[GNC] Change Linked Document Path

[Jim DeLaHunt]

Hello, John:

Your question rings a bell! I did an overhaul on the file associations 
on my transactions a couple of years ago.

On 2022-08-29 04:10, john murdoch wrote:
> ...My problem now is that [GnuCash] looks for the attached document in the
> windows document folder on the C Drive. I have tried editing the
> preferences in [GnuCash] to point to the correct location of the documents
> on the alternate partition but this doesn't automatically link to the
> document.
>
>
> I can then manually link each document by using  the "manage document
> link" function on the right click menu in the account field of GNU
> cash. That  of course will be quite tedious and I was enquiring if
> there is a "global fix" so that all files could be re-linked in one
> procedure? Perhaps editing settings or the system registry?
>
>
> I did try a feature as per the attached screenshot [of the Change Linked Document path head dialogue] without any success.

Well, the Change Linked Document path head dialogue, which your 
screenshot showed, is the best tool in GnuCash for this job. However, 
you have to know a few things to use it well. I'll bet the UI does not 
do a complete job of walking a person through it.

To set some groundwork, some questions:

Are you familiar with the difference in behaviour between relative file 
paths and absolute file paths?

Are you familiar with the difference in spelling (C:\ prefixes and 
backslashes etc.) between relative file paths and absolute file paths?

In your GnuCash Book (bookkeeping file), have you associated files to 
transactions using relative path File Associations, absolute path File 
Associations,  or Location Associations?

Were all your attached documents within a single directory on your old 
computer? Do you know the absolute path to that directory?

Are all your attached documents within a single directory on your new 
computer? Do you know the absolute path to that directory?

Based on answers to those questions — and once I run GnuCash to refresh 
my memory about how the Change Linked Document path head dialogue works, 
and once I translate from macOS to Windows in my head — I can try to 
help you further.

Best regards,
      —Jim DeLaHunt


Are all your attached documents within a single directory on your new 
computer?