be a reference to a URL. You can visit the site through this link. However, some users complain about hyperlinks not working in Excel and receive the error message below:

Cannot open the specified file

If you are one of the victims of the "Excel hyperlink not working" error, this post can get you out of your problem. It addresses everything related to this error, and you may get the way out.

Possible Causes of Hyperlink Not Working in Excel

Generally, there are four main reasons for Excel not working in Windows 10. Here is the list of the leading causes.

• The file name has a pound (#) sign.
• The Excel has become corrupted or Excel keeps crashing.
• There is a change in the name of the hyperlinked file.
• A sudden system shutdown causes the abrupt closing of Excel.

How to Fix Hyperlink Not Working in Excel in Windows 11/10

Do you meet the situation above? If you can't open the specified file because of Excel hyperlink errors, follow these solutions below to fix the Excel hyperlink not working.

Method 1. Link to the Renamed File Location

You may receive this error message - you cannot open the specified file if you have changed the file location or name. The most straightforward way to fix this error is to edit the link again.

Step 1. Copy the address of the new file from File Explorer.

Step 2. Open Excel and right-click the hyperlink.

Step 3. Select "Edit hyperlink" in the menu.

Step 4. In the address box, replace the current filename with the renamed one and click "OK".

After that, you can try to open this Excel file and check if this error still exists.

Method 2. Repair Corrupted Excel Files to Fix Hyperlink Errors

You may encounter this issue if the Excel file has become corrupted and damaged. Repairing the corrupted files can get you out of this problem. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is an all-in-one data recovery and repair software. It can repair all corrupted videos, documents, and pictures with simple clicks. This Excel repair tool has many excellent features.

Download this data recovery software and follow the steps below to repair Excel files in Windows 11/10/8/7.

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, and then scan disk with corrupted documents. This software enables you to fix damaged Word, Excel, PPT, and PDF files in same steps. 

Step 2. EaseUS data recovery and repair tool will scan for all lost and corrupted files. You can find the target files by file type or type the file name in the search box. 

Step 3. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can repair your damaged documents automatically. After file preview, you can click "Recover" to save the repaired Word, Excel, and PDF document files to a safe location.

After you have repaired the Excel file, click the hyperlink to check if you have solved your problem.

Method 3. Rename the File and Remove the Pound Sign

If you find a "#" sign in your file name, remove it and edit the hyperlink again. Open the file that contains the "#" sign and rename it by following these steps.

Step 1. Right-click the hyperlink that is not working, and click "Edit Hyperlink".

Step 2. In the Address box, copy the file address you are linking to.

Step 3. Go to the location where the file is stored, right-click on the file, and click "Rename".

Step 4. Remove the "#" character from the name of the file.

Step 5. Return to the Excel file, right-click the problematic hyperlink, and choose "Edit Hyperlink".

Step 6. Browse and select the renamed file. Click "OK".

Method 4. Disable the "Update Links on save" Option

If this error still exists, you can try disabling the "Update Links on save" option. Here are the steps to disable the "Update Links on Save" feature in MS Excel. (Applies to Excel 2013, 2016, or 2019)

Step 1. Open Excel and go to "File > Options > Advanced".

Step 2. Scroll down to find the "General" tab and select "Web Options".

Step 3. When Web Options pop up, Click "Files" and uncheck the "Update Links on save" box.

Step 4. Click "OK" to save your changes.

Contact our experts for further assistance if you still need help making Excel hyperlinks work using the above-discussed solutions.

Conclusion

I hope you have solved your Excel problems with one of these solutions. If nothing helps, use EaseUS free data recovery software to restore all components of the Excel file, including tables, chart sheets, charts, cell comments, formulas, images, and more.

Hyperlink Not Working in Excel FAQs

Read these related questions and answers to get additional help.

1. How do I make a link clickable?

• Select the text or picture that you want to display as a hyperlink.
• Right-click the text or picture and click the Link on the shortcut menu.

2. How do I fix runtime error 1004 in Excel?

You can fix runtime error 1004 in Excel with these solutions:

• Delete the GWXL97.XLA Files
• Check the Trust Access to the VBA Project Object Model
• Create Another Excel Template
• Repair Corrupted Excel File

3. Why is the hyperlink file not working?

If your hyperlink is suddenly not working, the reasons might be as follows:

• The path has been changed
• The Excel file is corrupted
• There are security restrictions on your Internet browser

4. How can I fix Excel cannot open the file?

To fix Excel cannot open the file because the extension is not a valid error:

• Ensure you have enough permissions
• Enable Safe Mode
• Open Excel in Safe Mode
• Repair and recover the Excel

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