php hyperlink to uncpath IE

Question

I am trying to get a file on a server on a lan to get opened by a client pc via a hyperlink. For now I only need this to work on IE.

lets say that the filename is stored in the variable $sPath so that file_exists($sPath) returns true, and the server name is server_name. What would the hyperlink look like? here are a few of the many combinations I have used...

<a href="file:///intocloud$sPath">here</a> 
<a href="file://intocloud$sPath">here</a> 
<a href="file://///intocloud$sPath">here</a> 
<a href="/////intocloud$sPath">here</a> 

none of these work, and I've tried a few other things also.

Answer 1

IE will accpet this

<a href="file://\\server\shared\test.txt" >test me</a>

[EDIT]

In fact this also works

<a href="file:////server/shared/test.txt" >test 2</a>

Make sure you have the correct UNC path working in windows to begin with. Start > Run should be able to open it. IE is very lenient when it comes to what you can put in the URL address bar, even if its not strictly speaking valid for all browsers

Answer 2

I thought I tried all combinations out there but the problem was that I was putting too much detail in the path:

the $sPath variable was an absolute path and it looked like /var/blah/blah/blah/stuff.docx. all i wanted was the blah/blah/blah/stuff.docx.

so with the corerct $sPath:

<a href="file:////server/$sPath">here</a>