Moving linked files
Is there a way I can change several occurrences to point to files in a different folder in Windows
"I had some occurrences in Topicscape which were linked to files outside "My Topicscapes". Now I want to move them but retain the links."
The user had occurrences that were in a folder called, say AAA, and they chose "Link" as the option when they were first introduced to Topicscape. Now they want to move them to, say, folder BBB and Topicscape is to know where to find them.
There is an explicit function that was designed for just this eventuality - the Path changer in the Fix missing files function.
- The first thing to do is to ensure the files are still in the original folder (AAA the example).
- Then check that there are no missing files when you start: In the Tools menu, select Data checks, then List all missing files. If you find any at this stage, you need to clear them up by either finding the file and placing it back where Topicscape expects to find it, or deleting the occurrences. (Files can go missing if you link to them outside, then move them, without remembering that a Topicscape links to them.)
- Once there are no missing files, close Topicscape.
- Then, using Windows Explorer, move - do not copy - the files concerned from the original folder to the new one (say, BBB).
- Then open Topicscape again. In the Tools menu again | Data checks | List all missing files.
- Now you should see the number of files missing as being the number of files you moved from AAA to BBB.
- Click on the Path Changer button.
- Click the Original Path, Browse button. Navigate to the original folder (AAA in the example). Press OK.
- Click the Replacement Path, Browse button. Navigate to the new location folder (BBB in the example). Press OK.
- On the Database path manager panel, check that the two paths are correct.
- Press OK. It will check for all references to the Original Path in missing occurrences in the present Topicscape's database and convert them to the Replacement Path.
- On the Fix missing files panel, press Close.
You're done. You can check by doing another Tools | Data checks | List all missing files. It should tell you that all occurrences have files.
Can I change from linking folders and files to moving them into the Topicscape's folder?
Yes. Export the Topicscape to folders and make a new one from the exported folders. Here's the detail, where we assume we're working with a Topicscape called "Everything":
1. Open the Topicscape. In the File menu select:
Export | Whole Topicscape to folders and files | in Folder Name, key in "C:\" or "D:\" | OK
We recommend C:\ or D:\ or the root of some other partition to have the best chance of avoiding too long a path (a Windows limitation of 259 characters). If the Windows' limit is exceeded, Topicscape will produce a reports showing where, and will not carry on.
2. Go to My Topicscapes and rename the folder of the Topicscape as "Everything-OLD" (otherwise you will loose it in stage 3).
3. In the File menu, select:
Import | Folder | New Topicscape | in Folder Name, key in "C:\Everything" | OK | Topicscape name, leave as "Everything" | Action: Move | 'My Topicscapes' | OK
You will then have the same Topicscape with all the files in its folder in My Topicscapes, with one possible exception - if you have cloned occurrences, there will be a copy of the file in each location instead of one file pointed at by multiple occurrences.
Once you have satisfiled yourself that the result is good, you can delete the folder "Everything-OLD" from "My Topicscapes".
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