... the migration appears to have potential for eating up a lot of my time...

This is the sort of task where one burns more time avoiding it than actually doing it.

You don't need to remove the links, the PEP2 conversion is aware of the links and will replace them with commands. All you will need to do is to go through your code pages and change the IR commands on the link target buttons from raw IR commands to database references.

At the end of the conversion process PEP2 will deliver an error list that you can work through if necessary.

Learned IR commands are the worst because you should add them to the database. Fortunately, the library is much better now and commands that required learning might be in the database.

Nasty as it seems, I would expect that you could bring a well structured PEP1 program across in an evening. My approach with TSU3000, 3500, 7000, 7500 and a few TSU1000's was to bring them to PEP1, then attempt to migrate to PEP2. On the first pass there could be a HUGE error list. In one case the list was a 400k file! It was a shock, but on closer inspection, I noticed that I had missed a bunch of digits used on cable TV pages. (remember, I do Multi-room programs, even on a TSU1000) Fixing the digits link targets cured hundreds of errors. I throw away any PEP2 migration that is not perfect. After a few passes it is perfect and I don't look back. In reality, artwork was more trouble than the links.

Currently, I am not importing any old programs, partly because there aren't many left and my PEP2 programs are so different; it is faster to start over and the results are better. The exception might be a program that controls one of those nasty DVD/VCR devices. Any program that can control one of those stupid devices is worth keeping.

Early in the life of PEP1, I speculated that links would disappear and I stopped using them. My mid to late PEP1 programs migrated to PEP2 with a small handful (or less) of issues.