Solved Remove hidden hyperlinks in Excel 2003

[Clairvaux]

Hi,

I have been contaminated with hidden hyperlinks in an Excel 2003 workbook, and I can't get rid of them.

I copy-pasted a table of data from a website, however there were some columns with links in there, and they got pasted with the data. What happens is I have blank cells, and over some of them, the cursor changes the way it should over a hyperlink, and a pop-up appears. When I click into the cell to type something, the link opens in my browser instead.

I also have something else happening in those cells. Sometimes there's a little shape appearing, the sort which seems related to drawing or images (sorry, I can't be specific here, I don't know the name of that object nor what it is, and it's a foreign version of Office).

I've tried the following :

• Deleting the columns.
• Right-clicking over each cell and deleting the invisible hyperlink.
• Creating a new sheet and copying only the adjacent data, without the contaminated columns.
• Running this macro.

Nothing works. I tried to create my own hyperlinks in those contaminated cells and they work (links to local files), however I have also the parasitic, phantom links remaining : when I hover somewhere on the left of the cell, it's that link that is detected and not mine. When I copy-paste those cells someplace else in the sheet, both links get copied : mine, and the phantom one. And both "work". Another experiment : when I delete the column contaminated by the phantom links, they "jump" to the adjacent blank column.

Very weird. Any ideas ?

 

[MoxieMomma]

Hi:

I cannot answer your question directly, as I am on Excel 2010 and Excel 2016 (Excel 2003 is long ago dead).

However, a quick Google search turned up a few possibilities.
They are offered "as is" - I have not verified either the safety of the links or the accuracy/safety of the suggestions"

https://www.ablebits.com/office-addins-blog/2013/09/20/remove-hyperlinks-from-excel/
https://www.techonthenet.com/excel/macros/delete_hl.php
https://www.techonthenet.com/excel/hyperlinks/delete.php
http://excel.tips.net/T001925_Uncovering_and_Removing_Links.html
http://www.techrepublic.com/forums/discussions/how-can-i-erase-hyperlinks-in-excel-2000-2003/

HTH,

MM

 

[GEWB]

1. From the Menu bar click on Help.
2. From the drop list click on Microsoft Excel Help.
3. In the Search for: box type delete hyperlinks then click the green go arrow.
4. At the bottom of the search panel click the drop list arrow and select Offline Help.

1. In the Search Results list click on Remove a hyperlink.
2. In the Remove a hyperlink topic pane click on Delete a hyperlink and the text or graphic that represents it.
3. Follow the directions.

Regards,
GEWB

 

[MoxieMomma]

Hi:

1. From the Menu bar click on Help.
2. From the drop list click on Microsoft Excel Help.
3. In the Search for: box type delete hyperlinks then click the green go arrow.
4. At the bottom of the search panel click the drop list arrow and select Offline Help.

1. In the Search Results list click on Remove a hyperlink.
2. In the Remove a hyperlink topic pane click on Delete a hyperlink and the text or graphic that represents it.
3. Follow the directions.

Regards,
GEWB

That sounds promising.
I think it's pretty much what those articles suggested?

I just tried to repro it in both Excel 2010 and Excel 2016 -- the process is similar.
In 2003, I think one can only delete 1 hyperlink at a time?
Starting with 2010, however, one can select multiple cells (e.g. a column or even the whole sheet) and delete all of them at once?
Clairvaux, when you have a chance, please post back and let us know if you were successful, so that we can all learn.

Thanks,
MM

 

[Clairvaux]

1. From the Menu bar click on Help.
2. From the drop list click on Microsoft Excel Help.
3. In the Search for: box type delete hyperlinks then click the green go arrow.
4. At the bottom of the search panel click the drop list arrow and select Offline Help.

1. In the Search Results list click on Remove a hyperlink.
2. In the Remove a hyperlink topic pane click on Delete a hyperlink and the text or graphic that represents it.
3. Follow the directions.

Regards,
GEWB

I found the relevant help topic. However, I tried it, and it does not work. I can go through the steps, but the invisible link, and invisible graphics, remain. I also tried the other instructions under the general Remove a hyperlink topic (including a weird one which entails typing 1 in a separate cell, then using Special Paste and Multiply), and they do not work either.

 

[Clairvaux]

Hi:

I cannot answer your question directly, as I am on Excel 2010 and Excel 2016 (Excel 2003 is long ago dead).

However, a quick Google search turned up a few possibilities.
They are offered "as is" - I have not verified either the safety of the links or the accuracy/safety of the suggestions"

https://www.ablebits.com/office-addins-blog/2013/09/20/remove-hyperlinks-from-excel/
https://www.techonthenet.com/excel/macros/delete_hl.php
https://www.techonthenet.com/excel/hyperlinks/delete.php
http://excel.tips.net/T001925_Uncovering_and_Removing_Links.html
http://www.techrepublic.com/forums/discussions/how-can-i-erase-hyperlinks-in-excel-2000-2003/

HTH,

MM

Thanks, I will try that (the Tech on the Net links are the ones I tried, and the method does not work, including the macro).

More info : normally, when you want to change or delete a hyperlink in Excel, you click on the cell and stay there without releasing the mouse for sometime. This prevents the link from opening. You can then right-click on the cell and do what you please with the link. Which works fine on my own links, in the same sheet, outside of the polluted columns. However, the phantom leftover links cannot be prevented from opening this way. However long I keep the mouse button depressed on them, the little devils activate when I release it.

 

[Ranger4]

Clairvaux. Is there anything in this Youtube video that could help you.

Removing Hyperlinks in Excel 2003 - YouTube

 

[Clairvaux]

Clairvaux. Is there anything in this Youtube video that could help you.

Removing Hyperlinks in Excel 2003 - YouTube

Ha ! Now that works, up to a point. It removes all phantom links and graphics in the contaminated columns, however it also removes (obviously) the legitimate links I have created in an adjacent column.

So I slightly modified the method, by selecting all the worksheet to be copied except the contaminated columns (through use of the Ctrl key), then ordinary Copy in a new worksheet inserted in the workbook. The result is a contiguous worksheet without the offending columns, and the phantom links and graphics are gone. No need to Special Copy.

It seems that Copy/Paste/Delete operations within the same worksheet can't get rid of the phantom links, but copying-pasting to another worksheet leaves the unwanted baggage behind.

Another (minor) disadvantage of the method in the vid is it did not copy some formatting inside of cells (colour fonts applied to some words only within text cells). This is a spreadsheet without formulas, so I was not able to observe related problems.

Thanks to all.

 

[Clairvaux]

Quoting myself, this :

I've tried the following :

• Creating a new sheet and copying only the adjacent data, without the contaminated columns. [...]

Nothing works.

Seems to contradict my last, successful experiment. Now I'm not sure exactly how I did this in the first place, but it's possible I selected an area of cells, then pasted it in a new worksheet (and failed), as opposed to selecting whole columns to copy, pasting them (and succeeding).

 

[Ranger4]

Glad to hear that it looks like you have worked out a solution with that video as a guide. Good work.

 

[jack3]

Heres a good way things work, read here, should work its different and crafty, remember the magic 1

How to remove all hyperlinks in Excel - quick tip