How to move data to different drive without losing links, MacOS

[jimkahnw]

I have several USB hard drives attached to a MacMini server. I want to remove one drive from the system. Is there a way to move the data without losing links? Thanks.

[Kasyan Servetsky]

1. You can package your publications with the 'Update graphic links in package' turned on.

2. You can move links to another drive and restore the links with the Restore broken links after server migration  script.

— Kas

[jimkahnw]

Thanks, Kas

Please clarify:

1. Too many publications to be practical

2. Can it work the opposite way: Move the files and run the script to relink links at original location?

[Document Geek]

Here is a solution I came up with a few years ago and still use every day: Document Geek: Making InDesign Absolute Links behave like Relative Links.

In a nutshell:

1. Make sure the documents are in a book
2. Move/copy files to new location
3. Change name of old folder location
4. Open book
5. Run some sort of book-wide update (cross references, sync, etc).

No script required!

[jimkahnw]

Thanks. Is there a script, or can a script be written to convert all the Indesign files in a folder into a book?

[Kasyan Servetsky]

Thanks. Is there a script, or can a script be written to convert all the Indesign files in a folder into a book?

Create a book from InDesign documents in selected folder

Run the script, select a folder. A book with the same name as the folder will be created and all InDesign from the folder will be added to it. Originally the script was written by Martin Fischer, I reworked it a little to make compatible with CS4.

— Kas

P.S. Just tested it in CC 2017 (on Windows) and it still works.

[Kasyan Servetsky · Accepted solution]

1. With the package script (probably should be modified a little according to your requirements) triggered from this script you can start from a selected folder and package all the documents in this folder and optionally all its subfolders.

2. I don't understand this question. If you remove the USB drive, the links there will become missing. The script will replace the old path with a new one (replacing the part of the paths which is different)

For example, let's imagine you moved the files from MyOldUSBdrive volume to Macintosh HD (the underlying file structure remains the same):

It may change

Volumes/MyOldUSBdrive/MyFolder/MySubfolder/

to

Volumes/Macintosh HD/MyFolder/MySubfolder/

and relink the links.

— Kas

[jimkahnw]

I'll have to give this a try. I may ask for help, if I get stuck.

Thanks, again.