Zotero says my database is newer than 4.0.8

ronank

I just upgraded Zotero (both standalone and add-on). The database was upgraded as a result. Now when I start either, Zotero says

'This version of Zotero is older than the version last used with your database. Please upgrade to the latest version from zotero.org.

Current version: 4.0.8'.

I am using the latest version of Zotero, which seems to be 4.0.8 but (if I understand the message correctly), Zotero seems to be looking for a newer version.

My Mac crashed while I was using Zotero (although not during the upgrade process) so it is possible that the database is damaged. However, the integrity checker passes it.

I have submitted a bug report - the Debug ID is D393330295. Any help would be appreciated as I now cannot get access to hundreds of references...

DWL-SDCA

First, please do a backup of your existing database before doing anything.

http://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data

Do you use Time Machine?

Please provide details of what you mean by "crashed". Do you mean that you needed to restart your computer while some applications were active? Did you force-quit applications?

adamsmith

Also - which Zotero version are you using?
Firefox or Standalone (or both). Please verify that you are, in fact, running version 4.0.8 across the board (if you're using Firefox with standalone that means both versions of Zotero need to be up to date).
It shouldn't be possible to get that message with any reasonably new Zotero version - there hasn't been a database update since Zotero 2.1

ronank

I have Time Machine and should have old versions of the data folder on local backups and cloud services.

Crahed = I had to force restart the Mac by holding down the power button.

Zotero Standalone and Add-On are both 4.0.8.

dstillman

Zotero 'system' DB version (39) is newer than SQL file (31)

Did you previously open this database in MLZ? If so, you can't switch back to official Zotero, and we can't provide any support for this.

If that's the case, edit your original post and add "[MLZ]" to the subject so that Frank Bennett, who might be able to help you, is more likely to see this.

ronank

No, I haven't used MLZ. I was planning to but haven't got to it yet.

dstillman

Sorry, but you have. You didn't need to actually use it—you just needed to install it. System DB version 39 is the current DB version in MLZ. That's the only way this could have happened.

You'll have to get help from Frank Bennett from this point out (or reinstall MLZ).

ronank

I must have said yes to something without meaning to...

Oh well, I was going to use MLZ anyway :-)

Thanks.

aurimas

Idk if MLZ would have done this, but doesn't Zotero typically create a db backup before doing a db upgrade (this is directed more at Dan)? And if you never got to using MLZ, then restoring that backup would not make you lose any data.

http://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data#restoring_from_the_last_upgrade_backup

dstillman

Depends on which DB upgrades MLZ performs and some flukes of timing, but there's a decent chance there'd be a backup in there that could be helpful.

ronank

aurimas, thanks, I was able to recover using the backup that MLZ created when it did the upgrade. (It did ask me about this and I didn't realise that MLZ had replaced the Zotero add-on, until now...)

I have set up MLZ and Stand-alone Zotero to sync, using two different folders as data directories, so they are both working now and (most importantly!) my data is now accessible again.

fbennett

@ronank: Would a more accurate and informative warning message in MLZ have helped you to avoid confusion?

ronank

@fbennett - yes, it would. It would have been good to know that MLZ was going to replace the Zotero add-on, and that the message about 'upgrading' the Zotero database actually meant that I was now switching to using MLZ for good. Thanks.

fbennett

Thanks. I'll act on that in a new release soon.