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Question

Hyperlinks missing when InDesign file is opened on another Mac

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
April 4, 2018
10 replies
2970 views

Help required with Hyperlinks

I created an indesign document with about 100 hyperlinks (all links were to url addresses), all links were flowed into InDesign for a word file and all links were active, as indicated by the green light on the hyperlink panel.

When the InDesign file was packaged and moved to another Mac, the hyperlinks are shown as missing and indicated with the red light on the hyperlnk panel.

Have also tried to save the file as an .idml file and get the same result.

Anyone any ideas???

This topic has been closed for replies.

andreaw42041264

Known Participant

I solved it on my side. Not sure if it's the same issue others are having. You need to uncheck the 'shared hyperlink destination' option underneath as it links it to that document. If you then move that document to a different folder, it can no longer find the links. If that option is unchecked, it only looks directly at the URL. Very weird but true. So mine was happening when 'saved as' and created new documents from the original, then moved the original to an archive folder, so it could not longer find the shared destination link. It seems to be working perfectly now that I don't have that checked (which, by default, it is checked).

andreaw42041264

Known Participant

In saying that, if you it is happening in your original, maybe try to move it back to the folder it was when you set up the links. Hopefully the links show again. Then go and uncheck all the shared destination boxes and hopefully all will be well again.

andreaw42041264

Known Participant

As far as I remember, you can see the full destination of where the original files was (but I may be wrong). I know you can when searching for a missing image.

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tudor-v

Known Participant

I have the same problem. I had to update a few documents a couple of years old, and I discovered many hyperlinks were replaced with "http://". Now I have to rebuild all missing hyperlinks using the old PDFs. It's a nightmare! 😞

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tudor-v

Known Participant

I forgot to mention I'm opening the documents on the same Mac, using the latest versions of InDesign 2022 and macOS Monterey.

andreaw42041264

Known Participant

Did you ever solve this problem?

I'm having a similar issue, but on the same mac. I'm working on monthly magazines, and we need to keep a master up-to-date. So I create hyperlinks on ads etc and then I copy and paste them into the master. They copy across fine. Then I send off the months mag and then open the master to 'save as' to create the next month, and all the hyperlinks have disappeared. The boxes are there, but not the hyperlinks. It's very weird because it appears there until I open the same document later and do a save as. Then both the master and new doc have no links on the boxes. Red dot and just 'http://'. the rest of the URL is missing.

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plevault1313

Participant

I am also having this problem. Except my links dissappear on the same Mac. I have one big Indd file that I have 6 different Skill lessons in. When I need to make a workbook with a different combo of skills I Save a copy, then delete the uneeded content. Sometimes this process causes links to dissappear. Other times it is simply opening the same file a new time. They are the full hyper link (includes the http). I can't figure out what is going wrong.... 😞

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Test Screen Name

Legend

They might seem to work, but I would always use a correct URL. Something starting www is a "relative URL" and can cause you all sorts of pain. Web site designers often make this mistake and the links break once it is live. I don't think that's the issue, but personally I'm all out of ideas now, sorry.

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lindsay_russellAuthor

Participating Frequently

Thanks, for having a look anyway, really appreciate it

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

Ok, so link checking is OK on that Mac. That was the key thing I was checking. The links that you create: are they complete web addresses, starting http:// (two slashes) and the full name?

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lindsay_russellAuthor

Participating Frequently

Yes they start with http:// also they work with starting just www

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

What I asked was that you open the document on the problem Mac and make new hyperlinks. Please do the tests I described.

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lindsay_russellAuthor

Participating Frequently

Making new hyperlinks works fine on the problem mac

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Test Screen Name

Legend

So if you create a new link does it show up with green or red?

What exactly do you mean by "InDesign dropping the web address from the hyperlink"? I don't think you've mentioned this before, though I may have missed it.

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lindsay_russellAuthor

Participating Frequently

On the Original InDesign Document, when you open up the hyperlinks panel, they all have green lights and also the web address is present.

But when the file is opened on another mac, the green lights are now red (indicating the link is missing) and also the web address is not present, all that is left is "http://"

hope this helps

macpawel

Participating Frequently

Are you using Indd file or maybe IDML and previous version of InDesign?

pawel

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lindsay_russellAuthor

Participating Frequently

Tried both Indd and IDML files, both macs running same version of InDesign

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

What happens on the problem computer if you create a new hyperlink to a different web site? If it's OK, what happens if you create a new hyperlink to the problem web site?