Upgrade Storagesynching & issues with creating bibliographies
Greetings and thank-you in advance
Here is some background information that you will need for diagnosis. I have Zotero set up on 3 computers with the same username and password in preferences. The computers are 1) IBM thinkpad lap top A, 2.) Lenovo lap top B 2) iMAC 3) Dell desktop. Word 2003 is used on the IBM laptop, word 2007 or 2008 on all other computers. On all computers Zotero preferences have my username and password. The basic problem is: after creating a bibliography on the iMAC, I can bring the doc into WORD on any of the pc's but I get an error (see below) that prevents me from continuing to create the libraries on the PC's. I can continue on the iMAC and I can create independent bibliographies on the pcs. IN other words, there is no problem creating a bibliography on the PC's, I just can't complete a bibliography that I started on the iMAC. I have spent about 5 hours trying to trouble shoot using multiple computers and methods. I need to work both at the University on my iMAC and at home on the PC otherwise Zotero will not work for me. Here is the history...
I initially created a library on my iMAC by importing an endnote library from clipboard (tried methods described on Zotero site but I could not get my Endnote to list an RIS file type). I created a second library on the iMACThese libraries have some references in common. Thus the master library "My LIbrary" on the iMAC has duplicate references.
)
On my IBM lap top I was having trouble synching (after 1.5 hrs synch did not complete and there was no error message). So I imported one endnote library as before (Endnote version 10). But, the library had a different name.
I began creating a bibliography on the iMAC and this was successful. I copy the file containing the library and bring it home to the IBM to work on. I get an error
"Item 2 in this citation no longer exists in your Zotero database. Do you want to select a substitute item? Clicking no will delete the field code...etc". I decide I have the incorrect library and I choose to "Restore from Zotero Server" (from preferences sync reset). No luck, the server deletes the IBM library and then replaces it with the same. Very odd. So I shut down the computer and start again. No libraries in Zotero on the IBM, the libraries on the iMAC are still there and bibliographic creation proceeds well. I set the iMac to sync manually and ensure it does before I return to the IBM. I return to the IBM, where there are no libraries in Zotero. IBM is set to sync manually, After 2.5 hours it has not finished syncing at home (digital cable, 12 mbyte download speed). I bring up the file and try to insert a reference and get the same error. I set up zotero on the Lenovo, transfer "my Library" from a pen drive. Try the bibliography and get the same result
I bring the IBM to my work (Michigan State University) to see if the sync time will be faster. Two and a half hours later, its still syncing. I download Zotero on a colleagues computer-Dell desktop. Syncing takes a long time. So, I export "My Library" from the iMac and bring it to the Dell desktop. Try the bibliography and get the same error.
I don;t mind waiting 3 hrs for syncing or transferring the library from one computer to another but wonder why it takes sooo long to sync. But, I do need to complete bibliographies at home (on the IBM) after working on the MAC. I believe this should not be a problem for Zotero but just don't see what I am doing wrong.
Thanks Kindly,
Peggy
Here is some background information that you will need for diagnosis. I have Zotero set up on 3 computers with the same username and password in preferences. The computers are 1) IBM thinkpad lap top A, 2.) Lenovo lap top B 2) iMAC 3) Dell desktop. Word 2003 is used on the IBM laptop, word 2007 or 2008 on all other computers. On all computers Zotero preferences have my username and password. The basic problem is: after creating a bibliography on the iMAC, I can bring the doc into WORD on any of the pc's but I get an error (see below) that prevents me from continuing to create the libraries on the PC's. I can continue on the iMAC and I can create independent bibliographies on the pcs. IN other words, there is no problem creating a bibliography on the PC's, I just can't complete a bibliography that I started on the iMAC. I have spent about 5 hours trying to trouble shoot using multiple computers and methods. I need to work both at the University on my iMAC and at home on the PC otherwise Zotero will not work for me. Here is the history...
I initially created a library on my iMAC by importing an endnote library from clipboard (tried methods described on Zotero site but I could not get my Endnote to list an RIS file type). I created a second library on the iMACThese libraries have some references in common. Thus the master library "My LIbrary" on the iMAC has duplicate references.
)
On my IBM lap top I was having trouble synching (after 1.5 hrs synch did not complete and there was no error message). So I imported one endnote library as before (Endnote version 10). But, the library had a different name.
I began creating a bibliography on the iMAC and this was successful. I copy the file containing the library and bring it home to the IBM to work on. I get an error
"Item 2 in this citation no longer exists in your Zotero database. Do you want to select a substitute item? Clicking no will delete the field code...etc". I decide I have the incorrect library and I choose to "Restore from Zotero Server" (from preferences sync reset). No luck, the server deletes the IBM library and then replaces it with the same. Very odd. So I shut down the computer and start again. No libraries in Zotero on the IBM, the libraries on the iMAC are still there and bibliographic creation proceeds well. I set the iMac to sync manually and ensure it does before I return to the IBM. I return to the IBM, where there are no libraries in Zotero. IBM is set to sync manually, After 2.5 hours it has not finished syncing at home (digital cable, 12 mbyte download speed). I bring up the file and try to insert a reference and get the same error. I set up zotero on the Lenovo, transfer "my Library" from a pen drive. Try the bibliography and get the same result
I bring the IBM to my work (Michigan State University) to see if the sync time will be faster. Two and a half hours later, its still syncing. I download Zotero on a colleagues computer-Dell desktop. Syncing takes a long time. So, I export "My Library" from the iMac and bring it to the Dell desktop. Try the bibliography and get the same error.
I don;t mind waiting 3 hrs for syncing or transferring the library from one computer to another but wonder why it takes sooo long to sync. But, I do need to complete bibliographies at home (on the IBM) after working on the MAC. I believe this should not be a problem for Zotero but just don't see what I am doing wrong.
Thanks Kindly,
Peggy
http://www.zotero.org/support/kb/transferring_a_library
Using the export function will break your citations in a word document.
Read some of the very recent threads on syncing for a sense of what's going on. It usually doesn't take as long. Also, first syncs always take longest.