Create Shortcut to Excel & an Excel file using VBA

[Scotster]

I've never had a problem creating shortcuts using VBA but I'm a bit stumped at how to create a shortcut that has 2 parts to it.

The end result, and the shortcut that I currently have working that I made manually, has a target path as follows:


"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\EXCEL.EXE" "https://site.sharepoint.com/Filepath/File.xls"

When I attempt to use that as the target path programmatically, I get an error. My guess is it's due to the 2 part nature of the string, with the space in the middle. So I started playing around and gave the following a go:

TargetPath = """C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\EXCEL.EXE"" ""https://Site.sharepoint.com/Filepath/File.xls"""
TargetPath = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\EXCEL.EXE" & " " & "https://Site.sharepoint.com/Filepath/File.xls"
TargetPath = "'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\EXCEL.EXE' 'https://Site.sharepoint.com/Filepath/File.xls'"

And a few others that I can't remember. I've tried extracting the targetpath from the current working shortcut but it only pulls the first part of the path "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\EXCEL.EXE", ignoring the latter half.

Is there a way of programmatically creating this shortcut path?

 

[RoryA]

Just out of interest, can't you just use the file path? Why do you need to include the application?

 

[Scotster]

Just out of interest, can't you just use the file path? Why do you need to include the application?

Web security unfortunately. The file link is a URL, if I open directly it opens via Edge(IE) which then has additional security checks which makes the file initially read-only and disables the macros. This causes headaches as when the macros are enabled the first thing it does is check to see if it's read-only. If I enable workbook for editing I get a weird access error and it stays read-only.

If I open directly from Excel itself the internet security check is bypassed and it doesn't give me headaches.

The reason for creating the shortcut is a lot of employees in work that will be using the file set aren't overly comfortable with teams and I want to try and bypass any of the files opening inside teams regardless of user choices. People also like shortcuts on their desktop.

I can't email a shortcut or add it to teams to share, due to aforementioned security, so I was hoping to check if it already existed and if not.... create it.

I'm stuck with passing the filepath string though

 

[Scotster]

Problem solved. The key is .Arguments.

.TargetPath = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\EXCEL.EXE"
.Arguments = " ""https://Site.sharepoint.com/Filepath/File.xls"""

That was doing my head in haha.

 

[RoryA]

Pass it as the .Arguments property rather than part of the target path.

[edit: oops a bit late!]