[Issue] V 4.1.15 causing problems with "Update all links?"

[MichaelWild]

I believe I have a problem that is coincident with the installation of 4.1.15.

I use master documents in Writer to include many individual documents to build a book. The individual documents often contain links to photos on my system. I have been doing this for many years. But now, when I open a master document, instead of one

Screenshot 2024-01-06 143726.png (19.6 KiB) Viewed 4700 times

I get one for every one of the individual doc with embedded links. This is a problem; one of my master documents has over 800 individual files, most with links. I can no longer open it without making hundreds of "Yes" clicks.

I tested a smaller master document of about 52 individual files. I first went back to the individual docs and made certain they were all set to

1.jpg (46.11 KiB) Viewed 4700 times

. I also made certain the master document was set this way.

I did the same for

2.jpg (39.4 KiB) Viewed 4700 times

These master docs and individual docs are all based off of a template. I made certain the template settings were also as above.

After the master doc is open, I "edit>links" and find all the individual docs are listed as "Manual" under "Status". I also find this is true if I check the links in the individual docs. It always showed this way in the past so it is not new but I wonder why it shows this way and if it may be a clue to my problem. Again, on 4.1.14, I would be asked once, upon opening a document, to update all links. Now, I see it for every link! Hundreds!

[Hagar Delest]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

It seems to be a regression. Edit: I read too fast your post, it's not new behavior.
Try LibreOffice to check if it does better. See [Tutorial] Considering a Switch from OpenOffice to LibreOffice? Some Useful Information.
It may be one of many bugs resulting from not enough quality check before a new release. Hopefully LO has not that bug.

Please add [Solved] at the beginning of the title in your first post (top of the topic) with the 🖉 button if your issue has been fixed.

[MrProgrammer]

Hi, and welcome to the forum. This is a known, confirmed, open issue in OpenOffice.

I can no longer open it without making hundreds of "Yes" clicks.

Issue 127582 - Needless to have "Update links" dialog prompt

[Hagar Delest]

I just tried with LibreOffice (with a spreadsheet as described in the bug report) and no prompt.

[MichaelWild]

I apologize for not making it more clear that I have used OpenOffice for many years and that the problem I described did not exist until I installed V4.1.15 on 29 December 2023. Prior to V4.1.15, I would be asked to "Update all links" once for a master document, even if it contained over 800 documents. With V4.1.15, I am being asked the same question more than 800 times. That is different.

I resolved the issue by uninstalling V4.1.15 and installing V4.1.14. The problematic behavior then disappeared. This allows me to continue to work efficiently; it does not, however, resolve the bug in V4.1.15.

[Hagar Delest]

That is what I had understood at first. So this is a regression with the 4.1.15.
You can file a new bug report for that one: [Tutorial] Reporting bugs or suggestions.

[arfgh]

not only links on write, also in Base Reports... and after disable that feature, the same is happening...

I wonder if some possible macro fix could be performed on this?

[ah8]

Hi, has anyone raised a bug report for this? I just came across the same issue and couldn't find a relevant one.

[Hagar Delest]

Issue 127582 - Needless to have "Update links" dialog prompt

[ah8]

Thanks for your reply. However, that issue report refers to a problem in Calc since AOO version 4.1.4, this post refers to a problem introduced in Writer in 4.1.15. In the logs of the report it says “link updating is handled very differently in spreadsheets from the other modules...” and then there is the remark CVE-2012-5639: Loading internal / external resources without warning in the release notes for 4.1.15. I think we're dealing with a different problem here, and if it hasn't done yet, I would raise a new bug report for it.

[Hagar Delest]

I thought that it was the same between Calc and Writer (I don't use that feature at all).
But it seems it's not a bug but a feature due to the CVE-2012-5639.
However, that's quite a weird feature since it defeats the point of having links in a document!
The bug report would then ask for the reversal of the "security" fix?
If the feature (having links in the document) has been included in OOo/AOO/LO and many other applications like MS Office, I guess that there are some rationale with the initial behavior (asking only once to update the links).

[ah8]

Well, the issue is more the fact, that there seems to be no way to turn it off. Even with Tools → Options → OpenOffice Writer → General → Update links when loading set to Never, the dialogue appears. It does not react to the settings in Tools → Options → Security → Macro Security → Trusted Sources or Tools → Options → Security → Macro Security → Security Level set to Low, as it apparently does in Calc. The dialogue even appears when inserting an image, though when inserting a new link it should be obvious that I trust it.