IT Tips & Tricks
How To Fix Broken Links — Or Have Them Automatically Fixed for You!
20 March 2023
Have you considered the outcome of your next data migration? Have you planned and done the requisite analysis? Do you, in fact, honestly believe that you and your team have done absolutely everything to ensure your data migration will be as smooth as possible? And, to add just a little pressure, have the execs made it clear they want no disruption to the business?
What will you do when the end users start emailing and calling until you’re buried in a swamp of complaints? Missing files, error messages, you name it, they’ll have it. And what will you have?
Well, if you didn’t plan for this particular scenario, chances are you’ll have missing data and broken links — in their thousands — possibly even millions. Does your confidence waver as you realize the mammoth nature of the task that lies ahead? Even with a search & replace app, you know that fixing this is going to take manpower and hours you simply don’t have. But you’ll have no choice. It’ll have to get fixed.
In the context of migration, missing data can be as ubiquitous as mosquitos at a nudist colony.
Right now, before you embark on that migration, you do still have a choice. You can either accept that at some point you’re going to have to figure out how to find and fix the broken links that will inevitably cause that data loss or — better yet — you can ensure, once and for all, that you’re never in this situation again.
Broken Links: The Nature of the Beast
Missing data due to broken links is practically a given after a migration or any type of file system restructuring. It’s as ubiquitous as mosquitos at a nudist colony, although it leaves you significantly less satisfied than the mosquitos (or the somewhat itchy nudists).
No offense, but broken links — much like pigs — stink.
With links, it’s simply the nature of the beast. Move them and they break. You can’t even get mad about it. That would be as pointless as getting mad at a pig for stinking like, well, a pig.
Benjamin Franklin, known to be a pretty smart guy, once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” And when it comes to your data, specifically your linked data, nothing could be truer.
The All-Important Ounce of Prevention
Are you facing data loss, downtime, disruption, complaining end-users and a boss that’s giving you the evil eye?
If you consider the subject of links as the uniquely complex field that it is, there’s more to it than merely fixing links after the fact. Before links get broken, they get moved. And before they can get moved, they have to be created, which is the best time to protect them.
Fixing them after they get broken is a pound of cure. There’s no denying that if you’ve got broken links, you need to get them fixed so that your missing data can be restored.
But preventing data loss in the first place is far more efficient. Not only is it faster, but it also has the huge benefit of a zero-disruption factor for the organization. That’s your ounce of prevention.
This is not an exercise in chest-beating. The simple truth is that no one in the world has our depth and breadth of experience with links. When it comes to opening, handling, and safely making the correct changes to billions of files, we are the world’s foremost authority and currently support over seventy file types.
Ed Clark, COO for LinkTek states, “One discovers all the ugly little anomalies that reside in an organization’s files only by cold, hard, long experience. The degree to which someone knows about and understands these quirks is the degree to which they can handle these files accurately and safely. We have been intensively investing in such research since before the turn of the millennium.”
LinkTek has processed in excess of an estimated two billion files and four billion links. “We’ve spent tens of thousands of software-engineering man-hours analyzing every type of unique file-format situation you could imagine,” Ed continues. “We’ve updated LinkFixer Advanced™ zillions of times to handle yet another quirky DOCX or XLSX or PDF file anomaly.”
The Masterclass in Link Care
We’re tempted to say, “But wait, there’s more!” because there is more, but this isn’t a tacky “as seen on TV” commercial, it’s a masterclass, so we’re going to get our classy on. Here are the three ways LinkFixer Advanced can go to work for you.
Preventing data loss in the first place is far more efficient.
1. Inoculate and Cure
Used before a migration or system restructure can break your links, LinkFixer Advanced’s Inoculate process creates an association between a file and all the files to which it is linked. LinkFixer Advanced then uses that association to quickly and automatically fix any links that get broken by whatever changes someone makes to your files. There’s no time spent on a “find and fix” exercise. There’s simply intact data from the get-go.
Once all your data is inoculated, and you keep it that way on a regular basis, even the worst luddites on your staff can do all the moving, renaming and folder restructuring they want, when they want, on all your files and folders and LinkFixer Advanced instantly takes care of the problem. With literally a few mouse clicks, all your broken links work again, cutting down on hundreds of man-hours of work in the IT department.
Michael Sexsmith, LinkTek’s Vice President for Technology says, “LinkFixer Advanced’s Inoculate function is one of those maintenance tools that should just be run nightly or at least weekly, right along with your daily virus scans and file backup procedures. This would keep all links safeguarded, so when anyone does any kind of move or rename, it’s really no big deal!”
This, in a nutshell, is your beautiful time-saving, link-protecting ounce of prevention.
2. Modify Links
If you didn’t know about LinkFixer Advanced’s ability to protect your links prior to your migration, you may now be faced with thousands or millions of broken links. Our condolences. However, it’s not too late. The “Modify Links” function fixes broken links faster and more accurately than trying to do it manually or with a search & replace application. Of course, this instantly restores any missing data. Think of this feature as “disaster recovery mode.”
3. Move/Rename
Finally, the software also offers a “Move/Rename” function that moves or renames files and folders while automatically handling your links so that they remain fully functional when a migration is complete. Imagine completing a migration or moving data around with zero data loss due to broken file links.
Take care of your linked data to avoid the chaos of broken links and the missing data they cause
Migration tools can get masses of data migrated quickly. There’s no denying that. But — and this is a big but — what they can’t do is protect your linked data during the migration process. So, unless you were fortunate enough to protect it with LinkFixer Advanced ahead of the migration, you’re likely facing data loss, downtime, disruption, complaining end users and a boss that’s giving you the evil eye. Understandably, you’re probably about ready for that pound of cure.
With three ways to deploy LinkFixer Advanced, it’s pretty much the holy trinity of link care.
And here's a little bonus tip for you: If one of your users accidentally deletes a file, LinkFixer Advanced won’t be able to automatically restore that link. Honestly, nothing can restore a link to a file that no longer exists. But — ta-da! — with LinkFixer Advanced’s Scan feature, you can find out — very quickly — which file is missing and initiate the process of restoring it from your backup without wasting time looking for it.
Imagine completing a migration or moving data around with zero data loss due to broken file links.
How to Get Some First-Class
Link Care
Whether you’ve got an upcoming data migration, or have recently completed a migration, you can see how beneficial LinkFixer Advanced can be, saving you tons of time (and your sanity) and preventing dreaded data loss which typically results in up-in-arms end users and decidedly grouchy bosses.
To get yourself some top-of-the-line link care, call 727-442-1822 to talk to a friendly and knowledgeable Service Consultant. Alternatively, visit LinkTek.com for more information or to request a free no-credit-card-required trial.
When it comes to protecting your linked data, nothing else will take care of it like LinkFixer Advanced. Mic drop.
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