Linking and Referencing files correctly
On many occasions it is necessary to link to files stored either in OneDrive, Teams or on the Shared Drives. How you link these files is important as it makes sure the links work reliably and consistently across computers and when people or teams leave. This is especially useful when adding those links inside other files.
Many old documents will now contain old references to S:\ and should be updated as necessary.
Reference a files location
- Old naming convention: S:\Admin\Departments\Accounts\folder\file.docx
- New Naming convention: Accounts -> General\Folder\File.docx
The first part is the team name, then the channel followed by the rest of the file path.
Linking to a file
Inserting the link into Word or Excel
A common mistake is that people paste in a link and let excel or word automatically turn this into a link. The issue with this method is Word or Excel will sometimes be to smart and will remove some of the link if the file you are working on is stored in a similar location. This will then break the link if the file is moved elsewhere or sent via email. Avoid this by check the address of every link you make
Step 1 - Type the name of the file location, e.g. Accounts -> General\Folder\File.docx
Step 2 - Select the text and right click, then choose Link
Step 3 - Paste the full link into the Address: area and click OK
Your link should now be functional and will work wherever your document is stored, so long as the person has access to the files you have linked them to.
Note that no matter what, if a file is moved or a folder renamed then this will break the links to files on the S:\. Files on OneDrive and Teams will work so long as the file or folder remains shared, no matter where it is stored/moved to.