how to fix 100's of alias' on mac after migration? - macos

Question

I really hope someone can help me out with this. I recently moved from one mac to another and did a clean install. I have several folders with hundreds of alias (how do you say the plural of alias?)...
The original file path is "/Volumes/Media Drive/Ableton/Warped Tracks/", and the new path needs to be "/users/joel/Music/Ableton Projects/Warped Tracks"
I see how to fix them one at a time, but that would take hours. I tried this applescript, but had no luck:
https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/2656/how-do-i-fix-failed-aliases
Can anyone give me a better applescript or another solution? As I mentioned, I tried this applescript:
tell application "Finder"
set these_items to the selection
end tell
repeat with i from 1 to the count of these_items
set this_item to (item i of these_items) as alias
set this_info to info for this_item
if class of this_item is alias then
tell application "Finder"
set original_file to original item of this_item
set this_alias_file_name to displayed name of this_item
set container_folder to container of this_item
set the_path to the POSIX path of (original_file as alias)
set new_path to my replaceText("/Volumes/Media Drive/Ableton/Warped Tracks/", "/users/joel/Music/Ableton Projects/Warped Tracks", the_path)
move this_item to trash
try
make new alias file at container_folder to (POSIX file new_path) with properties {name:this_alias_file_name}
on error errMsg number errorNumber
if errorNumber is -10000 then -- new original file not found, try relinking to old
try
make new alias file at container_folder to (POSIX file the_path) with properties {name:this_alias_file_name}
on error errMsg number errorNumber
if errorNumber is -10000 then -- old original not found. link's dead Jim
display dialog "The original file for alias " & this_alias_file_name & " was not found."
else
display dialog "An unknown error occurred: " & errorNumber as text
end if
end try
else
display dialog "An unknown error occurred: " & errorNumber as text
end if
end try
end tell
end if
end repeat
on replaceText(find, replace, subject)
set prevTIDs to text item delimiters of AppleScript
set text item delimiters of AppleScript to find
set subject to text items of subject
set text item delimiters of AppleScript to replace
set subject to "" & subject
set text item delimiters of AppleScript to prevTIDs
return subject
end replaceText
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Edit: I think the problem with the applescript for me is that I have folders further down the path that all are different, and THOSE each contain the individual alias files. IE:
"/users/joel/Music/Ableton Projects/Warped Tracks/Folder A/file.alias",/users/joel/Music/Ableton Projects/Warped Tracks/Folder B/file2.alias", etc, etc

Answer 1

I had same issue years ago (transfer between 2 media centers), and I made this program : it asks for folder were all broken alias are and then try to find again original path to rebuild them.
the thing is that any applescript instruction about alias gives error when link is broken, so you must use Finder info window to read original path without error when the link is already broken:
(this program assumes that original file name is unique)
-- Select main folder
tell application "Finder" to set Mon_Dossier to ((choose folder with prompt "Select top folder:" without invisibles) as alias) as string
-- repair alias in this folder and all subsequent folders (entire contents)
tell application "Finder" to set Mes_Alias to every file of entire contents of folder Mon_Dossier whose class is alias file
-- loop on each alias of the folder
repeat with Mon_Alias in Mes_Alias
-- found the original file path of Mon_Alias
-- try first with standard alias call
set F_Source to ""
try
tell application "Finder" to set F_Source to original item of Mon_Alias
end try
if F_Source is "" then
-- the link to original file is broken, then use on windows info method
set F_Source to Origine_Alias(Mon_Alias)
set F_Original to Decompose(F_Source)
-- no need to look original file as is, becuase the link is broken (path changed ?)
-- then directly search for the same file without extension
set Cible to ((chemin of F_Original) as string) & ((Nom of F_Original) as string)
tell application "Finder"
if exists file Cible then
-- file is found without extension
-- then delete alias and create new alias with same name and in same folder
set A_Nom to name of Mon_Alias
set A_Dossier to folder of Mon_Alias
delete Mon_Alias
set Nouvel_Alias to make alias to Cible at A_Dossier
set name of Nouvel_Alias to A_Nom
else
SLog("Alias=" & (Mon_Alias as string) & " File not found=" & Cible)
end if
end tell
else
-- the alias link is still valid : nothing to do ! go to next alias..
end if
end repeat
-- end main program
-- sub routine to find passe of broken link (original path/file can't be found)
-- the result is a unix path like folder/sub_folder/file
on Origine_Alias(F_Alias)
set R to ""
tell application "Finder" to open information window of file (F_Alias as text)
tell application "System Events" to tell process "Finder" to set R to value of static text 19 of scroll area 1 of front window
tell application "Finder" to close front window
return R
end Origine_Alias
-- sub routine to extract, from unix file path, the path, the file name and its extension: result is sent back in a record
-- Warning : we can't use "Posix file of" becuase the path and the file are non longer valid ! (then Posix gives error)
on Decompose(Local_F)
--search the first "." from right to find extension
set X to length of Local_F
repeat while (character X of Local_F is not ".") and (X > 0)
set X to X - 1
end repeat
if X > 0 then
set L_Ext to text (X + 1) thru (length of Local_F) of Local_F
set Local_F to text 1 thru (X - 1) of Local_F
else
L_Ext = "" -- "." not found, then no extension !
end if
-- search first "/" from the right to extract file name
set X to length of Local_F
repeat while (character X of Local_F is not "/")
set X to X - 1
end repeat
set L_Nom to text (X + 1) thru (length of Local_F) of Local_F
set Local_F to text 1 thru (X) of Local_F
try
set L_Chemin to POSIX file Local_F
end try
return {chemin:L_Chemin, Nom:L_Nom, Ext:L_Ext}
end Decompose
-- sub routine log (text log file on desktop)
on SLog(msg)
set the my_log to ¬
((path to desktop) as text) & "My_logfile.txt"
try
-- open file. create it if not yet exist
open for access file the my_log with write permission
-- add text at end of file
write (msg & return) to file the my_log starting at eof
close access file the my_log
on error
try
close access file the my_log
end try
end try
end SLog