Excel Open pdf from excel

[rpick60]

I would like to open external pdf files from a cell inside an excel file. I can get this to work with hyperlink the problem is that some of my pdf files have #1 or #2 in the filename and Hyperlink will not work with "#" in the name. If I take it out it works fine. But I have 100's of files that I want to open and some have the # and some do not.
Is there a wildcard I can use for the "#"

Should I try something other than hyperlink?
Here is an example

C:\testfile.pdf Cell A1
C:\testfile#1.pdf Cell A2

=HYPERLINK(A1,"Open") Works great
=HYPERLINK(A2,"Open") Cannot open file

Please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ian]

If you don't mind the files being renamed then use a batch rename application which can use regex (allowing you to keep the filenames intact, other than the #): http://www.guyswithtowels.com/dev/apps/f2.html

 

[rpick60]

I wish I could

I cannot because the program that creates these will update them all of the time and I will not be able to track all of the updates.