IT Tips & Tricks
IT Professionals: Do This One Trick and Never Worry About Links Not
Working Again!
Published 8 June 2017
Updated 13 February 2024
“Broken file links” may not be a phrase that is frequently bandied about the IT department, yet they commonly result in lost data, downtime, frustrated users and angry bosses. The amount of time they can chew up is astronomical.
A user yelling, “My links aren’t working!” is one of those unexpected emergency calls that take up both your time and attention. But even that is nothing compared to dozens of users all yelling the same thing after the IT department does a data migration resulting in thousands (or even millions) of broken links. The fact is that users set up complex interactions between files, such as Excel files that pull in numbers and information from multiple files. And often nobody except the user knows.
Restore all the broken links with a few mouse clicks, and go enjoy a coffee.
Users of Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel and other M365 tools, as well as applications like Adobe InDesign and Premiere, frequently use file links as the preferred means of bringing in videos, documents and graphics (rather than embedding videos, docs and images) in order to reduce file sizes. CAD programs, many Microsoft products, and countless other programs make extensive use of
file-linking capabilities.
File links break all the time, and for a number of reasons. A user deletes a file — or a bunch of files — unaware that the data in them is used by other files, and all the links to those files obviously now no longer work. The same thing happens whenever files or folders are unwittingly renamed or moved. But the worst culprit is large-scale data migrations such as moving from any on-premise storage system to SharePoint Online or a private cloud, which causes a crazy number of broken links.
The most common use of LinkFixer Advanced is to protect files — while the links are still working — and then restore all of them automatically after the migration.
You have backups in place to restore the files, of course. But how about if you could just restore all the broken links with a few mouse clicks, and go enjoy a coffee, instead of enduring the tedium of spending hours finding and restoring backups? (Not to mention the risk of embarrassment due to a way-too-old or
un-restorable backup.)
How To Prevent Links From Breaking
In a data migration, where lots of files are moved, it’s virtually a given that links will break. But this is an eventuality that can be planned for.
LinkTek promotes LinkFixer Advanced™ as a tool to automatically fix broken links when you move or rename files, as in a data migration. IT professionals use it to save massive man-hours by having it fix broken links caused by a data migration, file system reorganization, server upgrade, or moving to the Cloud.
Imagine broken links never being a problem
ever again.
The most common use of LinkFixer Advanced is to protect files — while the links are still working — and then restore all of them automatically after the migration. This is the modern way to find and fix broken links.
However, it is not necessarily true that this needs to be done right before a migration project. You can use LinkFixer Advanced to prevent data loss, save time, and reduce downtime for your users, even when you are not about to start a migration or file system change. In other words, LinkFixer Advanced can be
used preventatively.
LinkFixer Advanced’s Inoculate process (done before links are broken) creates an additional association between the parent file and each of its child files. LinkFixer Advanced uses that secondary association to quickly and automatically fix all the links that get broken by whatever changes someone makes to your files.
Eliminate a Cause of End-User Complaints
Once all your data is inoculated, and you keep it that way on a regular basis, your staff can do all the moving, renaming and/or folder restructuring they want, when they want, on all your files and folders with total impunity (at least as far as links are concerned). Once your staff is done having their fun moving files around, it only takes a few mouse clicks and all your broken links will work again, cutting down on hundreds of man-hours of work for your team. What’s more, end-users can screw things up all they want, and LinkFixer Advanced can still save the day (and tons of your time).
When someone comes up to you and asks, “Why don’t my file links work anymore?” you don’t even have to ask “What links?” Just run the Cure process, and the links
are restored.
Prevent data loss, save time, and reduce downtime for your users.
Rick Sewell, 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 existing links and any newly created links safeguarded, so when anyone does any kind of move or rename, no big deal!”
Once you have your license for LinkFixer Advanced, it costs no extra to keep all the files protected. The same tool that automatically restores all your broken links in a data migration can eliminate your everyday stress regarding broken links.
When It’s Gone, It’s Gone … or Is It?
Keep all existing links and any
newly created
links safeguarded.
Unfortunately, if someone deletes a file, LinkFixer Advanced cannot restore the link automatically. (Nothing can restore a link to a file that no longer exists.) But with LinkFixer Advanced’s Scan feature, you can very quickly find out which file is gone, and initiate the process of restoring it from your backup without wasting time looking for it.
Easy Peace of Mind
If you don’t have LinkFixer Advanced, contact us today for a free trial — no credit card required! To get any questions answered, call a Service Consultant at 727-442-1822 or chat with us online
at LinkTek.com.
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