Export data not downloading all of the pdf files

jbrennerFIT

I have the check box to download the pdf files, and on both the local home computer and the online library, it appears that all of the pdf files are in the database. In many past times downloading large databases, I have had no difficulties. The preferences files look right, but maybe I am wrong there.

Are there limits on how big the rdf's can be now? In the past, I have even had > 1 Gb rdf files, but now the subfolders appear to be empty often even though they look like they shouldn't be empty in the database.

jbrennerFIT

I tend to use fairly long filenames. Perhaps this a problem? I noticed that there were issues with that that appeared to be solved several years ago.

jbrennerFIT

I have unlimited storage and am trying to download to a computer with adequate space.

adamsmith

I'm confused by this description and the mention of syncing. Is the problem about syncing or RDF export? And if about the latter, you don't have to speculate about something like this:

the subfolders appear to be empty often even though they look like they shouldn't be empty in the database.

You can just try to open some of the PDF that aren't in the export from Zotero. If they open, then the problem would appear to be export. If they don't open, the problem is sync.
Are you using Zotero's PDF viewer to annotate PDFs?

jbrennerFIT

At first I downloaded files that Zotero was not finding articles for one by one. After finding out that files that I had added locally on a home computer were not auto-uploading to the cloud, I spent a few hours downloading them again one by one, and attaching them to the cloud version of my database. Nonetheless, whether Zotero uses the local version or the cloud version when I export, many files I expected to be downloaded when I export were not being exported. In past years when I have exported/downloaded files, I had many .rdf files that were > 100 Mb containing all of the .pdf files. This time, almost none of the pdf files were included with the .rdf file. On just a few items that my university has no access to, I included a note that said "Not available via my university". I don't annotate PDFs.

I am not speculating. The folders are empty in the downloaded version. On both the cloud and on my home computer, I have stored files, not links. I don't know why the stored files are not included with the .rdf files.

adamsmith

I'm sorry, I'm still having an incredibly hard time following any of this, in part because there's just so much going on in your post, in part because you seem to have done some very strange (and likely quite unnecessary & time consuming) troubleshooting.
Could you try to describe one issue at a time, but that precisely, with more structure, and in more detail? Also, rather than large RDF exports, start with a minimal example. So to start with the basics:
In your local Zotero, find an item for which you can open the attached PDF, then export just that to Zotero RDF. Is the PDF included in that export or not?

Edit: I'm also seeing https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/103430/problems-syncing-up-manually-downloaded-files-up-to-the-cloud but like dstillman I'm equally mystified there.

jbrennerFIT

I'm just as mystified. You are correct that I have done some strange troubleshooting, precisely because, for files first downloaded by hand because Zotero wasn't finding them in bulk, I first added them them as stored files to the Downloads directory on my computer. That was mistake #1 because Zotero then couldn't find them to upload them. I then downloaded them again one by one and uploaded them to the cloud version. The cloud version then synced up with the local version correctly.

Then I tried to export collections. The only items that would export were ones that were uploaded from a different work computer, rather my home computer. I want and was expecting to get all the files to be exported as an entire set.

If I export individual items, the folders are blank if I synced them up with my home computer. If I export individual items that were originally uploaded on my work computer, then the folders are not blank. I have not had a chance to sync up with the work computer. Even I were to do so, I am not sure that computer has enough space.

dstillman

Sorry, I'm just not able to follow this.

If you're trying to say that some stored files are available in Zotero only on some computers, see Files Not Syncing. Nothing else is relevant — not exporting, not your Downloads folder, nothing.

If it's not that, see Steps to Reproduce for the kind of precise description we would need to help you.

You can also take screenshots that show what you're referring to, upload them somewhere (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.), and provide a link here.