lost library

richardparsons

I just had to reset my Firefox, and have found that this removed my Zotero client. I've now re-downloaded Zotero 4.0 for firefox with plugin for word, but when I open the library on the desktop client, there are no entries. All my library items are still in the web-hosted library, though.

How do I sync them back into the client? I tried 'sync with Zotero server' in the client, but this is saying 'did not accept your username and password', even though I double-checked these.

adamsmith

check username&password again. In almost all cases that message means what it says.
If you're absolutely positive that you've tried this with the right login information, provide an error report ID for a manual sync attempt:
http://www.zotero.org/support/reporting_bugs#provide_a_report_id

But while you should make sure that sync works, your Zotero library is likely still on your computer as well
http://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data#where_did_my_items_go

richardparsons

Thanks for the prompt response. I've just read these pages, but to be honest I don't understand them as they are too technical, and seem to lead down multiple confusing avenues. Is there anyone I can speak to on the phone to resolve this?

I'm assuming there's a simple solution, as all my library entries are still on the web - I just can't get them onto the client.

dstillman

No, there's no phone support.

You have two options:

1) Fix your username and password in the Sync pane of the Zotero preferences.

2) Find the 'zotero' data directory and place it in its expected location, in place of the 'zotero' directory that's there now. According to Mozilla, "After the reset is finished, your old Firefox profile information will be placed on your desktop in a folder named "Old Firefox Data.".

I'd strongly recommend the latter, since it'll ensure that all of your data is restored. (I see almost no synced files in your account, so unless you were using WebDAV, your files were never synced to the server.) If you can't figure it out, I'd try to ask an IT person to help you in person. They don't need to know anything about Zotero—they just need to look at the linked pages.

richardparsons

Thanks again. I think it's sorted now.

I've found that the 'zotero' data directory was already in its expected location - so no progress there.

So I removed my zotero extension, tried syncing again, and hey presto, all my library entries returned!

I'm not sure why this worked, but I'm glad it did.

dstillman

Zotero creates an empty 'zotero' database when it first starts, so that's expected. That's why I said you'd have to replace the 'zotero' directory that was there with the one from "Old Firefox Data".

If you're happy with the state of your database, that's fine—but you should check to make sure you have the attached files you expect to have. Again, you have no files on the server, so unless you configured Zotero to use a WebDAV server, you won't have gotten them from syncing with the Zotero server.

richardparsons

OK, thanks.

That's peculiar to hear that I have no files on the server, as I can see them in the web-based zotero. No, I haven't used a WebDAV server. How can I place them on the server if they are not there?

dstillman

An attachment item isn't the same as an attached file. If you can't, say, view a PDF on the website, it's not there. The same goes for your local library. If you did what you say you did, you won't be able to open files in your Zotero client either.

To restore your files, you need to restore your old data directory, as we've explained above.

dstillman

Also, an attachment item isn't the same as a regular item. When we say "files", we mean actual files—PDFs, HTML snapshots, etc.—not the bibliographic items in your database.

You either don't have files in your database or didn't previously have Zotero set to sync files with the server (which would've required changing the default settings in the Sync pane of the Zotero preferences).

richardparsons

Thanks Dan.

Trying to restore my old data directory now... I've searched the "Old Firefox Data" folder, but there is no sign of a file named "zotero" there. Do you know where I might find it?

dstillman

I don't know for sure what Firefox's Reset feature does, but if it copies the entire profile directory to 'Old Firefox Data', the 'zotero' folder should be there unless you moved it previously.

But looking at your account on the server, it looks like you only have two attached files, so you shouldn't need the old directory. What I said above only applied if there were files (PDFs, etc.) that you expected to have in your library, but if you just had the bibliographic items and notes in your database and no attached files, you got it all back from syncing with the server.