How to get a PDF link in a Word document to open in the default browser

microsoft-officemicrosoft-office-2007microsoft-office-2010

I'm trying to create a Word document with links to resources on the web. If I create a hyperlink to a regular HTML file, when I click on the link, it opens in my default browser (Google Chrome) as expected.

However, if I click on a link to a PDF file on a website, it opens in Internet Explorer. Before it opens, I also get the following prompt:

Microsoft Office

Opening http://www.example.com/example.pdf

Some files can contain viruses or otherwise be harmful to your computer.
It is important to be certain that this file is from a trustworthy source.

Would you like to open this file?

OK Cancel

I'm using Office 2010, but I'm asking for a user who is using Office 2007 and is experiencing the same issue. (His default browser is Firefox.) We're both on Windows 7.

Best Answer

To remove the warning, do this:

  1. Run Procmon.exe (download from download.sysinternals.com/files/ProcessMonitor.zip)
  2. Turn capture off, then clear. Turn capture on.
  3. Click hyperlink in Word.
  4. Turn capture off. Filter by Process=Winword.exe, Operation=RegQueryValue, Result=NAME NOT FOUND
  5. Find first entry with EditFlags in Path.
  6. Open Regedit, navigate to the Path. Add new DWORD type called “EditFlags” with the Hexadecimal value 10000.

Result: Hyperlink no longer displays a dialog saying "Some files can contain viruses or otherwise be harmful to your computer".

I got this information from Rahul's corner

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