Broken Links report - TOC references

[MM_Acton]

I'm cleaning up my broken links and there are quite a few that puzzle me. This is what they look like in the Broken Links report (Tools > Reports > Broken Links):

Missing topic 'Adding_Vendors.htm#vendor_status' is referenced by the following:

TOC references:

vendor_status

If I double-click the link in the Project Manager pod (Project Manager pod > Broken Links), the Topic References window opens.

For Topic, it says Adding_Vendors.htm#vendor_status

For References, it shows what looks like a TOC book and then AutoCreate: vendor_status

What does this mean? What's broken, and how do I get to it to fix it?  Or should I just click the Delete button at the bottom of the Topic References window?

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

Too bad you didn't just post screen captures. It would have made it simpler to see.

Basically, broken links can occur in many places. The link might be from a TOC node, it might be from the Index, it might be from a link from another topic and so on. The dialog you see gives you a clue as to where the link is broken.

In this case I might assume you used the "auto-create" TOC function. There appears to be a bookmark that is being linked to. It could be the bookmark no longer exists or it could be the topic containing the bookmark no longer exists.

Cheers... Rick

[MM_Acton]

Does this help?

It's the AutoCreate part I don't understand. Yes, I think I probably did use the auto-create function to create the TOC. But how do I find and resolve this?

In my TOC, I do indeed have a "book" called Campaign Approval. If I right-click that and choose Properties, it doesn't show it as being linked to anything.

[RoboColum_n_]

The book icon against that topic shows you the issue is with the TOC book. If you click on the Edit button you will get the option to point to the right place (e.g. Campaign Approval).

[MM_Acton]

Hmmm. But I don't want my books (that is, the book icon) to point to anywhere; they're really just separators, like folders.

I clicked the Delete button and I got a question, "Are you sure that you want to delete the TOC reference to this page?"

I'm not sure what I'm being asked or what the results are.

If I say Yes (delete this), I think I'm okay because I don't want book icons to point to any topic. Is that right?

[Peter Grainge]

Right click the book and select Properties. You will see a check box Book with Link. Make sure that is not ticked.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[MM_Acton]

It's not ticked.

[Peter Grainge]

I'm surprised but at this stage I think I would create a copy of the whole project and with that safety harness I would then just delete the book.

Before you do that, check the TOC and move any topics in that book to a new book.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge