I have 3 identical databases. Which 2 can I get rid of?

jamesericbutler · 2025-01-13T02:53:20+00:00

I just ran my 3rd party duplicate file finder app and it found these 3 files, which it determined were duplicates:

* Zotero > zotero.sqlite
* Zotero > zotero.sqlite.1.bak
* Zotero > zotero.sqlite.bak

All are 198 MB, so I would like to get rid of 2. But which 2? Also, I'm sure I caused this, but IDK how I did it...?

Zotero 7.0.12
macOS Sequoia 15.2

https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u2376597/xy9r1udy8ut0k8khch7y.png

poettli · 2025-01-13T02:57:30+00:00

I don't recommend to remove these files. Those are automatic backups.

tim820 · 2025-01-13T03:05:43+00:00

They are automatic backups. You should not delete them unless you have a very robust alternative backup scheme. And Zotero will just recreate them anyway, unless you set the hidden preference that tells it not to.
https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data#data_directory_contents

A surprising number of people post here who managed to wipe their entire library, or deleted something critical from it, and have no other backups. Those backups are often all they have to bail them out. But sometimes those backups do not cover the relevant period of time. Which is why you need better backups.
https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data#backing_up_your_zotero_data