Error when updating link urls in quick launch on sharepoint 2013 site with powershell

Question

I have a problem when trying to update link urls in quick launch on sharepoint 2013 site with powershell. Basically I only want to change the url of specific links. My Powershell script code is as follows:

function FixUrlDocumentsLists() {
param([Microsoft.SharePoint.SPWeb]$SiteIdentity)

if ($SiteIdentity.Url -Like "http://mktintranet/sites/tmmkto/ITReports")
{
    $quicklaunch = $SiteIdentity.Navigation.QuickLaunch

    if($quicklaunch.Count -gt 0)
    {
        foreach($node in $quicklaunch)
        {
            if ($node.Title.ToUpper() -ne "HOME" -and $node.Title.ToUpper() -ne "SITE CONTENTS")
            {
                if($node.Url -eq $SiteIdentity.ServerRelativeUrl)
                {
                    Write-Host "Fixing navigation links for web $($SiteIdentity.Title)" -ForegroundColor Yellow
                    Write-Host "Link Title: $($node.Title), OLD Link Url: $($node.Url)" -ForegroundColor Yellow

                    $node.Url=$node.Url.ToString()+"/_layouts/15/viewlsts.aspx"


                    Write-Host "Link Title: $($node.Title), NEW Link Url: $($node.Url)" -ForegroundColor Yellow

                    $node.Update()
                    $SiteIdentity.Update()
                }

            }

        }

    }
}


if($SiteIdentity.Webs.Count -gt 0)
{
    foreach($subWeb in $SiteIdentity.Webs)
    {
        FixUrlDocumentsLists -SiteIdentity $subWeb
    }
}

}

The error occurs on $node.Update() method. The error description is as follows:

Exception calling "Update" with "0" argument(s): "Cannot open "/sites/tmmkto/ITReports/_layouts/15/viewlsts.aspx": no such file or folder."

I can't realize why the Update method is making Url validation. Even though the path /sites/tmmkto/ITReports/_layouts/15/viewlsts.aspx does exists.

Thanks,

Martin

Answer 1

Please ensure Show sub sites/Show pages option is unchecked under

Site Settings =>Navigation => Current Navigation=>

in Navigation: Display only the navigation items below the current site. You will get such error, if you try to update the Navigation links generating from the Sub Site/ Page files. It make sense for giving error if this option in on and you try to modify the link for auto generated sub site/Page link.

Answer 2

SharePoint try and verify the node url if it is an internal url. On way around this is to mark your link as external (even though it is not) by: Node.IsExternal = true; (csom)