Media Photos With an X

RootsMagic
1

Hello everyone and Merry Christmas. I am running rootsmagic 10. I have a ton of media photos with an X outside the photo. I know what the “X” means, a broken media link. I have tried the “fix broken media link” option and don’t quite know what to do with the options given me.
Is there any possible way to save all these photos? I am willing to save them, delete them all from rootsmagic and re-enter them fresh if that is possible.
I think it would be a shame to have to just delete all of them, there are about 250 of them.
Thanks in advance.

2

The quick answer is red X means RM no longer sees those media files on your system. It only ever saved a little thumbnail copy of it and the folder path it was in (not the media itself). If You did not rename those media files and did not move those to a different folder, then You probably had them on a removable storage device like a little USB thumbdrive or removable SSD hard drive. Plugging that back in will end the red X problem. If you did move the media to a different folder, you can:

  1. Use the first option to let RM search all your attached storage devices or
  2. Use the second option to point RM to the new folder name You moved them to.
  3. If You renamed the filenames, You’ll have to edit each filename folder path to link the new filename to the old thumbnail.
  4. If You deleted them intentionally, just delete those thumbs.

I’ve only ever experienced this by forgetting to reattach my removable storage device where my media was stored.

1 Like
3

Either the path(s) or filename(s) were changed and/or deleted

As @kbens0n said you can delete the thumbs if you are sure they no longer are needed. Keep in mind this will delete all the media links to Facts, sources, citations, people, places etc etc. Definitely make a backup before you begin that process.

Running the Media Fix tool may find them if filenames have not changed but the location of the files may not be where you want them.

Another options is might be due to downloaded Media from being TreeShared as those sometimes end up in their own directory.

Bottom line they either need to be fixed or removed to “get rid of x”

4
  1. Find where you media files are on your computer.
  2. choose that location in the fix media tool and run it.
    RM simply does not know where to find your media.