[GNC] Change Linked Document Path

Thu Sep 8 00:39:11 EDT 2022

Hi Jim

I have tried the procedure outlined above 3 times without success.

Here is a record of what I did

 1: In GnuCash, select menu item "Preferences". The GnuCash Preferences

window opens.

Select tab "General" in the left column, then find heading "Linked

Files" in the right part of the Window.

DONE:

[image: 8bf6720d-e563-4d94-b18d-a422101c06af.png]

2: Click on the pull-down menu labelled "Path head for Linked Files

Relative Paths". Select "Other…" from the menu. An Open Folder dialogue

appears.

Done:

3: Select a folder which is 1. different than the currently shown folder,

and 2. different than the directory where your linked documents are

stored. For instance, a folder within your Documents folder might do

nicely. Click Open. A "Changed Linked Document path head" dialogue

appears. It has two checkboxes.

Done:

This is what I see

[image: image.png]

4: The first box is labelled, "Existing relative file path links will be

converted to absolute ones…". Be sure this box is CHECKED.

Done:

5: The second box is labelled, "Existing absolute file path links will be

converted to relative ones…". Be sure this box is Unchecked.

DONE:

AS PER SCREENSHOT BELOW

[image: image.png]

6: Click the OK button. The "Changed Linked Document path head" dialogue

disappears, and the GnuCash Preferences dialogue reappears.

Done:

Part of the e GnuCash Preferences dialogue screenshot

[image: image.png]

7: For a second time, click on the pull-down menu labelled "Path head for

Linked Files Relative Paths". Select "Other…" from the menu. An Open

Folder dialogue appears.

Done:

8: This time, select the folder which contains your linked documents. I

understand that this is, "D:\PDF\GNU Invoices". Click Open. A "Changed

Linked Document path head" dialogue appears. It has two checkboxes.

Done:

Screenshot below shows screen displayed
[image: image.png]

9: The first box is labelled, "Existing relative file path links will be

converted to absolute ones…". Be sure this box is Unchecked.

DONE AS FOLLOWS
[image: image.png]

10: The second box is labelled, "Existing absolute file path links will be

converted to relative ones…". Be sure this box is CHECKED.

DONE: As per screenshot above

11: Click the OK button. The "Changed Linked Document path head" dialogue

disappears, and the GnuCash Preferences dialogue reappears.

DONE:

Screenshot of part of GnuCash Preferences/General dialogue

[image: 3d87f146-861f-4fa5-9716-9a9c8158013e.png]

12: Click the Close button. The GnuCash Preferences dialogue disappears.

DONE:

Final outcome of GnuCash Preferences/General
[image: image.png]

I then saved and closed the data file and quit out of the program.

Restarted program and opened my temp GNU file to test the location

of attached files. Error message was displayed

[image: image.png]

So Jim I think I have followed your instructions closely but to no avail.

Thank you for contributing so much to finding a solution to my problem.

You have been more than generous with your time.

If you wish to call it quits at this point, I totally understand.

Regards

Geoff

On Mon, Sep 5, 2022 at 11:30 AM Jim DeLaHunt <list+gnucash at jdlh.com> wrote:

> Geoff:
>
> On 2022-09-03 04:47, Geoff Storer wrote:
> > Hi Jim
> > Answers to your questions
> > ...[some answers elided]...
>
> Many thanks for these answers. I now have a clearer idea of what is
> going on.
>
> It looks to me like this is an area where GnuCash does not help us out
> much with clear information. However, I did some experiments, and I
> think I have a workaround that might get you fixed up.
>
> So, here is what I understand of your situation:
>
> You recently upgraded GnuCash. You are now running GnuCash 4.11 on Windows.
>
> Your linked documents are presently in one folder, "D:\PDF\GNU
> Invoices".  This is the same location as before you upgraded GnuCash.
> Before the upgrade, you were able to open the linked documents from
> within GnuCash.
>
> When you try to open a linked document, either by clicking on the letter
> "f" icon in a transaction with a linked document, or by selecting a
> transaction and selecting the menu item, "Transaction… Open linked
> document…", GnuCash does not open the linked document. Instead, it shows
> you a dialogue, "GnuCash could find the linked document…" [with a full
> path to a file].
>
> It is wise to test the workaround on a copy of your GnuCash book
> document, before trying it on the real thing. Make a copy of your book
> as follows:
>
> In GnuCash, save your real GnuCash book document.
>
> Select menu item "File… Save As…". A File Save dialogue appears.
>
> Switch to a different directory (if you prefer), and type a different
> name for the test book (e.g. test_2022-09). Press the "Save As" button.
> The File Save dialogue disappears. The book name at the top of the
> window changes.
>
> Perform the steps below for the workaround. Make notes of exactly what
> you do, which boxes you check, which filenames you enter, which
> directories you select.
>
> If things go wrong, make another copy of your test book, and try again.
> As more questions on this list if you need to.
>
> Once things go right, then return to your real GnuCash book document. In
> GnuCash, select menu item "File…". A menu appears. At the bottom of the
> menu are four recent book file names. Select the name of your real book.
> Then, referring to your notes, go through the exact steps which worked
> for you.
>
> Here is the workaround:
>
> In GnuCash, select menu item "Preferences". The GnuCash Preferences
> window opens.
>
> Select tab "General" in the left column, then find heading "Linked
> Files" in the right part of the Window.
>
> Click on the pull-down menu labelled "Path head for Linked Files
> Relative Paths". Select "Other…" from the menu. An Open Folder dialogue
> appears.
>
> Select a folder which is 1. different than the currently shown folder,
> and 2. different than the directory where your linked documents are
> stored. For instance, a folder within your Documents folder might do
> nicely. Click Open. A "Changed Linked Document path head" dialogue
> appears. It has two checkboxes.
>
> The first box is labelled, "Existing relative file path links will be
> converted to absolute ones…". Be sure this box is CHECKED.
>
> The second box is labelled, "Existing absolute file path links will be
> converted to relative ones…". Be sure this box is UNchecked.
>
> Click the OK button. The "Changed Linked Document path head" dialogue
> disappears, and the GnuCash Preferences dialogue reappears.
>
> For a second time, click on the pull-down menu labelled "Path head for
> Linked Files Relative Paths". Select "Other…" from the menu. An Open
> Folder dialogue appears.
>
> This time, select the folder which contains your linked documents. I
> understand that this is, "D:\PDF\GNU Invoices". Click Open. A "Changed
> Linked Document path head" dialogue appears. It has two checkboxes.
>
> The first box is labelled, "Existing relative file path links will be
> converted to absolute ones…". Be sure this box is UNchecked.
>
> The second box is labelled, "Existing absolute file path links will be
> converted to relative ones…". Be sure this box is CHECKED.
>
> Click the OK button. The "Changed Linked Document path head" dialogue
> disappears, and the GnuCash Preferences dialogue reappears.
>
> Click the Close button. The GnuCash Preferences dialogue disappears.
>
> Now, find a transaction with a linked document, and try opening the
> document. Hopefully, it will now work.
>
> How did that work for you?
>
>        —Jim DeLaHunt
>
>
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