'Can't Find LInked File' but Acrobat can resave as Optimized and it's fine?!?

I know about linked files. Been doing this for decades. But what I can't figure out is why AI, PDF and EPS files I get from others ALWAYS have this issue. I go to open them, dialogue box of 'Cant find linked file 'blahblahblah'" BUT, if I open them in Acrobat, and resave it as an Optimized PDF, the high res rasters and all vectors are present, and I can open them in AI with no issues.

This seems to have started recently with the 2021 updates. There's that import checkbox to not make them Linked, but even when that'd done properly, ILLUSTRATOR STILL CLAIMS the embedded rasters or copy/pasted vectors are not found -- not without the Acrobat workaround.

Is there a batch command or some other method I can use to process incoming art files so I won't have to do these unwanted Acrobat side quests?