Broken links when starting viewer from batch file - back to square one!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rene
  • Start date Start date
R

Rene

Hi experts!

I'm about to pull what little is left of my hair,out! Ahh.....
(sorry about that!)

I've created a self-starting CD-ROM with a PPT that start other files
as well. The PPTviewer and all those files are in the base of the
directory. The PPT itself is in a subdirecotry. The autorun (or batch
file) starts the viewer with the command:
ppview32.exe "presentations/welcome.ppt"

Everything works great... almost!

I have linked to other files in the "Presentations" folder and they
start perfectly!
However, I have linked to some PDFs in the same directory. Here comes
the weird stuff:

These relative links work on my machine! If I create a CD the links
still work! If I take the CD to another computer and click on the
link, I get the message that the path is incorrect !!!!! Now the
really strange thing is, if I press "OK" the PDF will still start (in
Acrobat Reader of course)!!!!

In other words, I'm getting an error message, but it's still working!
Why????

If the viewer is started manually and calls the appropriate PPT
everything is perfect. It seems as if the bloody viewer does not
really know what the current directory is. Ahhh....

Can somebody help?????

Thanks,
Rene
 
Hi everyone!

I've done some more testing:

this seems to be a problem of defining the current directory, I
assume.

1) I have tested the same relative links with *.txt, *.doc, *.swf,
*.html, *.xls, *.ppt and *.pdf files
Outcome: it is not identical!!! *.ppt, *.txt, *.swf and *.html behave
as they should. *.xls starts Excel but then can't find the file, *.doc
doesn't do anything, and *.pdf.... well that's the problem:

2) With the linked PDF I get an error message that the path is
incorrect. Here's the bizarre thing: it's and Acrobat error
message!!!! In other words, linking to the *.pdf apparently starts the
Acrobat Reader, which then tries to find the file again. This is were
the error occurs. If I say "OK" and except the error, the file still
opens.

Does anybody have a clue what's going on here?

Sonia, I've tried linking the PDFs and creating a CD with your tool.
Same problem! I can't be the first person wanting to link PDFs on a
self starting CD, am I? Has anybody found a solution?

Steve: I've commented downd below!

Thanks everyone and have a great weekend!
Rene




Steve Rindsberg said:
How do you know they're relative links? IOW, can you be sure it's not just
finding the linked files on your HDD?
What happens if you rename the hdd folder where all this stuff lives?
Click to expand...

The links are relative... I've renamed the hdd folder, still works.
I'm using the full version of Acrobat, the other machines have the
Reader, that might be a difference. I know the links work, because if
I start the viewer on the other machines, open the correct PPT the
links are OK. It's just when you start it with autorun.inf or with a
*.bat that it doesn't
That's pretty mystical, I agree. Does it tell you what path it thinks is
wrong?
Click to expand...

No, it doesn't tell me what path it's looking for... pretty strange I
agree.
 
Hi Sonia!

thanks for your reply (here and by email). You guys are really the
best newsgroup I have ever posted to!

Unfortunately, the launch.exe method has the big disadvantage of
displaying the macro warning every time! Since I do not know of a way
to disable this, and I doubt anybody will be willing to share and
propagate this information, I guess I'll have to live with the macro
warning or find another way of correctly linking PDF files....

Best wishes,
Rene
 
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