---
title: Working through a large repair
description: Fix thousands of broken paths in batches, at your own pace.
url: "https://vdjtools.com/docs/large-repairs/"
updated: "2026-10-28"
category: Feature Guide
---

# Working through a large repair

A big library, or one that’s moved drives a few times, can turn up thousands of broken paths. You don’t have to fix them in one sitting. Every row keeps its own [status](https://vdjtools.com/docs/understanding-status/), so you can work in batches and pick up where you left off.

## Work in rounds

- Let AutoFix and CrossRef take the first pass. Then work through what’s left a section at a time: filter the Status column, or sort by folder.
- Validate and import the rows you’re happy with now. Import only takes Validated rows, so anything still waiting is left alone.
- Run a [Healthcheck](https://vdjtools.com/docs/healthcheck/) to see your progress, then start the next round.

## What keeps it safe

- **Imported rows are finished.** Later runs skip them, so a fix is never applied twice.
- **Possible and Mismatch rows wait for you.** Validate leaves them alone until you set them to Match.
- **Keep** marks a row you’ve decided to leave as it is, for example a file that’s gone for good. Every stage skips it, and it doesn’t count as unfinished.

## One thing to avoid

Don’t re-export a repair you’re part-way through: export replaces that worksheet, and any fixes you haven’t imported yet are lost. VDJTools asks before it overwrites a worksheet that has data, and warns you if CrossRef hasn’t yet copied your database fixes to the other repairs.

## Ways to batch

- **A gig coming up:** fix the playlists and folders you’ll use first.
- **Short on time:** an evening at a time, importing as you go.
- **A big move:** the database first, then CrossRef does most of the rest.

## Related pages

- [Understanding Status](https://vdjtools.com/docs/understanding-status/)
- [Chained repairs and /repair:all](https://vdjtools.com/docs/chained-repairs/)
- [Export](https://vdjtools.com/docs/export/)