90 Link Editor
90.1 Overview ¶
The Link Editor is a specialized tool for editing attachment references in emails. When the program uses the Replace Attachments task to replace attachments with reference files (.attlnk) - for example, to reduce mailbox storage usage - these reference files point to an external path where the originals are stored.
The Link Editor supports two key operations on such reference files:
- Restore - reload the original attachment from the referenced path back into the email
- Adjust path - redirect the reference to a new path (e.g. after a server migration)
The Link Editor works in a batch-oriented way - you typically process many emails in one step, not individual emails by hand.
90.2 Opening the editor ¶
In the main menu, under More, two menu items open the Link Editor window - each with a preselected operation:
| Menu item |
Operation |
| Restore Attachments… |
Task tab with the Restore Attachments option preselected |
| Adjust externalization path in link files… |
Task tab with the Adjust paths option preselected |
The selected operation can still be changed in the window via the radio buttons on the Task tab - both menu items therefore open the same window, just with different preselections.
90.3 Configuration ¶
The window is organized into four tabs:
Tab 1: Folders
| Field |
Description |
| Email account |
Which mailbox is searched (POP3 accounts are marked as not supported with an orange-red note) |
| Folder structure |
TreeView with a checkbox per folder - selected folders are processed |
| Include subfolders |
If active, subfolders are processed as well |
Tab 2: Filter
Filter criteria as in a normal profile - subject, sender, attachment name, etc. Without a filter, all emails with .attlnk attachments are processed.
Tab 3: Time range
| Field |
Description |
| Limit time range |
Restricts processing to a specific receipt time range |
| From / To |
Date selection for the range |
Tab 4: Task
| Field |
Description |
| Restore Attachments |
Load originals from the referenced path back into the email |
| Adjust paths |
Replace reference paths - if selected, the Old path prefix and New path prefix fields appear |
| Old path prefix |
What is replaced in the reference (e.g. \\oldserver\data) |
| New path prefix |
What it is replaced with (e.g. \\newserver\archive) |
Start begins processing, Cancel closes the window without action.
The program goes through the selected range email by email, checks each attachment for whether it is a .attlnk reference file, and performs the selected operation.
90.4 Restore ¶
| Step |
Action |
| 1 |
Program reads the reference from the .attlnk file |
| 2 |
Original file is read from the referenced path |
| 3 |
Email is replaced with a modified version: the .attlnk is gone, the original attachment is in |
Prerequisite: The original file at the referenced path still exists. If it is missing, the email is skipped and marked as “File not found” in the result report.
Limitation: POP3 does not support replacement (no ReplaceMessage command). Restore is not possible on POP3 accounts.
90.5 Adjust path ¶
| Step |
Action |
| 1 |
Program reads the current path from the .attlnk file |
| 2 |
If the path starts with the old path prefix: it is replaced with the new path prefix |
| 3 |
The .attlnk file is recreated with the new path - the email is otherwise left unchanged |
Useful for:
- Server migration: redirect all references from
Z:\Archive\ to \\newserver\share\Archive\
- Drive renaming: drive letter changes (
E: -> F:)
- Structural change: archive is moved to a different folder hierarchy
90.6 Progress display ¶
During processing, a progress window shows:
- Number of emails checked so far
- Number of emails processed successfully
- Number of emails skipped (with cause: no
.attlnk, file not found, path prefix did not match)
- Number of errors (with detail list)
After completion, a result report is available that documents the outcome for each email.
90.7 Use case ¶
Server migration
Archive storage moves from \\oldserver\archive\ to \\newserver\archive\. More -> Adjust externalization path in link files…, old prefix \\oldserver\archive\, new prefix \\newserver\archive\, Start. All references work again immediately.
90.8 Tips ¶
- Before running in bulk, test on a test folder with a few emails - the effect is clearly visible and error causes can be diagnosed early
- Path adjustment is much faster than restore - path adjustment only changes the
.attlnk file, the originals are not touched. Restore loads each original file back into the email