TOC - Receiving a "Cannot find the file named" error when pressing Ctrl+alt

[SalomeA]

When I generate a TOC, it comes out beautifully. However, when I press control + alt to check my links, I receive a "cannot find the file named" error message. This happens for the majority of the links. All of the files are present along with the graphics. Everything is in the same folder. They are saved on our network. However, I have packaged and copied the files to my desktop to see if that makes a difference. I am still receiving the same error message.

Has anyone seen this before? Any solutions in Adobe world? All help is appreciated.

Salome

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Are they all open? Any “locked” files? (they look like xxx.lck in Explorer)

[SalomeA]

I closed all of the files and then updated the TOC and I still received the same error message.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

So close all the files first, then check for locked files; if none- open them all up & test your TOC again

[SalomeA]

I tried that and it still didn't work.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

I’m suspecting something is messed up in your Reference page for the TOC. Have you tried deleting it & regenerating one again?

[SalomeA]

Mystery solved! Here's the lesson learned: avoid using & in your document titles. Also, for good measure I deleted all double spaces and replaced them with a dash. It solved everything!

Thank you for your input. I appreciate that you reached out to help.

[Bob_Niland]

re: ... avoid using & in your document titles.

By that do you mean in your file names?

Also avoid using commas.

[SalomeA]

Yes. That's correct.

[Bob_Niland]

>>> ... avoid using & in your document titles.

>> By that do you mean in your file names?

> Yes. That's correct.

That's not at all surprising. & is commonly found on lists of random "characters to avoid in directory and file names".

A comprehensive list of such characters might be impossible to assemble. Even though FM only runs on Windows these days, it could be in a VM on another OS (with its own restrictions, e.g. Mac), using a CMS (with its own restrictions) and working with virtual directories actually located on completely different operating systems (with their own restrictions, e.g. Unix, Linux/Samba, random cloud).

And then there are naming issues in the FM app itself (and other Adobe apps that might need to process the files, like Distiller), which apparently is the case for the comma problem (it may only pop up during render to PDF).