Missing library

shkliare
I have used Zotero for some time from my computer at home. My library usually appeared at the bottom of Firefox screen. I have recently updated Firefox and as the site recommended cleaned it. The letter Z in my tool bar disappeared. I also had another Zotero library that I used from my computer at work with a separate account. I have never accessed the Zotero site from my home computer. When I finished all the cleaning and restored Zotero to my tool bar and then opened the box at the bottom, the box was empty and my library was gone. I clicked the sync and the library from my office computer appeared but my library from the home computer is missing. I want to restore the library from my home computer and make it my main library. How do I do it? Does anyone have any idea?
  • aurimas
    edited November 7, 2014
    You should see an "Old Firefox Profile" folder on your desktop. That's where your old Zotero library would have gone.

    Having already synced with your work account, this makes things a bit more complicated. If I understand correctly, you do _not_ want to see any of your work Zotero library on your home computer. I.e. you want to keep your personal and work libraries completely separate.

    In that case, you want to

    1. Clear your sync username and password from your Zotero preferences

    2. Make a backup of your current Zotero library. You will probably not need it, because you just synced that data from your zotero.org account, so it's safe there and on your work computer, but it never hurts.

    3. With Zotero still closed, delete the "zotero" folder you just made a backup of

    4. Restore the "zotero" folder from your "Old Firefox Profile" folder on the desktop to that location

    At this point, opening up Zotero again should display your library. I would recommend creating a different zotero.org account for your personal library and syncing it. While it's not an alternative to backing up your data regularly on your computer, it does offer at least some chance of recovery in case of a catastrophic failure on your computer (hopefully, this was not the case here)
  • shkliare
    Dear aurimas,

    Thank you very much for your detailed response. It's very kind of you. I am away from my computer this weekend but as soon as I get home I will try to do what you recommend.

    Again, thank you so much,

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