Cannot access Internet URL from with Word

[DavidEC]

Cannot access Internet URL from Word

My wife and I are both using Windows 7 and MS Office XP on similar laptop computers and have all relevant program updates, as far as we know. We both have administrator access for our user profiles. However, when my wife tries to access an Internet URL that shows as a hyperlink from within a Word document she gets an error message that she doesn't have authorisation to do so and to contact an administrator. I don't get the same problem even though I installed the program on both computers with exactly the same settings.

Any suggestions on solving this would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Slartybart]

Did this ever work on the problem machine or did it recently begin?

Do you have excel? Does it have the same issue?
Excel does not have the same issue -> it's Word specific.

You might want to check if a macro is involved on the problem machine. There was strengthend macro security in Office quite a while ago.

Look at some global system settings.
Compare the settings on both machines:
Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Default Programs\Set Default Programs
Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Default Programs\Set Associations
Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Default Programs\ [Set program access and computer defaults]

there's a lot there, but focus on Word and URL / link / Internet
Just compare, if there is a difference make the problem machine = the working machine (no kidding! )

I'm hoping it's a macro issue (I think there's also a setting in word that affect the strength of macro security).
It's been quite a while since I used MS Office.

 

[DavidEC]

Good call on checking in Excel. Same problem there so it seems to be Office specific rather than Word. It isn't general to Win 7 because a URL typed into an email program connects and the incoming URLs are also OK because if you copy them and paste into the Browser address bar they connect.

I can't see any differences between the settings, that was actually the first thing I tried since it works on mine and not hers.

I think I'm going to try deleting and reinstalling Office on her machine, ensuring all the settings for installation are exactly the same as on my machine. I don't see why they wouldn't be as I follow a standard protocol but it's worth a try on a wet weekend.

Thanks for your reply and suggestions. I'll post if I fix it and what worked, if I can figure out what that was

 

[Slartybart]

You're welcome David, sound like a plan to me.

Take a read here about Office Macro security.
Enable or disable macros in Office documents - Word - Office.com

I'll read your next post saying "Macro security set to low solved the issue" or "A re-install of Office on that machine solved the issue" or......

Bill

 

[Ranger4]

Perhaps this website might provide some help for you. It applies to Word 2007 & when scrolling down there is a mention on Excel as well.

Create, format, or delete a hyperlink - Word - Office.com

 

[DavidEC]

Well, no luck.
I deleted MS Office and reinstalled using the custom option and including everything to run from computer. No change.
I've been through all of the settings on the Internet security and firewall programs and there is no difference between hers and mine.
I've checked Macro security settings and even though mine is set to high I set hers to low to try it. No change.
Checked out the help files on hyperlinks but there is nothing there that is of help (thanks for the suggestion though, Ranger)

One thing, I noticed her computer is on IE10 (automatic update - I've disabled that now) and mine is on 9 but I've been through all of the settings in IE tools menu - changed one or two but it didn't fix the problem. I looked to see if I could delete IE10 and then download 9 but it isn't included in the add/delete programs list and when I tried just to download IE9 on her computer it said it was already there, I guess because it was updated to 10.

I could back up her favourites then delete the IE folders in her Program Files and replace them with a copy of the one from my computer and import her favourites into IE again, that way she shouldn't lose too much in the way of her settings. No guarantee that will fix the issue but I'm running out of ideas.

What do you think? Any easier way to do it?

 

[Slartybart]

To be honest, I'm stumped.

I thiink the work you describe re: IE is not going to bear any fruit. Clever thinking though.
The difference between IE9 and IE10 as they relate to Office should not be any influence on the issue.
I'm not certain on that, best guess only.

I'll see if anything pops up, if any old brain cells reignite and post it.

Other than that, this doesn't seem to be a pressing issue - an annoyance yes. You can still launch a link from inside word (or other Office app), you just have to answer the prompt. I'm not saying "Live with it" I'm saying "It is something you can live with it until it is resolved."

UAC is an area I would investigate - but it's not a strong point of mine. You could turn UAC off as a test. If you still get the prompt, it's not the global Windows setting - it's in Office somewhere or maybe a security app is in control. It's hard to tell from this side of your monitor. You seem fairly competent and comfortable getting around Windows - poke around. Maybe some suggestions will point you in the right direction or give you an idea to go in a completly different direction.

If you turned UAC off to test - make sure you turn it back on.

The other thing you might look at is Windows compatibility settings. Another not so strong point of mine. Since it Office XP, one install might have set compatibility and the other not set compatibility. Another guess on my part.

Another member might stop in with some other suggestions - give it a bit of time.

Bill
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[DavidEC]

Thanks Bill. I forgot to mention it but I ran the compatability process, went through all of the suggestions but the system found no faults and I haven't found any reference to this in known W7 compatability issues.

I'll try UAC and if that doesn't do it I'll try disabling Kasperski and the other security programs, 1 at a time, to see if any of those makes a difference.

I agree with you about IE9/10 but, wth, if nothing else works I might as well try that too, even though as you said this is an inconvenience but definitely not critical (except for me getting it in the ear because mine works and hers doesnt!)

Thanks for your time and ideas. I'll post any results.

David

 

[Slartybart]

Here's something easy to try.

Create a new user and see if the issue is present for that user profile. It could be a std user, it doesn't have to be an admin.

If that solves the issue, it's easy to create a new profile for the original user. There's a tutorial for that process.

I think that's about the last of the dormant brain cells. If the new user exhibits the same behavoir, I'll put out a call for help. Otherwise I'll point you to the tutorial.

Fair enough?

Bill
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[DavidEC]

Disabling UAC and the security programs didn't work, so thanks, that's something else to try.

I wouldn't have thought of a new user, it's counter-intuitive with the existing account being an administrator and the new one being a standard user, but I'll try it

Maybe then make the new one the admin and demote the existing one to standard and see if that makes any difference.

If at first ...

Thanks again!

 

[Slartybart]

It's a plan, Stan... I mean David.

 

[DavidEC]

OK
First, having re-read some the previous posts I just want to note that this wasn't a case of being able to answer the prompt and then open a URL from within Word - I never got the prompt, it just gave the error message and wouldn't open the link.


Next I tried creating a new account with Standard and then Administrator access but that didn't work either.


Then I resorted to removing the IE folders from the Program files and Program Files (x68) folders and replacing them with ones from my computer with IE9 on it. That didn't work either; IE simply wouldn't open at all even directly clicking the program exe icon. I suspect that I would have had to remove all the existing Registry entries as well and then reinstall IE9 from scratch.


So I reinstalled the IE10 folders and everything was back as before. I then uploaded IE11 in case it was an IE10 glitch that had been resolved, re-ran the compatibility system but that didn't find any issues, and tried again. Results as per IE10.


My final solution was to paste the text and link into Wordpad instead of Word. Wordpad being a Windows program rather than Office that has to be compatible, and it works! She does get the prompt but can simply accept that and open the link, so from now on she will use Wordpad instead of Word for these docs and links.

I suspect that if I tried a more modern version of MS Office, or even a different office system like Apache or Libre, or a different browser, they'd probably work too. I think this must be a compatibility issue between XP and later versions of IE, probably as part of MS's marketing strategy to get people to buy a later version of Office, and since their support of XP software is due to end this year it isn't going to get fixed.


So there we go. An interesting if sometimes frustrating issue to play with, ending in an acceptable workaround.


Thank you for all your help and suggestions, Bill. Much appreciated! You are a credit to these forums!


Best regards
David

 

[Slartybart]

You're most welcome David and thanks for your kind words.

Your post# 12 clarified the issue very well. If you want to persue a fix instead of employing a work-around I can ask a member who is well versed in Office to provide input on the subject. Your timezones are fairly close, so there might be less lag time between posts.

It was my pleasure working with you - you made things easy.

Bill
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