Solving link problems in Office
General
Links to web pages are often included in Office files. For example, the Club des Cent Cols contain links to a page showing the position of any pass on a map, as well as other documents: this is the collar viewer. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for such links to be unclickable, i.e. nothing happens when they are clicked.
There are several possible causes of the unclickable links symptom. That's why we have to consider several possible cases and several ways of correcting the problem. Here are a few recipes. We recommend that you consider them in order, but there is no obligation to do so.
Office version
The most frequent problems are with Excel 2003 (and Microsoft Office 2003 in general). If you have the option of using another version of Office, this can resolve the problem of non-clickable links very effectively. Don't forget that there is not only Microsoft Office, but also Libre Office (or Open Office), which is free and just as powerful as Microsoft's paid-for programs. The files distributed by Club des Cent Cols can easily be used in Libre/OpenOffice. There's just one detail to bear in mind: to open a link with the mouse, you have to hold down the CTRL key when you click. But a tooltip reminds you of this when you move the mouse pointer over the link, so there's no risk of you forgetting.
Mac users can use Numbers instead of Excel.
Copy and paste
One solution to links that don't open with a single click is to copy the address and paste it into the web browser. In the case of links from pass catalogues to the viewerthe link is not displayed in the cell, where only the code is visible. You then need to remove the sheet protection if it is active (possible without a password), select the cell and then copy the link from the formula at the top of the window, so everything from http to the collar code (as shown).
This is the general method that always works, but it's a bit tedious. Fortunately, there is a simplified method for mountain passes. You need to open the viewer page directly on the site, which is under the heading maps and photos menu collarswhose address is https://centcols.org/util/geo/visuGen.php. On this page, there is a box at the top right in which you can enter the code for any pass. Strictly speaking, this is not a solution to the problem of unclickable links, but it's a way of doing things that always works well. We can even recommend that you bookmark the page in question so that you can find it easily.
Enable secure pages to be saved
Under Windows, a setting can in some cases provide the solution. Here's how:
- Open the control panel (this is normally in the startbut the details depend on the version and settings of Windows).
- Search internet options and open the corresponding dialog.
- Go to the tab advanced.
- Go to the security and, if it is not already the case, uncheck the box do not save encrypted pages on disk. If the box was already unchecked, then this is not the solution. N.B., in English the box in question is called do not save encrypted pages to disk.
Test with unsecured connection
Sometimes the problem of non-clickable links is linked to secure connections of the type https (as opposed to http unsecured). It has to be said that when Office 2003 (which causes the most problems) was released, secure sites were still only a small minority, whereas they are now in the majority. So we've prepared a little download test file to determine whether thehttps is involved. After downloading this file, try clicking on each of the two available links. If the first works but not the second, then one solution is to systematically replace the https links with http links in your files. However, you should be aware that many secure sites simply no longer allow unsecured access, so this replacement will be pointless. In the case of pass catalogue links, this is possible: see the next section.
Insecure connection for the collar viewer
If the above test has revealed a problem with thehttpsBy modifying the collar catalogues, they can make the links to the collar viewer. Here's how to do it (the procedure must be repeated for each catalogue):
- Open a collar catalogue and go to the collar list.
- Remove sheet protection if it is in place (no password required).
- Select one of the linked boxes in the documents column. In the formula (see image above), locate the following text: https://centcols.org/util/geo/visuGen.php or any other variant beginning with http and ending with php.
- Replace the text marked by the following on the whole page: http://centcols.org/util/geo/visuhttp.php
- It is recommended, but not essential, to restore the protection to the worksheet (as this prevents modifications which could cause problems if you later wish to combine an old file with lines representing new passes).
- Save the modified file, possibly under a different name to make sure you don't lose the previous version.
One last simple trick
If Internet Explorer is installed on your computer in version 10 or older, then it may pose a problem even if another web browser is used by default! Check that Internet Explorer is not set to work offline (offline), or via its fileits menu tools or the toothed wheel symbol. Offline working must not be ticked. Note that since Windows 7 SP1 and the new versions of Internet Explorer and then Edge that are installed with it, this offline setting no longer exists, so it can no longer be an issue.
One last complex thing
Si aucune des solutions précédentes n’a donné le résultat escompté et que vous travaillez sous Windows avec MS Office, alors une opération sur la base des registres peut être le bon remède. Pour cela écrivez à [email]assistance@centcols.org[/email] en donnant les informations ci-dessous. Attention: si nous n’avons pas ces informations complètes, nous ne pourrons pas vous proposer de solution adaptée. En outre, il faut savoir que cette solution nécessitera que vous ayez des droits d’administrateur sur l’ordinateur Windows en cause. Si ce n’est pas le cas, inutile de nous écrire.
- Indicate your Windows version, including whether it is a 32-bit or 64-bit version (click on the computer then on properties).
- Indicate your version of Office, including whether it is 32 or 64 bit (click on assistance or on ? then on by the way).
We've come full circle...
If all else fails, go back to the point above copy and paste. It may just be a stopgap, but at least it should always work, whatever your computer's settings.