Prevent automation UNC Resolution to mapped drives in Hyperlinks

[Gordon Muscroft]

I want to prevent automatic resolution of mapped drives to UNC paths for
certain links in Outlook (Mail).

Is the is possible? I have tried to use the caret and double caret (<> and
<<>>) which so far has not been successful.

More details:
We are using ClearCase as a repository for design document, with all users
having custom views. These views are mapped to a common drive, but each view
has a different name: (IE: \\Person.Name\BusinesReq\...\filename.doc)

This makes the URL unique for every person, but in Outlook XP we could
e-mail the mapped drive/link between people. In Outlook 2007 the mapped drive
trys to resolve to the View Name, which is not available to anyone but the
originator of the document.


Thanks
Gord

 

[neo [mvp outlook]]

You can turn this off in AutoCorrect. Assuming Outlook 2007, start a new
message. Select the Pearl and then editor options. Proofing > AutoCorrect
Options. There are two tabs you have to visit in regards to internet/unc
paths.

 

[Gordon Muscroft]

This is what I tried to do, but it still seems not to work.
(I turned off (Unchecked) the "Internet and Network Paths with Hyperlink" on
the Autoformat tab in the Pearl/Proofing/Autocorrect Option--Autocorrect Tab)

FYI: Outlook 2007, SP-2
Vista SP-2

Any other sugesstions? Registry?

 

[neo [mvp outlook]]

Hmm... I am not able to duplicate and I have the same configuration. Just
to make sure, after you uncheck the two boxes in question, all new messages
that you compose are still generating clickable links to Internet/UNC paths?

 

[Gordon Muscroft]

Neo;
The links are not clickable after unchecking the box in question, IE: They
are inserted as text, but what I was looking for was a clickable link which
does not resolve to a UNC path.

Example s:\Documents\Requirements\MyDoc.doc
as opposed to a link whic resolves to:
\\ServerName\ProjectDirectory\Documents\Requirements\MyDoc.doc.

It looks like this behavior is the same in Word, and most likely across the
Office suite.... In most cases I would say this is a good thing, but in the
particular case I am in the resolution to a common UNC path will not work.

Thanks
Gord

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Example s:\Documents\Requirements\MyDoc.doc
as opposed to a link whic resolves to:
\\ServerName\ProjectDirectory\Documents\Requirements\MyDoc.doc.

If yupi use a file:// URL instead.
file://s:\Documents\Requirements\MyDoc.doc/
does that make a difference?

 

[neo [mvp outlook]]

I would have to agree with Brian at this point. Assuming the two boxes I
mentioned are unchecked, you should be able to right click on the text and
use the Hyperlink option. Just type in
file://drive_letter:\folder\folder1\filename.doc or
file://\\server\project\documents\requirements\filename.doc and it should
net you a clickable link that doesn't change on you.

 

[Gordon Muscroft]

Guys;

Thanks for the help, but it does not seem to work...

I tried to use:
file://:S:\CQCC_Dev\ZZZ\XYZ.txt
which changes the link to:
\\:s:\CQCC_Dev\ZZZ\XYZ.txt
after the email is sent.

I have also tried using Word, and even better, Excel.

Excel example:
=HYPERLINK("S:\CQCC_Dev\ZZZ\XYZ.txt","GordLink")
This then tries to resolve to the UNC path:
\view\Gordon.Muscroft_Wip_View\CQCC\..etce etc
Which will fail in my situation

It looks like either Office or Vista tries to resolve to the UNC path no
matter what I do....

Thanks again. Any other suggestions are appreciated:
Side note: I tried the
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967538/en-us
solution and tried to play with
SaveAbsolutePath4MappedDrive
which also seemed to have no effect.

 

[Gordon Muscroft]

Guys;

I have posted a couple of replies but they seem to be getting deleted. I am
not sure what is going on. I will try later from home...
Long story. Its still failing as onced mailed the UNC tries to resolve to a
view..
Same in Excel and WOrd.

Thanks for the help
Gord

 

[neo [mvp outlook]]

Okay, if you can expand on "tries to resolve to a..." that would be helpful
as I'm not sure you are saying that the e-mail takes longer to open because
Outlook is trying to verify the path is valid or something else.

 

[Gordon Muscroft]

Thanks again for the help. FYI my posts seem to be getting deleted. I am not
sure why. They get posted for about 15 minutes and then disappear.

The problem continues, as once you map a drive, when the location opens, it
gets resolved to a UNC address. I have even tried to use Word and Excel, but
to no avail.
To reproduce the problem, map a drive and then use insert Hyperlink in
Outlook, Word or Excel. Try to navigate from the hyperlink in the document.
The result will not be to the Mapped drive in file explorer, but the UNC path
to the hyperlink.

This is most likely by design, but are there any parameters available to
over-ride this behavior?

Thanks again
Gord

 

[neo [mvp outlook]]

I can't find anything on whether or not Office 2007 applications use the
"DontUseUNC" registry value, but I'm still researching.

message Thanks again for the help. FYI my posts seem to be getting deleted. I am
not
sure why. They get posted for about 15 minutes and then disappear.

The problem continues, as once you map a drive, when the location opens, it
gets resolved to a UNC address. I have even tried to use Word and Excel, but
to no avail.
To reproduce the problem, map a drive and then use insert Hyperlink in
Outlook, Word or Excel. Try to navigate from the hyperlink in the document.
The result will not be to the Mapped drive in file explorer, but the UNC
path
to the hyperlink.

This is most likely by design, but are there any parameters available to
over-ride this behavior?

Thanks again
Gord