Open a Word File from Javascript Similar to Clicking a Hyperlink

I have a hyperlink in my web page that opens a Word document however before the document is open I need to perform some other tasks. I substituted the hyperlink for a button and this successfully runs my code but how can I then open the Word document in a browser agnostic fashion, i.e. similar to the anchor element;

<a href="http://file/\\MyServer\MonthlyReport\Monthly Progress Report.docm">Produce Report</a>

I have tried several searches for this problem but most of the responses suggest using something like "window.location" top open the file but I don't want to load the file in the browser.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.