"Cannot open the specified file" error message when you click a hyperlink in Word

In Microsoft Word, when you click a hyperlink that points to a file on a network share, you receive the following error message:

This issue may occur if the hyperlink in your Word document was inserted while the document was located on a network share, and the document was subsequently moved.

To work around this issue, use one of the following methods.

Note Not all the methods may be applicable in your environment. Use the method that works for your situation.

Method 1: Update Field Codes

To fix absolute links (links that include the complete network path), update the field codes in your document. To fix relative links (links that are defined by their path relative to the location of your document), use method 2 or method 3.

To update the field codes in your Word document, press CTRL+A, and then press F9. Test your absolute hyperlinks, and then save your document.

Method 2: Edit the Hyperlink Base Properties

If the destination files for the hyperlinks in your document are all in the same location, follow these steps:

1. On the File menu, click Properties.
2. Click the Summary tab.
3. In the Hyperlink base field, type the location of the network share where the destination documents are located, and then click OK.
4. Save the document.

Relative and absolute links should both work after you complete these steps.

Note You can override the hyperlink base by typing the full address for the hyperlink in the Edit Hyperlink dialog box instead of selecting a file from the list. This sets the path to the hyperlink as a fixed file location.

Method 3: Change Relative Hyperlinks to Absolute Hyperlinks

1. Right-click the relative hyperlink that you want to change, and then click Edit Hyperlink.
2. In the Address box, type the complete network path of the destination document (for example: \\Share_Name\Folder_Name\Document_Name.doc), and then click OK.
3. Save your document.

If you move a document that contains hyperlinks, the relative links will no longer work because the destination file path is no longer the same relative to the location of your document.