"item no longer exists in your database"

Levine

Hello - I am experiencing same problem - can't add citations without manually replacing every single citation on my current doc. I've read many, many posts in troubleshooting about this issue, but I'm sorry to say I still am not sure what to do. The doc I am experiencing the trouble with was downloaded through carbonite backup.

I love zotero - just need help with this kind of major thing now. Please help? Thank you.

dstillman

Was the document last used with the same Zotero library on the same computer (or another one via Zotero sync)?

Generally this happens if you transfer a library using export/import, which breaks document links.

Highlight a missing citation and select Toggle Field Codes, and then paste in here the URL that shows up.

Also provide a Report ID if possible.

Levine

Thank you for your quick reply. THis doc was last used on different computer. I downloaded it from the backup service Carbonite, along with everything else on this computer. As far as I know, the Zotero library is the same. I only have one. I don't think I did any syncing - although you can see I'm not quite sure what that means.

Here's a missing citation url for(Kurtz & Schober, 2001)

ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM "citationID":"3k9jplk3m","citationItems":[{"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/50457/items/MDTNMCTA"]}]

There are no error reports listed.

Thank you.

dstillman

An item with that id doesn't exist in your library on the server, and presumably it doesn't exist in your local library (which is likely the same) if you're getting that error message. The Zotero library that document was created with doesn't appear to be the same as your current library.

Note that what matters is the id stored in the document. Even if the item looks the same to you, if the id is different (because export/import was used rather than Zotero syncing, for example) the citation will show up as missing. Zotero 3.0 will improve this situation somewhat by storing metadata within the document itself.

Levine

Okay; thank you. So what should I do? How do I get back to whatever library I had where all these citations were?

adamsmith

Unfortunately we can't tell you that because we don't know what happened.
The best, guess, as Dan says is that

Generally this happens if you transfer a library using export/import, which breaks document links.

You may be faster re-linking the citations in your document. If you install Zotero 3.0, which just came out, that process should be much faster given the improved word processor plugin.

Levine

Thank you. I have updated to Zotero 3.0 and relinked the citations.