Syncing via Zotero cloud service... does it work?

berntl

I've had Zotero installed on my work computer, and recently started to sync via the Zotero cloud service. Yesterday, I started removing duplicates, and had come to letter M or so. Then I came home, and set up Zotero with syncing to the Zotero cloud on my home computer. After syncing was complete, the duplicate list was the same as what it was in Zotero at work.

Today, I checked the status on my work computer, and then closed down Zotero. Next, I set up Zotero with syncing to the Zotero cloud on my work *laptop*. When syncing was complete, Zotero had forgotten all the duplicates I removed yesterday!! I then went back to office to check on Zotero at my work desktop. After syncing, it was exactly as on my laptop: all the work I spent yesterday to remove duplicates was *forgotten*, and the duplicates were back.
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Questions:
* Did I do something wrong? If so, what?
* If I did *not* do anything wrong, should I conclude that Zotero syncing can not be trusted?

Final Questions:
* Where is the file with all my collections, their content (including uploaded PDF files, etc., etc.) stored on my computer? In a crisis, can I copy that file and move it to another computer, and it will work?
* Where can I see/how am I informed about how much storage I have consumed in the Zotero cloud? This is crucial to know in order to consider getting a paid storage service.

dstillman

Of course it works. In general, see Changes Not Syncing. But there are almost 5,000 items in your trash in the online library from the last week, which would make sense if you had been clearing duplicates.

I then went back to office to check on Zotero at my work desktop. After syncing, it was exactly as on my laptop: all the work I spent yesterday to remove duplicates was *forgotten*, and the duplicates were back.

That wouldn't be related to syncing and would suggest that either you're misremembering something or something happened locally to reset the state of your Zotero data directory (e.g., something with your work profile folder). You can sort the items list by Date Added or Modified to see what the most recent items are from.

Where is the file with all my collections, their content (including uploaded PDF files, etc., etc.) stored on my computer? In a crisis, can I copy that file and move it to another computer, and it will work?

You can transfer the data directory, but syncing absolutely works.

Where can I see/how am I informed about how much storage I have consumed in the Zotero cloud?

On your storage settings page, but that doesn't pertain to data syncing at all.