Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 23, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365
Holly entered a hyperlink into her Excel worksheet tutorial for a computer class. It appears active, but when she clicks on it, a box appears that states the following: "This operation has been canceled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator." Problem is, this is Holly's home computer; there is no administrator except her.
There could be a number of different reasons why this is happening. First of all, you should understand that there is an administrator for your home computer—it is you. In fact, most newer computers include two account logins automatically: one for you as administrator and one for you as user.
So, the first solution is to log out of your system and then log back in using the administrator account. Then display the Run dialog box and enter GPEDIT.MSC into the dialog box, as the command to run. This displays the Group Policy Editor, where you can examine the policies on your system and figure out which one may be causing your problem.
It is also possible that the problem is related to a conflict between browsers on your system. If you have multiple browsers installed, you may need to force Windows to recognize one of them as the "default" browser. Here's an easy way to do this if you are using earlier versions of Excel:
If you are using Excel 2016 or a later version, follow these instructions:
Restart your computer and check to see if the links now work. If they still don't work, you might check out some articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. These articles may be particularly helpful:
https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310049 https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=216583
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (8445) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Can't Use Hyperlinks.
Excel Smarts for Beginners! Featuring the friendly and trusted For Dummies style, this popular guide shows beginners how to get up and running with Excel while also helping more experienced users get comfortable with the newest features. Check out Excel 2013 For Dummies today!
If you use Excel's Web Query tools to grab data from a website, you may run into some problems if the site isn't ...
Discover MoreCreating a drop-down list with Excel's data validation feature can be a nice touch for a worksheet. What if you want the ...
Discover MoreHyperlinks can be helpful in some worksheets but bothersome in others. Here's how to get rid of any hyperlinks you don't ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2022-06-23 10:01:12
JMJ
I had this same problem after cleaning a bit too vigorously: I totally deleted (in windows accessories) internet explorer. I thought it was no longer useful since the advent of Edge. Big mistake! Excel no longer recognized any hypertext link, either to a file or to the internet.
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2023 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments