7 Replies Latest reply: Jun 27, 2009 9:53 AM by Talyianna RSS

    Is it possible to link to specific files on a server from within a pdf?

    Talyianna Community Member

      Hi all,

       

      Is it possible to create hyperlinks to a specific file on a Windows server from within a pdf?

       

      Let me explain further, I am working on a Mac trying to create hyperlinks from within InDesign to specific files on a Windows server. I am exporting the file to pdf, along with the hyperlinks, which look correct when I click on them from within Acrobat.

       

      On Windows, the links will read as \\servername\directoryname\filename so this is exactly how I enter it as the hyperlink. When I view the hyperlink information in the resulting pdf from within Acrobat, it still looks correct as \\servername\directoryname\filename but when I try to click on it from the Windows side OR the Mac side, the link doesn't work and gets changed....the slashes revert to the opposite direction and the whole link gets messed up. I am trying to figure out if the cause is InDesign, Acrobat or whether this can even be done? Of corse, I never have issues with normal URLS.

       

      What we are trying to do is set up an internal catalogue for the company of all our materials. (Everyone works on Windows)

       

      Should I try to create the links from within a Windows version of Acrobat... do you think that will make any difference?

       

      Thanks in advance for your help:)

       

      Very much appreciated!

       

      Christine

        • 1. Re: Is it possible to link to specific files on a server from within a pdf?
          Phillip Jones Community Member

          Try creating them to begin with with the / instead of the \.

           

          Also if this is on a website  (said if) then you have to put the same directory on the website and and put all the linked content within that directory and they should be saved with Relative paths not absolute paths.

          • 2. Re: Is it possible to link to specific files on a server from within a pdf?
            MichaelKazlow CommunityMVP

            "\\servername\directoryname\filename" is not a proper url. A proper url for example for the web should begin with http:\\. It could be that Acrobat can figuire out the proper url if you leave the http out, but in the case of your server, Acrobat may be lost without a clue.

            • 3. Re: Is it possible to link to specific files on a server from within a pdf?
              Phillip Jones Community Member

              Michael proper html for web is with "/" not "\".

               

              example I am copying and pasting link to this very thread

               

              http://forums.adobe.com/post!reply.jspa?message=2047894

               

              notice the "//" not "\\".

              • 4. Re: Is it possible to link to specific files on a server from within a pdf?
                Talyianna Community Member

                Phillip,

                This is not for a website but for a local windows server. I have no problem with creating links for websites. I have been requested to create links to local files on a Windows server this time around and our IT gent says that I need to use the \ slashes.

                 

                Perhaps I should instead ask the question if Acrobat/pdfs will "understand" or correctly interpret paths with the \ slashes?

                 

                (Outlook Express interprets these links just fine but I am sure that doesn't necessarily mean that Acrobat WILL...our IT gent is quite confident that it should not be a problem linking to the files on the local network from a PDF, whereas I disagree. I think it would be better if our files were simply posted to our website. FYI...this pdf with links to the files will be for internal use...so if we CAN get the links to work from within the PDF, that would actually be ideal but I am thinking that won't be the case as we won't have any success with these "local links").

                • 5. Re: Is it possible to link to specific files on a server from within a pdf?
                  telecommunicate Community Member

                  You might want to have a look at this page.

                   

                  I would suggest the following. Create your PDF file from InDesign without links. Then put your file in the folder on the server where you want the final version to be located.

                   

                  Add links in Acrobat using the link tool (or the create link item from the contextual menu when text is highlighted). This will automatically add platform-independent relative links, but it won't matter if they're relative provided your document is in its "final" location.

                   

                  Then email shortcuts to the PDF around the office. As long as people open the file in its default location, everything will work correctly.

                  • 6. Re: Is it possible to link to specific files on a server from within a pdf?
                    Phillip Jones Community Member

                    I was in process of giving a different answer than telicomunicate but his/her answer appears to work. But got bit by the log out while typing bug. Lost everything I typed and this time did not pickup what I typed and save in cache.

                     

                    So go with teleicommunicate's answer.

                    • 7. ThisworksforWindow
                      Talyianna Community Member

                      Thank you for your help...very much appreciated!

                       

                      Basically, what we needed were for the links to be static and not relative, and they were mainly for Windows users. What finally worked was creating the links from within a Windows version of Acrobat. We plan to email the final pdf to several employees around the word (we are an international company) with all the links intact. Once they were logged into our network (vpn'd in) the links would still be valid no matter where the document was located. The trick is to change the start of the link to a specific IP address (the server address) when you are setting it up in Acrobat. I hope this makes sense and is helpful for everyone else out there:)

                       

                      (P.S. This works for Windows users only though and cannot be done via the Mac version of Acrobat. I can set things up within the Mac version of Acrobat so that the links will work as long as the document resides in the same location on the server... the advantage to doing it THIS way is that it will work for BOTH Mac and Windows users.)

                       

                      Thanks again,

                      Christine