Microsoft KB Archive/211501

= XL2000: HYPERLINK Doesn't Work If Second Argument Returns Error =

Article ID: 211501

Article Last Modified on 10/7/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 2000 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q211501





SYMPTOMS
When you click a hyperlink in a Microsoft Excel worksheet, nothing happens.



CAUSE
This problem occurs if both of the following conditions are true:


 * You create the hyperlink by using a formula containing the HYPERLINK worksheet function.

-and-


 * The second argument of the HYPERLINK function, friendly_name, returns an error value, such as #DIV/0!, #NAME?, or #VALUE!



WORKAROUND
To prevent this problem from occurring, make sure that the second argument in the HYPERLINK worksheet function does not return an error value.

For example, assume you are using the following formula:

  =HYPERLINK("http://msnbc.com",A1/B1)

Because the expression A1/B1 may return an error value of #DIV/0! if B1 is zero, you must change the second argument so that it does not return an error value. For example, change the sample formula to the following:

  =HYPERLINK("http://msnbc.com",IF(B1=0,0,A1/B1))

After you do this, the hyperlink works correctly.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.



MORE INFORMATION
In Microsoft Excel, the HYPERLINK worksheet function allows you to create a hyperlink in a worksheet cell. The HYPERLINK function accepts the following two arguments:

  Argument        Description ---

link_location  the path and file name, or URL, you want to link to   friendly_name   the text that should appear in the cell

The friendly_name argument can be a text string, a defined name, or any other expression that returns a value.

If the value of the friendly_name argument returns an error value, the hyperlink does not work when you click it. The following are example formulas that demonstrate this problem.

Example 1: #VALUE! error
The following hyperlink fails because the expression 1+"Alpha" returns a #VALUE! error:

  =HYPERLINK("http://msnbc.com",1+"Alpha")

Example 2: #NAME? error
The following hyperlink fails if the defined name "Bravo" doesn't exist, because the second argument returns a #NAME? error:

  =HYPERLINK("http://msnbc.com",Bravo)

Example 3: #DIV/0! error
The following hyperlink fails if the mathematical expression returns any kind of error, such as #DIV/0!:

  =HYPERLINK("http://msnbc.com",A1/B1)

Additional query words: 9.00 XL2000

Keywords: kbbug kbweb kbpending KB211501

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