Library suddenly gone

natuszka
Dear Zotero community,

My library suddenly disappeared (not sure if after a Mac back-up or for some other reason).
I uploaded my sqlite file to the repair tool and received this ID: 63835187dde01 and was instructed to upload this here.
There still seems to be all of the storage data left - can I recover my library just from that.

I was also wondering, if it is possible to check on a Max back-up, whether the library is in its previous form without re-loading the entire back-up on my laptop?

Thank you in advance!!

Nat
  • dstillman
    edited November 30, 2022
    What do you mean by "suddenly disappeared"? What exactly do you see?

    The database you uploaded is fine, if a bit outdated — it shows items back to November 2018 and up to April 2022. Have you used Zotero more recently? Where did this file come from?
  • natuszka
    There is a completely empty library. With no content. The only thing I found is a "zotero.sqlite.111.bak" file in the trash last modified on November 6th.

    I have used Zotero quite a lot this summer and fall, all data until November seems to be missing. I haven't added anything since it was all gone...

    I found the file in the directory (??), the way others explained it in other threads.
  • dstillman
    edited December 1, 2022
    But what file did you upload to produce that Upload ID? Because that was a database last modified in April.

    In any case, see Locating Missing Zotero Data for what to look for. Usually when this happens people used some external tool to try to clean up disk space and accidentally deleted the Zotero database and all automatic backups.
  • natuszka
    I didn't upload the one I found in the trash on zotero. I don't know how this got there, I only spotted it today after you asked how the library looks like. I uploaded the one found in the Zotero folder on my computer. It is there with zotero.qlite files (from November - without a number) with solely 5.1 mb.

    How can there be a zotero.sqlite.111 file in the directory, but nothing appears in the library?
    Also, what can I do with the sqlite file I found in the trash of the library?

    I recently restored a lot of data and there are no sqlite files in the recovered files (with EaseUS).

    I have a month old back-up of my Mac. Can I see if the library is on there without re-loading everything on the computer?
  • natuszka
    I also checked the storage, there is data from the beginning of November in there.
  • natuszka
    Sorry for the quick update - when just searching for sqlite.111 files on the computer, I found one from this November. Would it make sense to upload it to the repair tool to see if it is more complete? (and in case it is, what would i need to do to have a full library again)?
    Thank you so much already anways
  • dstillman
    edited December 1, 2022
    You don't need to upload anything to see what's in it. As explained in Locating Missing Zotero Data, Zotero reads the file named "zotero.sqlite" when it starts up, so if you want to see what's in a given file, name it that and start Zotero. Keep a separate copy of all files you're dealing with.

    Again, though, you likely deleted your Zotero database files and automatic backups while trying to clear disk space, so you'll need to look for various zotero.sqlite files in any separate backups you made and try to find the one that has the most recent data. You should be able to get a sense from the date and file size when the data is from and whether it has more or less than other files.
  • natuszka
    I get all of that.
    My question is, why is the library still empty, even though the sqlite files are in the directory showed under this link.
    It opens without any content except a sqlite file in the trash foulder.
    I don't get where to move the other sqlite files I found on my computer to see what's in them, when not even this one works. Maybe I am explaining it wrong, but I did what is written under this thread and it doesn't get me anywhere.
  • natuszka
    No matter what sqlite file is in the data directory (thus in the Zotero folder of my mac), the library doesn't open.
    I followed all the steps mentioned in the other thread, apparently the files aren't being read?
  • tim820
    edited December 2, 2022
    In Zotero, go to Edit->Preferences->Advanced->Files and Folders. Click on Show Data Directory. It will open your OS's folder window at your data directory location. What is the size of the file named zotero.sqlite (named exactly that) currently there ?
  • natuszka
    There are several files:

    a zotero.sqlite of 5,1 mb, a zotero.sqlite.bak of 5.1. mb, a zotero.sqlite.bak of 65.3 mb (from April) and another zotero sqlite.bak of 65.3 mb from November 6th.
    The library is empty when I open it.
  • natuszka
    i have copies of the the different files and tried removing one or the other. no matter which one is in the data directoy, the library is empty.
  • adamsmith
    Right, the 5MB files are empty libraries, so you want to (as per above, using copies of the files and with Zotero closed) rename the current zotero.sqlite to something else (like zotero.sqlite.new) and the the latest 65.3MB zotero.sqlite.bak to zotero.sqlite and restart Zotero. That should not result in an empty library (though it'd be several weeks old given the Nov. 6 date).

    You don't have any more recent back-ups of your harddisk?
  • natuszka
    it worked! it's not all recovered, but the vast majority. Thank you so much!!!
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