---
title: How to find and fix missing media links in a GEDCOM
slug: find-and-fix-missing-media-links-in-a-gedcom
description: Compare GEDCOM media paths with a folder on your device, review ambiguous matches, and download a corrected file without uploading photos.
tools: [media-portability-workbench, gedcom-validator]
difficulty: beginner
time: 15 minutes
lastChecked: 2026-09-06
published: 2026-09-06T10:12:21+02:00
---

# How to find and fix missing media links in a GEDCOM

Your tree opens on a new computer, but its photographs do not. Use [Media Portability Workbench](/media-portability-workbench) to compare the links in your GEDCOM with the files in a folder you choose. You approve each replacement and download a new GEDCOM. Keep your original file and media folder unchanged until you have checked the result.

## Why media links break

A GEDCOM can record a media path without containing the photograph. A path such as `C:\Family\photos\portrait.jpg` names a location on the old computer. Moving the photograph, renaming a directory, or receiving a GEDCOM without its media can break that link.

Matching a filename does not establish which photograph it contains. Two folders can each hold a different `portrait.jpg`. This tool compares paths, names and directory structure. It reads no image contents, fetches no external URLs, and creates no new links between people and photographs.

```mermaid
flowchart TD
  A["Choose a GEDCOM and its media folder"] --> B["Check existing media paths"]
  B --> C{"Can you identify the matching file?"}
  C -- "yes" --> D["Select the replacement and inspect the preview"]
  C -- "no" --> E["Keep the reference and investigate"]
  D --> F["Save a new GEDCOM inside the chosen folder"]
  F --> G["Recheck the export and test it in your genealogy program"]
```

## The steps

1. Open [Media Portability Workbench](/media-portability-workbench) and choose your GEDCOM.
2. Under **Choose your media folder**, use **Media folder** to select the directory that will contain the corrected GEDCOM, beside its photos and subfolders. The browser may call this an upload; the tool keeps the inventory on your device. It receives folder-relative filenames and sizes, not permission to move or overwrite files.
3. Click **Check media paths**. Read **Media path findings**. Each row names the record, line, original path, status and match signals.

![Media Portability Workbench after a public GEDCOM and a media folder have been checked, showing status totals and the record-level media findings.](/kb/shots/find-and-fix-missing-media-links-in-a-gedcom-workbench.jpg)

4. Use the status to decide what needs review:

| Status | What to do |
|---|---|
| Present | Keep the existing path. The matching path exists in the selected inventory; the tool has not opened the image. |
| Suggested | Inspect the proposed location, then choose it if it is the intended file. |
| Ambiguous | Open the candidates on your device and identify the correct file before selecting a replacement. |
| Missing | Find the media, ask its owner for a copy, or leave the reference for later research. |
| External | Check access to the remote resource yourself. The tool has not fetched it. |
| Unsupported | Read the reason. The tool preserves a path it cannot rewrite safely. |

5. Choose replacements in the findings table. No replacement starts selected. On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways to reach **Replacement and match signals**.
6. Read **Review your path changes**. In GEDCOM 7, the preview uses URI escaping, so a filename containing an accent or a space may contain `%` sequences. Compare the selected filename as well as the exported spelling.
7. Click **Export findings as CSV** if you need a checklist. It contains the media-link rows and selected repairs, including rows outside the current table page. Treat filenames and directory paths as private information before sharing it.
8. Click **Download corrected GEDCOM**. Save the downloaded file inside the selected folder, beside its contents. For a replacement `photos/portrait.jpg`, put the GEDCOM beside the `photos` directory. The download contains the GEDCOM only. Copy the media yourself when moving the folder; the tool does not create a ZIP or GEDZip bundle.

## What to check when it worked

- Load the downloaded GEDCOM and select the same media folder. Run **Check media paths** again. Approved paths should now read **Present**.
- Confirm that unresolved and external references remain available for investigation.
- Open the copy in your genealogy program and check several photographs against the people they illustrate. An importer may resolve relative paths differently.
- Run [GEDCOM Validator](/gedcom-validator) on the export and investigate any new structural errors.

## What to do when it did not

**No media file links.** The file may contain no `FILE` values under media records. Add media links in your genealogy program and export again. This workbench repairs existing links; it cannot assign a folder of photographs to people.

**The folder picker returns nothing.** Choose a folder containing files in a browser with directory selection support. Empty folders provide no inventory. Extract an archive before selecting its folder.

**Too many candidates have the same name.** Read the full paths and inspect the actual files on your device. The page shows at most 50 candidates per row; the candidate count can be larger. Leave a link unchanged if the correct candidate is not available to review.

**Export refuses a filename or the repair count.** The original encoding may not represent the selected path, or the selected repairs may exceed the ledger work limit. Use an encoding-compatible filename or prepare a UTF-8 working copy with Encoding Repair. For a work-limit refusal, select fewer repairs, download and recheck that output before continuing.

**You chose the wrong folder or file.** Use **Clear media folder** or **Change file** and start the check again. Changing the input discards the old findings and selections. **Cancel check** and **Cancel export** also require a fresh check before choosing repairs.

## Related

- [How to check a GEDCOM before you import it anywhere](/how-to/check-a-gedcom-before-you-import-it-anywhere)
- [How to fix garbled characters and accents in a GEDCOM](/how-to/fix-garbled-characters-and-accents-in-a-gedcom)
- [How to remove living people before sharing your family tree](/how-to/remove-living-people-before-sharing-your-family-tree)