I'm running PowerPoint on a Mac (Office 2011).

I wanted a way to be able to open files (with their default apps) from a hyperlink but discovered that if I use the file: URL then PowerPoint warns me EVERY TIME that this might be a security problem...I could not find a way to turn it off.

Ultimately, I decided to build a little http server that could respond to requests on the local machine and that server could then open the file for me. They way I expected this to work would be that PowerPoint would open my default browser (Firefox) which would then use the URL to reach my local server.

What is actually happening is that PowerPoint seems to connect directly to my little server, which then opens the document. Immediately afterwards, PowerPoint then invokes my browser which connects to my server again and so my document gets opened twice.

Now, while I could clearly hack my little server to prevent reopening files if requests arrive within a short time period, I'd really like to understand WHY this is happening.

Anyone?