Some files didn't synchronise on second computer

jamesmooney

Firefox 20.0.1
Zotero version 4.0.4
Zorero storage

Debug ID: D845538618

I am using Zotero for Firefox with Zotero storage on two computers: (1) My laptop; (2) My desktop machine in my office.

I recently went on an overseas research trip, taking my laptop and editing some already-uploaded files (a Word doc and an Excel spreadsheet) while I was there. I made sure to synchronise these to the server regularly while I was away. On returning, after ensuring one last time that my laptop had fully synched with the server, I opened Zotero on my desktop PC to synchronise the files I'd changed. This appeared to work properly - downloading of files, progress bar, etc. - and didn't produce any error messages. However, when I checked the specific files I'd been editing while I was away (the Word doc and the Excel spreadsheet), I found that even after the apparently successful sync, I still had the old versions on my desktop PC. I re-checked my laptop - new versions - and the Zotero server itself - new versions. Worried that my desktop PC would re-sync an old version of the files, overwriting the newer versions, I backed up my entire library just in case (fortunately this didn't happen). I then followed the instructions on this page: http://www.zotero.org/support/kb/files_not_syncing, eventually resetting the File Sync History on my desktop PC. I then resynchronised and, after the sync finished, tried to access the files again (Word doc, Excel spreadsheet) - STILL the old versions. The Debug ID above was taken just after the sync, and trying to access the files.

After all this, on restarting Firefox on my desktop PC, the newer versions of the files did finally download, and now all is well. But - it was a bit nerve-racking, as I was worried the whole time that I would lose a lot of data due to an unwanted over-writing of the older versions of the files.

Do you have any idea why this might have happened in the first place - failure to synchronise some, but not all, updated files, with no error message given - and what I can do to avoid it in the future?

Thanks for any advice :)
James

dstillman

There's a bug in 4.0.4 that can prevent some file sync errors from appearing, even though they stop the remainder of files in that library from syncing. Since multiple files download at once, the sync would likely eventually finish after enough tries. We've fixed this for the next version. If you see this again, let us know, but otherwise I wouldn't worry about it.

adamsmith

After all this, on restarting Firefox on my desktop PC, the newer versions of the files did finally download, and now all is well. But - it was a bit nerve-racking, as I was worried the whole time that I would lose a lot of data due to an unwanted over-writing of the older versions of the files.

obviously this shouldn't happen, but whenever you're even slightly concerned about data loss you should make sure you have an up-to-date back-up of your zotero data. http://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data#backing_up_your_zotero_library
(And since data-loss due to Zotero unrelated reasons like a broken HD is always possible, you should have a period, automated full back-up solution),