How to manage the end of Webdav dav.box.com/dav/zotero ?

ZabF

Hi,

I realized too late that Box.com doesn't support anymore Webdav (since 28 april 2023). I didn't pay attention to the notification that there was a problem with the synchronisation, or rather I've been procrastinating on this issue, it's silly...

The problem is that I continued to add items to my Zotero librairy using my computer at work and my labtop at home (more items added using the computer at work, however)...

Now I plan to choose another Webdav service but how to proceed to recover the unsynchronised items added from both computers?

Also I do not know how much storage I need. I have around 1800 documents in my library. I don't know how to access my documents on Box.com to see how much disk space is occupied.

4shared seems interesting (15 GB free) but I can't access the website: is it blocked in France, or with some internet providers? I am at home, and my internet operator is SFR.

Does anyone have experience with pCloud?

Thank you

Isabelle

adamsmith

I can't speak to recommended WebDAV services (if at all affordable, I'd recommend Zotero's own storage, which would free you from the need to ever think about this again), but in terms of managing this, that should not be an issue at all: assuming you continue to have access to both computers: if you sync with a new webDAV, files from both computers will upload and sync again.

warguelles

Also I do not know how much storage I need. I have around 1800 documents in my library. I don't know how to access my documents on Box.com to see how much disk space is occupied.

In your browser, log in to your Box account, and open the folder where you have your Zotero documents. Then, on the right, select the Detail option. There you will see how much space your documents occupy.

ZabF

Thanks for your quick replies!

@warguelles : I followed your instructions and saw that my documents occupy 2,7 GB : so Webdav services with only 3 GB of free space are not suitable.

@adamsmith : pCloud now offers Webdav service only for premium users. I would prefer to pay for Zotero storage! Finally I succeeded to create a account in 4shared.com, but I need to to be hidden behind the VPN I use to connect to my work computer ;-). It is now synchronizing my library (after a initial connection failure). I will see if it works properly... The need to activate a VPN bothers me a bit; indeed I only use it to synchronize my documents between my 2 personal computers, because after a while the internet connection goes down.

ronnja

Koofr works really well in Europe. They even have an article for Zotero users on how to set it up. I think you can get 10GB free.

ZabF

Thanks ronnja!

I will try Koofr. I didn't choose it because I thought I could only get 2 GB (Documentation . Do you know if it works with Zoo for Zotero (an android app to replace Zotdroid, which is no more maintained)? Because, although it works with the standalone Zotero, I couldn't configure the 4shared Webdav for this android application ("Error connecting to Webdav server, blabla...).

ZabF

@ronnja but also @adamsmith

I created an account on Koofr. I didn't choose the 2 step verification : it is not required, is it? I created an app password. Then in the preferences of zotero I entered the webdav address, the email I used to create the Koofr account and the app password. The connexion test was OK. However, no file is copied in the zotero directory of my Koofr account. In the Koofr documentation they said that if another Webdav service was previously used I need to "reset File Sync History in my Zotero Preferences in Sync tab". But I hesitate to do this, after reading the warnings about the Zotero Sync Reset Options... Is it safe to do this operation?

Thanks

ZabF

Hi ronnja and adamsmith

Update : finally I configured Webdav with Nextcloud. I didn't realize that this was possible, using the individual storage cloud service provided by my university (100 GB!!). Apparently the URL address I provided, the username and the password are OK, since I obtain the following message
"La synchronisation de fichier a été configurée avec succès" ;-)
when I test the connexion with the server. Also, the folder "zotero" has been created in my storage space.

However, when I launch the synchronization in Zotero, as with Koofr, the green round arrow turns a bit, but no files is copied in the zotero directory of the cloud.

It is strange, because with 4shared.com (the first Webdav provider I tested after the end of box.com), I didn't encounter this problem.

So my question is the same as previously : should I reset File Sync History in my Zotero Preferences in Sync tab?

Thanks a lot!

adamsmith

Yeah, go ahead and use the reset file sync history -- that's fine to use here.

ZabF

OK, thank you, I'm going ahead ;-)

ZabF

Dear experts,

Configuration of the Webdav with Nextcloud worked very well with my desktop computer, at work. However, at home, this is not the same story, with my labtop. I obtain the following error when I test the connection to the server:

"An unspecified error has occurred.

Please check your file synchronisation settings or contact your WebDAV server administrator.

HTTP 405"

I verified and re-verified the URL adress, my username, my password

I tried by launching the VPN (so that my IP adress is the one I have at work) but the result is the same.

Does anybody have an idea of the problem?

Thanks

ZabF

Problem solved : I made an error in the URL (example.com/nextcloud should be replaced by the the URL of the nextcloud server and not only example.com)!

It's to late to work probably...

ronnja

@ZabF I too was scared to do it, but indeed Koofr only started working after reseting the File Sync History.