My main system is running Windows 7. I have a mapped network drive (call it z:) that is hosted on a Windows XP machine (not sure if this matters at all). I have created a Symbolic link (call it SL, located on my main system's desktop) to one of the directories (call it Docs) in the mapped netword drive that contains a number of *.pdf, *.xls and *.doc files. The symbolic link directory is browsable in explorer and all of the MicroSoft Office files work perfectly through the symbolic link. However, when I try to open any of the *.pdf files, I get an error in Adobe Reader (Reader opens, but cannot access the file). Next I created (I don't know what possessed me to try this) a shortcut (call it SC, also on my desktop) that points to SL. The chain looks like this:
SC --> SL --> z:/Docs
The shortcut SC is also browsable in explorer, all of the Office files respond correctly through SC, but now, so do the *.pdf files; Reader has no problem opening and displaying any of them when opened through SC. What is missing so that I can access the *.pdf files directly through the SL?