Locating the attachment

crispinian
Hello,

I'm using Zotero attaching a link to file which is stored on a flash drive. Sometimes the letter asigned to the flash drive is changed between, let say "F:\" to "G:\" and in this case I can't view the file. In such cases it will be very useful to know the initial saved path in order to save the link again. The message received when the assigned letter was changed is "File Not Found. It may have been moved or deleted outside of Zotero". But this statement is not correct all the time because the asigned letter of the flash drive containing the database was changed. So, how can I found the initial path of the attached item in order to relocate it properly ?
Thanks for your help,
Daniel
  • adamsmith
    (your operating system should allow you to assign a stable path to an external HD. There is no way Windows still can't do that).

    You can use Zutilo: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/zutilo-utility-for-zotero/ to show attachment filepaths on right-click. Zotero itself doesn't have an easily accessible way to do that.
  • aurimas
    http://www.howtogeek.com/96298/assign-a-static-drive-letter-to-a-usb-drive-in-windows-7/
  • crispinian
    Thank you for your prompt useful answers !
  • crispinian
    Hello,

    I have a new problem now ! My database was created with the attachments path in G:\ and at home it works fine. But on the office computer the letter "G" is missing from "Change Drive Letter and Paths" option so I can't assign it to the flash-drive in order to use properly Zotero !! How can I proceed ?
    One solution could be to modify with Zotilo the attacments path for all items but I don't know if this is functioning ! And I don't want to lose any data !

    Thank you in advance !
    Daniel
  • adamsmith
    edited February 13, 2014
    generally Zutilo works. You can also look at the relative file paths in the Zotero advanced preferencs as an option.
  • crispinian
    edited February 13, 2014
    Hello,
    Thank you for your prompt reply !
    When I've discovered Zotero I've already had a simple database with itmes organized in folders. So, with Zotero , after a new item corresponding to an existing article from the old database is registered, I'm using "Attach Link to file..." option. My old data base was created in "G:/" so, because the frequent problem of changing of assigned letter of the flash-drive, I would like to asign to all items one letter like "X:/" for example. I've tried with Zotilo but probably I don't understand very well how to proceed because it doesn't work. Also I don't understand how the relative paths in the Zotero is functioning !
    Zotero is a fantastic tool for research and I need to use it very frequently ! Sorry if I don't explain my problem very well or I'm a little wooden-headed ....
  • adamsmith
    What have you tried with Zutilo?
  • crispinian
    I've tried "modify attachments paths" option through selecting one item from "My Library"-this it seems to be the only one option. In the first window I put "F:/" [the assigned letter on the office computer" and in the second window "G:/" - the original existing path in the majority of the registered path [ here is an example of an attached link to an article :
    G:\PROIECT\ORTEZE FUNCTIONALE\AFO\A Calf Corset Weightbearing Ankle-Foot Orthosis Design.pdf ]
  • adamsmith
    You want to do the reverse - the first path is the one you want to replace, the second one is the one you replace it with.
    Also experiment with the direction of the slash - in your example above you use backslashes for the filepath (though that seems odd) and forward slashes for the path you're typing into Zutilo.
  • crispinian
    Ok! I've understood my mistake - I've inverted the letters !
    One more question : Zutilo is changking the path for only one item at one moment. As I have a lot of items it will take a lot of time to change all of them item by item. There is any possibility to change the path for all registered items in one single step ? Or I have to make it item by item ? All I have to change is only the letter from "G" to "F" !

    Thank you in advance,
    Daniel
  • aurimas
    edited February 14, 2014
    IIRC, you should be able to do this just with Zotero (no need for Zutilo). First, in Zotero Preferences, set your base directory to the location where your files used to be, then change the base directory to the new location.

    You'll probably need to press OK on the Preferences window in between changes.
  • crispinian
    Hi,

    In my case it doesn't work because my old database is located outside the base directory ! I'm working adding a new registration in Zotero and after this, using "attach link to file..." I attach the .pdf file to the new registration ! But the .pdf file is located in a folder which is not the same with "base directory" folder. This because when I've discovered Zotero I already had a simple database organized in folders. It is impossible for me to not take into account this old simple database ...
    I don't know if I succeed to explain well...
  • aurimas
    Actually, I don't think that matters. If you set a base directory, and some files are outside of it, those files will remain with absolute paths. So your new links should not be affected
  • crispinian
    This happens only when a new registration comes in the same time with the .pdf file. All the elements of this new registration [tags,...., .pdf] will be stored in the "base directory" ! When I already have the .pdf file stored and the registration comes without .pdf file, then I've to attach a link to the new registration. In this last case, the link will not work when the assigned letter will be changed !
  • aurimas
    edited February 14, 2014
    I think there's some confusion about what Base Directory actually does. (You probably know most of this, but here it is anyway)

    There are two ways to have files in Zotero: (1) have Zotero automatically move files into its _storage directory_ (stored files) or (2) link to an existing file and leave it in its current location (linked files)

    When you use the URL bar icon or you're importing a RIS file (for example), the files are typically moved to Zotero's data directory (i.e. they become stored files).

    Base Directory preference applies _only_ to linked files. What it does is that instead of Zotero storing the complete path to a linked file (e.g. C:\Users\Joe\data\PDFs\article.pdf), Zotero stores the location of the parent directory (base directory) and a path to the article relative to that directory (relative path; i.e. base directory = "C:\Users\Joe\data\", relative path = "PDFs\article.pdf"). This way, you can go to another computer, put your files in a different location (e.g. C:\Users\Bob\stuff\PDFs\article.pdf) and then only change the base directory (to C:\Users\Bob\stuff\) to have all the links functioning again.

    Again, this in no way whatsoever affects files that are _stored_ in Zotero data directory (not linked).

    So what I was suggesting is that you set your base directory to G:\some\place\, which will turn all file links (and _only_ those file links) that contain "G:\some\place\..." into relative links. In order to do this, however, you need to actually be able to select this directory. Since on your work computer this directory does not exist and (I'm guessing) you can't create it, you would have to do this on your home computer. Once you do that and sync, you should be able to set the base directory on your work computer to whatever you want (it doesn't have to be the same as the one at home) and the file links should work.
  • crispinian
    Sorry, but, to be onest I don't understand ! ["what a wooden head..."]
    If you still have patience, please let me to explain again :

    1. I have for 5 years an old article.pdf stored on
    flash:\journal\article.pdf
    2. Opening , for example, http://www.journals.elsevier.com/aasri-procedia/ I will found the description of the article [authors, tags, abstract,...] BUT without having access to the .pdf. These informations I can save automaticaly in Zotero. As you said, them will go in Zotero's data directory.
    3. Now, using the "Add attachment" + "Attach link to a file..." I will create a link between my old article.pdf file and the new informations about article stored in Zotero's data directory
    4. When I'm introducing the flash drive on the other computer, because of the changing of the asigned letter, I can't use "Open in an external viewer..." because it is not the same path - because of the changed asigned letter
    5. Now I've to change the assigned letter, which, unfortunately was "G:". And on one computer "G:" doesn't exist !!! I have to choose a letter which will exist on all computers, and put this letter in the path of all old articles which I already have ! Can I do this item by item with Zutilo which will take long time. There is other option to make this change one time ?

    Thanks for your patience !
  • dstillman
    edited February 14, 2014
    You just need to do exactly what aurimas said: set the Linked Attachment Base Directory (not Data Directory) to D:\ (or whatever) on one computer and G:\ (or whatever) on the other, and then sync. As long as it's the same flash drive, all linked files will continue to work. Zotero will look for D:\PDFs\file.pdf on Computer A and G:\PDFs\file.pdf on Computer B, because the only thing it's storing for each linked file within the base directory is "PDF\file.pdf". When you go to open a file, it adds the locally stored base directory path ("D:\" or "G:\") to the beginning of the path it tries to open.
  • crispinian
    I have made what you told :
    -1.select"preferences"+"advanced"+"files and folders"+"linked attachment base directory"+ "choose..." = flash drive
    -2 select "preferences" + "sync" + check all the options
    The "Sync with Zotero Server" icons from right up corner has started to work but at the end stil doesn't work : I'm asked to "locate" the files !
    Please tell me what means "sync" for you !
    Maybe I made something wrong and I don't realize that !
  • dstillman
    The files need to be accessible at their original location on the computer where you do this first.
  • crispinian
    edited February 14, 2014
    Them are accessible at their origianl location which is not changed!
  • dstillman
    Then I don't understand what you're saying. Where doesn't this work, then?
  • aurimas
    -1.select"preferences"+"advanced"+"files and folders"+"linked attachment base directory"+ "choose..." = flash drive
    Which computer is this on? What's the flash drive letter?
  • crispinian
    Maybe this is my mistake :
    - now I'm on the office computer where the flashdrive letter is "F" [I don't have "G" on this computer"
    - you said "on the computer where you do this first". I understand this means I should go home on the computer which has available letter "G" for the flash drive .
    Am I correct ?
  • aurimas
    Yes, do this on your home computer first.
  • crispinian
    Ok, I'll give you a 4 hour break ! Please enjoy it !
  • crispinian
    Sorry,

    It was a joke !
    You are really very patience and very helpful people !
    And Zotero is fantastic !

    Thank you very much,
    Respectfully
  • crispinian
    After I made at home ("G") what you've indicated to me , now, I see at the office computer ("F") that it works well !

    Thank you again for your patience and support !
    Respectfully,
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