User’s Guide — LinkFixer Advanced

The following section contains frequently asked questions (and answers) about LinkFixer Advanced.

Security questions deserve their own section. They can be found in the chapter following this one

How do I get help?

We want to help you get the most out of LinkFixer Advanced. Here are the support resources we offer:

• Live telephone support. Call LinkTek Support at 727-442-7774. Our hours of operation are 9:00AM to 5:30PM Monday through Friday (including some holidays) in the Eastern time zone of the United States.
• Email: Support@LinkTek.com
• Our self-guided support page: https://linktek.com/links/support

No question is too small. Please reach out if we can be of any service to you in removing ambiguity or confusion from your migration.

What are the limitations of the limited-time trial version of LinkFixer Advanced?

• A maximum of 100,000 files or 100GB of data (whichever is reached first) can be scanned at a time.
• The Inoculate, Cure, Modify Links and Move/Rename functions will process up to 500 links per function per day, and up to a total of 5,000 links per function during the limited-time trial, for all supported file types except CAD files.
• For CAD files (DWG and DGN), the limits are 100 links per function per day, and up to a total of 1,000 links per function during the limited-time trial.

Which types of files does LinkFixer Advanced support?

• Microsoft Word 97, 2000, XP, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 files
• Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, XP, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 files
• Microsoft PowerPoint 97, 2000, XP, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 files
• Microsoft Access 97, 2000, XP, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 files
• Microsoft SQL Server databases 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017
  
• Microsoft Visio 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 files
• Windows Shortcut files
• Autodesk AutoCAD DWG R13–2018 files
• Bentley MicroStation DGN V8–V8i files
• Adobe Acrobat PDF 5.0–DC files
• Adobe InDesign INDD 1.5, CS, CS2, CS3, CS4, CS5, CS5.5, CS6 and Creative Cloud 2015, 2016 files
• Adobe PageMaker 6.0, 6.5, 7.0.0 files
• HTML, JS, ASP, CSS and SWF (Flash) files
• PNG, JPG, BMP, TIF and GIF (as child files)

Can LinkFixer Advanced report on the links contained in my files, regardless of whether the links are broken or not?

Yes. LinkFixer Advanced can generate a variety of detailed reports showing all of the links contained in one or more of the supported types of files. And it validates the status of each of the links, determining whether they are broken or working. Even hyperlinks that point to internet web pages can be automatically checked and validated.

I need to move a large number of files from one location to another without breaking links. Can LinkFixer Advanced help?

Yes. LinkFixer Advanced has been specifically designed to move or rename batches of files and folders without causing broken links. This can be done by using either the Inoculate and Cure processes or the Move/Rename process.

The most common method of moving files and/or reorganizing folder structures without causing broken links would include the following steps:

1. Running the Inoculate process on all of the files before moving them. (This process prepares all of the files so that the links they contain can be automatically fixed after they are moved.)
2. Moving the files to the new location and/or new folder structure using Windows Explorer or any other desired method.
3. Running the Cure process to automatically fix all of the links in the moved files that were broken as a result of the move.
   

Can LinkFixer Advanced help me to fix broken links in files that have already been moved?

Yes. Using the Modify Links process to modify the contents of links in batches of files, LinkFixer Advanced can help fix broken links in files that have already been moved.

Does LinkFixer Advanced work with UNC paths as well as mapped drive paths?

Yes. LinkFixer Advanced can process Universal Naming Convention (UNC) formatted links, mapped drive formatted links, even relative path formatted links. And during processing, LinkFixer Advanced recognizes the format used in a link and will automatically maintain the same formatting when the link is automatically fixed.

Is there a way to perform a search and replace of a server name contained in links?

Yes. This can be done using the Modify Links process which allows you to define sophisticated “rename rules” specifying how to modify the contents of links contained in a batch of parent files, including server names, folder names, file names, and more.

What does the “Inoculation” process do?

“Inoculation” is a patented process where a unique “Link ID” value is assigned to each child file pointed to by non-broken links in a parent file. These Link IDs are then embedded within the child files as well as within the links in the parent file that points to the child files. This essentially creates a secondary link between the parent file and each of its child files. Then, should a link become broken because files were either moved or renamed, the complimentary Cure process can be used to automatically fix the broken links in the parent file.

What does the Cure process do?

Cure is a patented process, which automatically fixes broken links in parent files that have previously been inoculated when links are broken due to files being moved or renamed. Links can be cured, in batch, automatically.

The Cure process automatically selects and cures broken links by uniquely matching Link IDs found in candidate child files with Link IDs stored in the links of parent files and then automatically updating links to point to the found child file.

What does the Move/Rename and Modify Links processes do?

The Move/Rename process allows for the definition of sophisticated rename rules telling LinkFixer Advanced how to move or rename batches of parent files and child files. And as the files are moved or renamed, LinkFixer Advanced automatically updates the links in parent files so that they do not become broken.

Additionally, the Modify Links process can be used to easily modify the content of links contained in batches of parent files, allowing the user to fix links that are already broken because of files that have already been moved, folders that were renamed, server names that were changed and more.

How does the link limit work? Is the link limit cumulative?

No. LinkFixer Advanced processes links in files up to the maximum number of links for which the program has been licensed. The link limit counter is reset after each process that is run. The link limit is not cumulative.

For example, if LinkFixer Advanced is licensed for 200,000 links, and the Scan process is being run, then a maximum of 200,000 links can be processed and reported at one time. But after the report is run, it would be possible to run another Scan process, for up to another 200,000 links.

What happens when the licensed link limit is reached?

If LinkFixer Advanced reaches the licensed number of links during processing, a message will be displayed stating that the limit has been reached and asking if the process should be canceled or if LinkFixer Advanced should continue with the total number of links that have been processed up to that point.

Can the licensed link limit be upgraded?

Yes. LinkFixer Advanced can be upgraded to process a higher number of links at any time, ranging from 5,000 links up to an unlimited number of links. Simply contact your LinkFixer Advanced representative and they will be happy to provide you with the details on higher levels of link limits and upgrade pricing.

What should I do to optimize the processing speed of LinkFixer Advanced?

While the performance of the program can vary depending upon the computing environment in which it is run, there are several performance tips that can be used to ensure that LinkFixer Advanced will operate as efficiently as possible:

• Ensure the Windows system that LinkFixer Advanced is installed on has a minimum of 8 gigabytes of physical or virtual memory, and preferably at least 16 gigabytes.
  
• Run LinkFixer Advanced on a physical or virtual machine with multiple processors (“cores”). LinkFixer Advanced can process files using multiple Agents (“threads”) when it is run on a machine with multiple cores.
• To avoid network latency, install and run LinkFixer Advanced on a machine that is as physically close as possible to the data that LinkFixer Advanced will be processing.
• Connect LinkFixer Advanced to a full SQL Server database instead of the SQLite database provided with the application and pre-allocate plenty of space to the SQL Server database. Provide at least 4 processors and a minimum of 8GB of RAM for the (virtual) machine running the SQL server.
• Reset the logging level to “Automatic” if it has changed to “Verbose” for any reason.
• Define parent file filters in LinkFixer Advanced to include only files that need to be processed, such as “*.doc;*.xls”, if only Word and Excel files need to be processed, instead of processing all types of files.
• Do not run any other applications at the same time as LinkFixer Advanced.
• Disable Content Approval in SharePoint prior to running LinkFixer Advanced, and then re-enable Content Approval after the processing is complete.

Can I make backups of files during processing?

By default, LinkFixer Advanced does not automatically create a backup of files that are modified during processing. However, you can tell LinkFixer Advanced to create backups of files by selecting Application | Options… and selecting the “Backup” tab. Then you can check the “Create backups of changed parent files” and check the “Create backups of changed child files” checkbox options. If disk space is a consideration during processing, turning off the creation of backups will significantly reduce the amount of space required for processing. Backup files may also be saved to another drive, or to a network share.

Can LinkFixer Advanced maintain a file’s original “last modified date and time”?

Yes, LinkFixer Advanced allows you to optionally maintain or update the last modified date and time of files that are processed. You can tell LinkFixer Advanced to maintain the original file modified dates and times by selecting Options | Files to display the “Processing Options”, and then checking the “Maintain original file modified dates and times” checkbox.

Alternatively, if you want LinkFixer Advanced to update the last modified date and time of files, with the date and time when the files were processed by LinkFixer Advanced, then uncheck the “Maintain original file modified dates and times” checkbox.

Note: This setting does not apply when working with files in SharePoint or other document management systems. Select the “Options | Web Access | SharePoint Options” box for more information.

Does LinkFixer Advanced support the processing of links contained in VBA code or macros in Microsoft Office file types?

Yes, LinkFixer Advanced does recognize user-defined “static” links contained in VBA code or macros in Microsoft Word and Excel file types.

However, processing links contained in Microsoft Access file types that contain VBA code or macros is not currently supported. This is being reviewed by our technical staff and may be made available in the future. If you need this ability, please let us know at 727-442-1822 or Support@LinkTek.com.

When processing Microsoft Office files, do I need to have Microsoft Office installed on the same computer as LinkFixer Advanced?

It is not required that Microsoft Word, Excel, Access or PowerPoint be installed on the same computer as LinkFixer Advanced. That is because LinkFixer Advanced performs “direct file access” to these types of files and does not need to use the Word, Excel, Access or PowerPoint applications when working with these files.