symbolic link problem
i have a customer machine. it is XP. i have built him a new win 7 pro 64 bit box.
he has a legacy database on it which is collection software, it allows him to create collections of objects (pottery, badges etc) and link pictures and documents to those collections.
ive moved all the data and also the database. the database is fine, it lists all the collections but all the links to the pictures and documents are broken.
lets just look at one link in the database - the path in the db to the picture for a particular object is
c:\documents and settings\comet\my documents\my pictures\picture.jpg
the actual path on the win 7 box is
c:\users\a user\pictures\picture.jpg
i thought i could solve this with symbolic links, using a junction, but i cannot get it to work.
things i have tried so far:
tried
1)using mklink to set a junction. everything i try results in "cannot create the file when the file already exists".
from this i take it that the built in junction in win 7 is preventing me from making the junction as it already exists
2) moving the pictures to c:\test and trying a mklink , same result as in 1)
3) setting up a user called "comet" and storing the pictures there, in the hope that the built in windows junction for docs and settings\my docs\my pictures => users\pictures will allow access. this doesnt work, the db cannot find the file
so im stuck. i cant make a folder c:\documents and settings because its already a built in junction
i cant change all the link addresses in the db because there are thousands of them. maybe i could get into the db (its an mdb) and run a query or something but i dont really want to do that.
asides from making an xp virtual machine, im stuck for options.
help please!
he has a legacy database on it which is collection software, it allows him to create collections of objects (pottery, badges etc) and link pictures and documents to those collections.
ive moved all the data and also the database. the database is fine, it lists all the collections but all the links to the pictures and documents are broken.
lets just look at one link in the database - the path in the db to the picture for a particular object is
c:\documents and settings\comet\my documents\my pictures\picture.jpg
the actual path on the win 7 box is
c:\users\a user\pictures\picture.jpg
i thought i could solve this with symbolic links, using a junction, but i cannot get it to work.
things i have tried so far:
tried
1)using mklink to set a junction. everything i try results in "cannot create the file when the file already exists".
from this i take it that the built in junction in win 7 is preventing me from making the junction as it already exists
2) moving the pictures to c:\test and trying a mklink , same result as in 1)
3) setting up a user called "comet" and storing the pictures there, in the hope that the built in windows junction for docs and settings\my docs\my pictures => users\pictures will allow access. this doesnt work, the db cannot find the file
so im stuck. i cant make a folder c:\documents and settings because its already a built in junction
i cant change all the link addresses in the db because there are thousands of them. maybe i could get into the db (its an mdb) and run a query or something but i dont really want to do that.
asides from making an xp virtual machine, im stuck for options.
help please!
NVIT
Please post your mklink code
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In windows explorer, if I paste c:\documents and settings\username\my pictures, it works.
Also, in a CMD window, dir "c:\documents and settings\username\my pictures" also works.
I assume c:\documents and settings\comet\my pictures would work also.
Just copy your files to C:\Users\username\Pictures
Also, in a CMD window, dir "c:\documents and settings\username\my pictures" also works.
I assume c:\documents and settings\comet\my pictures would work also.
Just copy your files to C:\Users\username\Pictures
ASKER
uptime - thats got it!
thanks mate, i was pulling my hair out there.
thanks mate, i was pulling my hair out there.
ASKER
nvit - i already tried that, it didnt work
Here is a useful program for changing links in the future...
http://jacquelin.potier.free.fr/ShortcutsSearchAndReplace/
http://jacquelin.potier.free.fr/ShortcutsSearchAndReplace/