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zotero_data [2019/08/19 17:18] – [Backing Up Your Zotero Database] dstillman | zotero_data [2019/09/01 04:02] – [Backing Up Your Zotero Library] dstillman | ||
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- | ===== Backing Up Your Zotero | + | ===== Backing Up Your Zotero |
We strongly recommend that you regularly back up your Zotero database. Syncing is not a good substitute for backing up: the Zotero servers only store the most recent version of your libraries, and it takes just a single (possibly automatic) sync to change the server copy. | We strongly recommend that you regularly back up your Zotero database. Syncing is not a good substitute for backing up: the Zotero servers only store the most recent version of your libraries, and it takes just a single (possibly automatic) sync to change the server copy. | ||
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Rather than backing up just your Zotero database, we recommend using a backup utility that automatically backs up your entire hard drive to an external device on a regular basis. Most modern operating systems offer such functionality (e.g., Time Machine on Macs). | Rather than backing up just your Zotero database, we recommend using a backup utility that automatically backs up your entire hard drive to an external device on a regular basis. Most modern operating systems offer such functionality (e.g., Time Machine on Macs). | ||
- | If you want to back up your Zotero data specifically, | + | If you want to back up your Zotero data specifically, |
**Warning**: | **Warning**: | ||
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==== Restoring from the last automatic backup ==== | ==== Restoring from 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. | + | 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, |