Is there a way to make Windows-style SMB share paths launch correctly?

We have a mixed Windows/Mac network, with Windows fileservers, and an Exchange/Outlook mailsystem.

The Windows users send out emails with links to the shared files that look like:

\\FileServer01\topfolder\subfolder\shared.doc

If you right-click on the link in Mac Outlook 2010, it seems to have a pseudo-URL of:

file://///FileServer01/topfolder/subfolder/shared.doc

Mac Outlook 2010 makes that link clickable, but fails with an error:

The file ///FileServer01/topfolder/subfolder/shared.doc could not be found.

Given that we're not going to be able to get people to stop copy-pasting in Mac-unfriendly SMB links, is there any way to get the Finder or some handler to rewrite the URL into something the Mac can open?

Solution 1:

I'm in a similar position at work, with a mixed environment. We use WinShortcutter, which is freeware. The allows you to right-click on a UNC path (such as \\FileServer01\topfolder\subfolder\shared.doc) and Open as Windows Link:

It's quite configurable as well, and allows drive mappings (so when you are sent a link that starts S:/folder, it will allow you to Open as Windows Link).

This works quite reliably for us.