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zotero_data [2019/01/14 20:20] – [Troubleshooting Zotero Data issues] dstillman | zotero_data [2019/09/01 04:05] – dstillman | ||
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The "Show Data Directory" | The "Show Data Directory" | ||
- | ===== Library | + | ===== Data Directory |
The most important file in the data directory is the zotero.sqlite file, which contains the majority of your data: item metadata, notes, tags, etc. The directory also contains a ' | The most important file in the data directory is the zotero.sqlite file, which contains the majority of your data: item metadata, notes, tags, etc. The directory also contains a ' | ||
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- | ===== Backing Up Your Zotero | + | ===== Backing Up Your Zotero |
- | We strongly recommend that you regularly back up your Zotero | + | We strongly recommend that you regularly back up your Zotero |
- | Rather than backing up just your Zotero | + | Rather than backing up just your Zotero |
- | If you want to back up your Zotero data specifically, | + | If you want to back up your Zotero data specifically, |
- | **Warning**: | + | **Warning**: |
For step-by-step, | For step-by-step, | ||
- | ===== Restoring Your Zotero | + | ===== Restoring Your Zotero |
Between manual backups, automatic backups, and synced data, it's often possible to restore a lost Zotero library or restore data that was accidentally deleted. | Between manual backups, automatic backups, and synced data, it's often possible to restore a lost Zotero library or restore data that was accidentally deleted. | ||
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- | ==== Restoring | + | ==== Restoring |
If you were using Zotero syncing and have an empty local library, you can likely restore your data simply by syncing with your online library. After verifying that your library is correct on zotero.org, simply reenter your username and password in the Sync pane of the Zotero preferences and click the Sync button in the toolbar. (Zotero only syncs explicit deletions, so just syncing an empty library won't overwrite the server data **unless you deleted items manually**.) | If you were using Zotero syncing and have an empty local library, you can likely restore your data simply by syncing with your online library. After verifying that your library is correct on zotero.org, simply reenter your username and password in the Sync pane of the Zotero preferences and click the Sync button in the toolbar. (Zotero only syncs explicit deletions, so just syncing an empty library won't overwrite the server data **unless you deleted items manually**.) | ||
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If you have a local Zotero library that you want to overwrite, close Zotero and delete the old [[# | If you have a local Zotero library that you want to overwrite, close Zotero and delete the old [[# | ||
- | ==== Restoring | + | ==== Restoring |
If you were not using Zotero syncing (or were but don't want to perform a full sync) and have a backup of your Zotero data directory, you can restore your library by replacing your active data directory with your backed-up data directory. | If you were not using Zotero syncing (or were but don't want to perform a full sync) and have a backup of your Zotero data directory, you can restore your library by replacing your active data directory with your backed-up data directory. | ||
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Note that, if you were using Zotero syncing, any changes you made to your library since the backup and subsequently synced to your online library will be applied to your restored database as soon as you sync. If you don't want that to happen, see the following section. | Note that, if you were using Zotero syncing, any changes you made to your library since the backup and subsequently synced to your online library will be applied to your restored database as soon as you sync. If you don't want that to happen, see the following section. | ||
- | ==== Restoring | + | ==== Restoring |
If you or someone else made unwanted changes to your Zotero library and synced those changes to your online library, you may be able to restore data by using a local backup of your Zotero data directory. | If you or someone else made unwanted changes to your Zotero library and synced those changes to your online library, you may be able to restore data by using a local backup of your Zotero data directory. | ||
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If you're happy with the results, you can re-enable auto-sync and continue working. | If you're happy with the results, you can re-enable auto-sync and continue working. | ||
- | ==== Restoring | + | ==== Restoring |
- | If you make a critical mistake while using Zotero — for example, if you accidentally delete a large set of items — you may be able to revert to the last automatic backup. | + | If you make a critical mistake while using Zotero — for example, if you accidentally delete a large set of items — you may be able to revert to the last automatic backup. Note that automatic backups contain only data, not files. |
- | + | ||
- | If you're using [[sync|syncing]] but don't have auto-sync enabled, first check your online library on zotero.org to see if the data is correct there. If so, close Zotero, go to your Zotero data directory, and rename it (e.g., to " | + | |
- | + | ||
- | If you don't want to do a full sync or if the changes have already synced to the online library, follow these steps to restore from an automatic backup. Note that automatic backups contain only data, not files. | + | |
- First, make sure to keep Zotero running, as the automatic backup might be overwritten when you quit the application. | - First, make sure to keep Zotero running, as the automatic backup might be overwritten when you quit the application. | ||
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- [[zotero_data# | - [[zotero_data# | ||
- Close Zotero. In your data directory, rename zotero.sqlite to zotero.sqlite.old, | - Close Zotero. In your data directory, rename zotero.sqlite to zotero.sqlite.old, | ||
- | - Were you to sync again now, the more recent data in the online library | + | - If you were using syncing and the undesired changes were already synced, syncing now would cause the more recent data in the online library |
- If you're trying to restore a small number of deleted items or notes, you can simply duplicate the items — by right-clicking and choosing " | - If you're trying to restore a small number of deleted items or notes, you can simply duplicate the items — by right-clicking and choosing " | ||
- If you're trying to restore deleted collections, | - If you're trying to restore deleted collections, | ||
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If you're happy with the results, you can re-enable auto-sync and continue working. Keep zotero.sqlite.old until you're sure all your data is intact and in sync across all your computers. | If you're happy with the results, you can re-enable auto-sync and continue working. Keep zotero.sqlite.old until you're sure all your data is intact and in sync across all your computers. | ||
- | ==== Restoring | + | ==== Restoring |
When you upgrade to a major new version of Zotero, Zotero will automatically update your database to work with the new version. If you would like to revert to a previous version of Zotero at a later point, you will have to manually replace your database with the automatic backup Zotero made during the upgrade. In most cases this will be the highest-numbered " | When you upgrade to a major new version of Zotero, Zotero will automatically update your database to work with the new version. If you would like to revert to a previous version of Zotero at a later point, you will have to manually replace your database with the automatic backup Zotero made during the upgrade. In most cases this will be the highest-numbered " | ||
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Bear in mind that word processor documents used with later Zotero versions may not be usable with earlier versions, and Zotero developers and community members will provide only limited support for earlier versions (mostly to recommend upgrading to the current version). | Bear in mind that word processor documents used with later Zotero versions may not be usable with earlier versions, and Zotero developers and community members will provide only limited support for earlier versions (mostly to recommend upgrading to the current version). | ||
- | ===== Troubleshooting Zotero Data issues ===== | ||
- | ==== Where did my items go? ==== | + | ===== Locating Missing Zotero Data ===== |
+ | |||
+ | If you open Zotero to find your library blank or missing lots of data, don't panic. Data is never removed unless you delete it, so Zotero is most likely looking at a different database from the one you were using previously. You need to make sure that Zotero is looking in the right location for your Zotero files and that the right files are in that spot. | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you have recently updated to Zotero 5 and are missing data, see [[kb/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you're using a different computer from the one where you created the missing data, and your data is also missing in your online library, your data simply hasn't synced from the computer where you created it. See [[kb: | ||
- | If you open Zotero to find your library blank or missing | + | If you're using the same computer where you originally created the missing data, you'll need to locate your Zotero |
- | Use the "Show Data Directory" | + | If you see only 1 MB or 5 MB zotero.sqlite files, look in the ' |
- | If you have recently updated | + | If this isn't the directory |
- | Unless you have a good reason to use a custom data directory location, we recommend using the default location in your home directory. | + | Unless you have a good reason to use a custom data directory location, we recommend using the [[# |
When specifying a custom data directory location, keep in mind that Zotero doesn' | When specifying a custom data directory location, keep in mind that Zotero doesn' | ||
Finally, remember to close Zotero before making any changes to Zotero files. | Finally, remember to close Zotero before making any changes to Zotero files. |