.io URL doesn't open from MS-PPT, MS-Word Hyperlinks

[Swamp Thing]

TL;DR Summary

URLs with a .io domain don't work in Word and PPT.

Create a URL like https://www.nic.io in a PPT slide (or Word doc). When you click on the link, it displays
a box saying "Cannot download the information you requested".

It doesn't even send the link to the default browser -- MS-Office seems to be deciding on its own that the link can't be opened.

Interestingly, if you put in a non-existant URL like http://www.SorryThisSiteDoesNotExist.com, then it says "Cannot locate the internet server or proxy server" and still doesn't open the browser.

Is there a fix for this?

 

[Wrichik Basu]

You are not the only one facing such a problem; the whole of internet is complaining about this thing, though yours is specifically about .io sites. Almost all places I searched referred to the same solution:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-in/of...ges/cannot-locate-server-when-click-hyperlink

The problem is mainly due to the fact the all MS Office software route web links via Internet Explorer, even if it is not your default browser.

The above web page states two workarounds. One of them involves changing the registry key, which, according to most people, works. Quoting,

To work around this issue, either add the ForceShellExecute subkey, if it is not present, and set the Value data, or if it is present, set the Value data of the ForceShellExecute subkey.

Adding the Internet Subkey to the Registry and Setting the Value Data

1. Quit any programs that are running.

2. Select Start, and then select Run. Type regedit in the Open box, and then select OK.

3. In Registry Editor, browse to one of the following subkeys (create the keys when they do not exist):

For a 32-Bit version of Office on 64-bit version of Windows
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Common\Internet\

For a 32-Bit version of Office on 32-bit version of Windows
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Common\Internet

For a 64-Bit version of Office on 64-bit version of Windows
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Common\Internet

4. Make sure the Internet subkey is selected. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then select DWORD Value. Add the following registry value:

Value Name: ForceShellExecute

5. Double-click ForceShellExecute, and then set the Value data to 1. Select OK.

6. On the Registry menu, select Exit.

By the way, the .io link that you have put in the OP opens fine in my computer from excel/word.

 

[pbuk]

You are not the only one facing such a problem; the whole of internet is complaining about this thing,

I am not sure if English is your first language but the phrase "the whole of internet is complaining about this thing" is an example of clickbait, not something that belongs in a physics discussion forum.

The problem is mainly due to the fact the all MS Office software route web links via Internet Explorer, even if it is not your default browser.

That is not true, for me at least. Any links I click in an Office document, whether working, broken or faulty due to expired certificates are routed to my default browser (Firefox). According to that MS link it only happens when "The ForceShellExecuteregistry key is not present in the following location or is not set to 1". I don't know what circumstances might lead to that, although I do seem to remember MS pushed an Office 365 update to me recently. Perhaps it is only true for perpetual license versions of MS Office (e.g. student editions)?

 

[Wrichik Basu]

I am not sure if English is your first language but the phrase "the whole of internet is complaining about this thing" is an example of clickbait, not something that belongs in a physics discussion forum.

When Google crawls PF, it takes up the URL of threads rather than each post, which is why in search results, links to the OP come up and not any individual post. Not sure how the phrase will serve as a clickbait.

That is not true, for me at least. Any links I click in an Office document, whether working, broken or faulty due to expired certificates are routed to my default browser (Firefox).

Maybe. I checked six to seven different websites, and they said the same thing as me.

 

[pbuk]

When Google crawls PF, it takes up the URL of threads rather than each post, which is why in search results, links to the OP come up and not any individual post. Not sure how the phrase will serve as a clickbait.

I didn't mean to suggest that the words would serve as clickbait here, rather I was saying that those words used in that way form a sentence that is not used in normal English. Similar phrases are used to entice people to click on links by suggesting that they are missing out on something that other people are benefiting from whereas in fact the link only takes you to some irrelevant marketing message.

Maybe. I checked six to seven different websites, and they said the same thing as me.

That is not surprising - you don't often see anyone posting "today I clicked on a link and everything worked just as I thought it would".