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Old 29th Apr 2018, 4:15 pm   #1
ukcol
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Harlaxton, Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 3,944
Default http://www.sitename.com or www.sitename.com

First the vital statistics of my system:

Microsoft Word (Part of Microsoft Office Home & Student 2010).

Firefox 59.0.2 64-bit

Windows 7 Home Premium version 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601

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I wrote an article using Microsoft Word recently and added some web links. I typed the links in the form:

http://www.sitename.com

although the site name actually has the form:

www.sitename.com

I then tested the link(s) from within Word. As most of you will know this involves holding down the CONTROL key whilst clicking on the link in the document. This took me to the web site with no problem.

When I came to proof read my document I put myself in the place of the reader and typed the link directly into the address bar in my browser.

I typed it in the form as written in the document, that is:

http://www.sitename.com

and the browser failed to find the site.

Next, I removed the "http://" from the front of the address (so that it matched the site name exactly) and then, unsurprisingly, the browser found the site with no problem.

My next observation was (to me at least) really bizarre.

I went back to the Word document, and again used the link with the form

http://www.sitename.com

and again it worked fine.

Next, I removed the "http://" from the front of the link in Word and then found (in spite of the fact that the link now matched the site address exactly) that the link no longer worked. In fact Word even failed to open the browser.

Word "knows" that the form www.sitename.com is a hyperlink because the text colour changes to blue.

I have noticed in the past that often a thread here on this site contains a link of the form

http://www.sitename.com

and it fails to work unless the "http://" is removed from the address.

Can anyone enlighten me as to what is the cause of this, on the face of it, bizarre behaviour?
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