Trasferring Zotero to a new computer

Report 1105633158

I transferred my zotero library manually following the instructions (https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/transferring_a_library). I just copied all my files to the new computer, opened Zotero on the new computer, and pressed sync. My library appears, but every time I go to open a file, I receive an error: "The attached file could not be found at the following path:..."

However, when I hit locate, the file is sitting in the exact directory the error message says the file cannot be found in.

Is there a way to resolve this error en masse?
  • To be clear, if you copied the files correctly, you would've seen your library before syncing — that's the point of using that method. If you didn't see your data before syncing, you didn't do it correctly. (Your files won't be available via syncing because you're at your Zotero Storage quota.) You should delete what you have on the new computer and try again carefully so that your library appears before you sync.
  • Can you identify what went wrong then?

    I copied all the information from C:\Users\\Zotero from the older computer. Pasted all the information on the same location in the new computer. When I opened up Zotero, the library was blank, hence why I thought I had to sync.

    When I checked Advanced → Files and Folders → “Show Data Directory”, it was the exact C:\Users\\Zotero where I had pasted the information from the last computer.

    Thoughts?
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited January 19, 2026
    You copied the files to the wrong location, copied the wrong files, or copied them while the database was in use and ended up with an empty file.

    If you provide the info at the end of Locating Missing Zotero Data (some of which can just be a screenshot of the new data directory), we should be able to tell you more.
  • I ended up uninstalling and going through the same process again and it works now. Not sure what happened the first time. Thanks.
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u14023702/2ym4pcos1wxwdp9u5olf.png
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