PDF link to open folder

[jerrym49835454]

I wish to create a link in a PDF that opens a folder on my hard drive, and cannot find a mechanism that works as of 02/2018. Help where to find solutions?

[try67 · Accepted solution]

Not possible.

[MeenakshiNegi]

Hi Jerrym,

Sorry for the delay in response.

As try67 mentioned above, it is not possible to create a link to open a folder in Adobe Acrobat.

However, you may try the workaround mentioned here Re: Link a Page Folder in explorer

Check if that works for you.

Let us know if you need any further help.

Regards,

Meenakshi

[jerrym49835454]

If that doesn’t serve my purpose, can you recommend whom to hire to port the PC based Acrobat program to the Mac side?

Sent from my iPad

[Tariq Dar]

Hi Jerrym,

I think opening a Folder using a link that to be from a file is a security issue.

-Tariq Dar

[Doxie0D4C]

I am using Acrobat DC (PC) on Creative Cloud and this is what I did to be able to OPEN FOLDERS on our system from a link in a PDF, albeit it with the usual "Security Warning" when opening an external link...  It's not ideal if you are doing a LOT of these, but it's easy and it works. (I hope it works for everyone?)

1. Create your text to link to your folder in Microsoft Word and PDF that - we have established it works in Word.

2. Open this PDF, Edit the link and copy the string in the URL - which you will notice is far more involved than your system folder string and starts with " file://////  " 

3. Open the PDF you want the folder link to open in.  Create the link using "Open a web link"

4. Edit the link and paste the string from the Word PDF into the URL field.

5. Viola! Click on that link when you are out of edit mode and it should open the folder.

[try67]

This is an undocumented feature (or bug, one could say), and might stop working at any moment.

I would advise against using this method.

[Doxie0D4C]

Gee, it has never stopped "at any moment" for me when Word generates the Adobe PDF..  It's the same string... ?That's certainly not my personal experience. I have been using these Adobe and MS products for many years and the only time I have had to fix a link in a Word-generated Adobe PDF is when someone moves the folder.

Linking to an open folder is a common function in inhouse documentation and probably why everyone does them in Word.  InDesign in fact provides the command to do this and it works a treat... It just doesn't bring this function across when creating an "Interactive PDF" of the document (it converts the open file to open web page, which of course does not work, can't display your folder contents in a web browser).

Respectfully, the only bug I see is in Acrobat not being able to do it fluidly with it's own kind.

[Bernd Alheit]

You can't edit the link with Acrobat Reader!

[Doxie0D4C]

Yes we have established that, thanks 🙂 But it doesn't mean we can't make the link or replace it if needed.

[Doxie0D4C]

Also, I never said I was using Acrobat Reader, but Acrobat DC - the full version.

[sharon5C5C]

Hi Doxie054C - can you explain how to do step 1? I'm not following you, but your message sounds like this is a promising approach!

[ArnoldS!]

Doxie054C's suggestion works!!

1. Open a blank Word doc and create a link to folder. Save the doc as a PDF.

2. Edit the link in this new PDF, that will tell you what you need to place in the link you wish to create in your PDF.

It's the full address of the folder, replacing \ by / and blanks by %20, prefixing with file:///

[Claude33011360e39g]

Brilliant