Import from My_data.rdf file fails, invalid file

Ace006

I exported my Zotero data (about three years work) to My_data.rdf today prior to resetting Firefox, which was crashing and freezing. I've reinstalled Firefox and created a new Firefox profile but my attempt to import the data I just exported is unsuccessful.

Zotero v. 4.0.19.

I get a message "Error occurred while trying to import selected file. Please ensure file is valid and try again."

Prior attempts prior to reinstalling FF and creating a new FF profile, did result in an apparently partial import before the above error message appeared. It seems to me the original data were more extensive.

Is there a way to check the "validity" of the RDF file?

Is there another way to get my data out of that RDF file, please?

adamsmith

you don't have a copy of the old data directory? While we can probably get this to work with import/export, it's not a great idea to use that to restore your data. See here:
https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/transferring_a_library
so if this is still an option (e.g. via an old back-up) I'd do that. Else we can work through the RDF.

Ace006

Thanks for your response. Sorry for my delay in responding but I've had problems with Firefox and am beginning to get the impression that my 5+ year laptop needs a clean O/S reinstall. I decided first to get a new laptop and would, of course, like to transfer my work in Zotero to the new machine.

Executive Summary:

I have no existing Zotero data directory (ZDD) though it might reappear if I choose an even earlier restore point. Until I get a new laptop in hand, I'm reluctant to resort to such R/Ps. In the meantime, I would like to try reestablishing my ZDD by uncorrupting the RDF file, if possible.

Discussion:

To answer your question about availability of old data directory, I uninstalled and reinstalled Firefox to solve the problem with crashing I was experiencing. It was prior to that that I "exported" my Zotero entries. Things did not improve with Firefox and even Windows (7) Explorer seemed to be behaving strangely. I restored to an earlier restore point prior to reinstalling Firefox hoping that I would achieve O/S stability and that my Zoetero data dir. would also reappear. Alas, it did not.

There were one or two even earlier restore points that I did not use as some kind of "insurance." If one restore point was problematical, best to keep some in reserve in the hope that they were R/Ps without problems.

If these R/Ps are still available, it's still an option to restore with them in the hope that my Z. data dir. (ZDD) will reappear. As I have a functioning laptop back for the time being (without ZDD) I would rather not try another earlier R/P until I have my new laptop in hand and have successfully transferred all other MS Word settings, etc.

In the meantime, I would like to try to fix the RDF file that export generated. Mostly it contained links to various pages with index entries by means of Z. There were 6 or 7 links with snapshots of the page attached, and two or three PDFs, in my ZDD and I do not know if these snapshots and PDFs made it into the RDF file created by "Export." (Note that I don't use Z. in other than it's plain vanilla version for Firefox. No MS Word links, etc.)

I'd be most grateful if you could help me turn that RDF file into a "valid" file.

adamsmith

I'd start by checking if the xml is generally valid using
http://www.w3schools.com/xml/xml_validator.asp

Also, you never used Zotero sync, correct? If you did, I'd hold off on this because a) sync could be an alternative to re-importing and b) combining export/import with sync creates a mess of duplicates.

Ace006

Thanks. That site reported no errors found in the xml code inside the RDF file.

aurimas

So just to recap, you're using Windows 7, you had a Zotero library that you exported as Zotero RDF after which you reset your Firefox and then proceeded to use Windows System Restore to attempt to fix some issues with your system.

If you did in fact reset Firefox, your old Firefox profile, which is where your old Zotero data would have been, would have been moved to your desktop (see if you can find a folder on your desktop that says something like "old profile").

If you simply reinstalled Firefox, this generally should not have resulted in loss of profile, but let's assume that a new profile was created. In this case, your old profile is probably still somewhere on your computer. Search your entire computer for "zotero.sqlite" file. Let us know what you find (locations, file sizes, last modified dates).

Note that using Windows System Restore will not touch any of your files (including your Zotero data) unless you also have Windows Backup set up, so it would not have caused your Zotero files to appear or disappear.

We would also obviously want to find out what happened with that RDF file. Please submit a Debug ID for an attempt to import that file.

Ace006

Thank you.

All files named "zotero.sqlite" are located in these locations on my C drive.

(1) C:\Users\Ace\Destop\Firefox profiles\npqdefaultOld Firefox Data2\cgskmjwx.defasult\zotero\ 5,912 KB 03/30/2014 06:16 PM
(2) C:\Users\Ace\Destop\Firefox profiles\Old Firefox Data\cgskmjwx.default\zotero\ 5,912 KB 03/30/2014 06:16 PM

(3) C:\Users\Ace\Destop\Firefox profiles\35wb8700.New Firefox profile as of 3_31_14\zotero\ 1,560 KB 03/31/2014 01:45 AM

(4) C:\Users\Ace\Destop\Old Firefox Data\n4r0ntq4.default-1396229353151\zotero\ 3,204 KB 04/01/2014 03:38 PM

(5) C:\Users\Ace\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\9zmpcrho.default-1396394211404\zotero\ 2,640 KB 04/04/2014 04:14 PM

Debug ID = D2059103063

File no. 4 appears to have been generated when I reset (or reinstalled?) Firefox.

Ace006

PS - file no. 3 is, I believe, (part of or subfile of) the copy of the existing Firefox profile that I made and renamed as indicated. I was experimenting with the actual profile to see if I could solve my problems.

aurimas

Looks like either of the following two contain your old database:

(1) C:\Users\Ace\Destop\Firefox profiles\npqdefaultOld Firefox Data2\cgskmjwx.defasult\zotero\ 5,912 KB 03/30/2014 06:16 PM
(2) C:\Users\Ace\Destop\Firefox profiles\Old Firefox Data\cgskmjwx.default\zotero\ 5,912 KB 03/30/2014 06:16 PM

Follow instructions here to restore your library from one of those locations.

adamsmith

(1) and (2) look quite promising - could you try using the "transferring library" instructions (option A) with either of those?

aurimas

Note that the instructions that adamsmith and I refer to are essentially the same, so you can do either one.

Ace006

I didn't see a "transferring library" or "Option A" but I figured you both were referring to "Restoring your Zotero library from a backup."

I appear to have my library back as before. It didn't look quite right as the data don't display quite the way that I had it set before. However, the essential data are there thanks to you.

Thank your very much for your help, gentlemen.

aurimas

It didn't look quite right as the data don't display quite the way that I had it set before.

Could you elaborate?

Ace006

Minor stuff. The two windows on the left displayed more of the "My Library," "Date added," folders than before. Before I had as much of the window displaying my tags as I could manage.

With the top window displaying more I noticed the "Duplicate Items" folder. I was puzzled by the number of dups but they might have been created by my hitting ctrl-s instead of ctrl-z to launch Xotero and save an item.

Lots of items in "Untitled Items" and I have no idea what that is about.

These latter two are not so much oddities of display but rather features I probably didn't see before as I was concerned only about displaying max no. of tags.

The items displayed in the center window had black triangles and bullets on the left just before the name.

I last had the title of the item and "Date Added" as the only two columns displaying. "Date Added" was missing and "Creator" was back again. I think "Attachments" were displaying, hence the triangles and bullets, I assume.

adamsmith

Glad things are working for you (I linked to "transferring a library" in my first post above, btw. - but as aurimas says, doesn't matter which version of the instructions you followed).

As for your display issues/questions:

You can drag the tag selector on the left to any size you want.
Unfiled items are items that are not in any collection.

You can pick the columns displayed in the center panel by clicking on the little table icon at its top right.

aurimas

I think the reason you are seeing these discrepancies is because the display settings are stored in the Firefox profile directory, not Zotero data directory, so they got rest along with Firefox and you did not restore them just now (and you shouldn't really). This also means that you need to re-configure your preferences, including sync.

What puzzles me a bit is

The items displayed in the center window had black triangles and bullets on the left just before the name.

The triangles would indicate file/note/link attachments, which should have been restored. Take a closer look at your library and make sure that you're not missing file attachments or notes.