Zotero profile

michael.davie

Hello
I inadvertently moved the Zotero default file from an iBook (Mac OS El Capitan) to the desktop. The file is named fg44hkv0.default and contains a Zotero sub-file with translators, styles, etc. I stupidly replaced this .default file with another .default file containing all the Zotero information from another computer (also a Mac).
This mistake made Zotero (stand alone) to refuse to open (the message is "Your Zotero profile cannot be loaded. It may be missing or inaccessible").
I decided to delete Firefox and Zotero from the computer and to make a fresh start with both. Even with a new Firefox (and Zotero extensions) and a new Zotero 4 download, Zotero refuses to launch, even after a restart of the computer.
Please note that I wish to install Zotero Standalone on computer "B", and all my information is safe on computer "A". So no problem there. The problem is Zotero unwilling to launch on computer "B".
I'd appreciate any help to solve the problem.

dstillman

1) Delete the Zotero Standalone profile directory on Computer B.

2) Start Zotero, which should give you an empty library. If it asks if you want to share an existing data directory, don't.

3) Close Zotero and replace the 'zotero' directory in the new profile directory with the Zotero data directory from Computer A.

dstillman

(And note that you don't want to transfer the profile directory, just the data directory.)

michael.davie

Thanks Dan Stillman. However, MacOS 10.9.5 "El Capitan" does not have the same hierarchy as mentioned in the Zotero profile location page (https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/profile_directory), ie /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Zotero/Profiles/<randomstring>
This path is useful for those using MacOS10.7.

The other problem is that Zotero won't go further than the message "Your Zotero profile cannot be loaded. It may be missing or inaccessible"). So I can't even check that the library is empty.

Shoudn't a completely new fresh start, with a fresh download of Firefox (and extensions) and Zotero Standalore do the trick ?

dstillman

However, MacOS 10.9.5 "El Capitan" does not have the same hierarchy as mentioned in the Zotero profile location page

Yes it does. Hold down Option when clicking the Go menu in the Finder to access the Library directory within your home directory.

michael.davie

Thanks. But in the Application Support file, there is no Zotero file (but there is a Mozilla one containing a default file). Should this be the one to delete ?

dstillman

Make sure you're looking at ~/Library/Application Support, not /Library/Application Support. If you've run Zotero on this machine, you should definitely have a ~/Library/Application Support/Zotero folder.

dstillman

And what happens when you install Zotero into Firefox? While you're troubleshooting Zotero Standalone, you should be able to just install Zotero for Firefox and replace its data directory with the one from your backup.

michael.davie

Zotero on Firefox works perfectly. It's the Standalone that I want to work with...

dstillman

Can you open Terminal (via Spotlight or your Application folder), paste in the following line, and press Enter?

ls -la ~/Library/Application\ Support/Zotero
Then copy the output and paste it here.

michael.davie

Here it is

Last login: Thu Dec 17 08:04:51 on console
pc5:~ michaeldavie$ ls -la ~/Library/Application\ Support/Zotero
total 8
drwx------ 4 michaeldavie staff 136 13 nov 2012 .
drwx------+ 98 michaeldavie staff 3332 9 déc 16:16 ..
drwx------ 3 michaeldavie staff 102 13 nov 2012 Profiles
-rw-r--r-- 1 michaeldavie staff 103 13 nov 2012 profiles.ini
pc5:~ michaeldavie$

dstillman

OK, so that folder exists.

michael.davie

Thanks Dan Stllman.
The simplest solution to the problem is to delete both Firefox and Zotero AND delete all other files etc. associated with these two applications using AppCleaner (I'm on Mac OS). This gets rid of all unwanted files and documents that may be lurking somewhere and gives the OS a clean start. Once that is done, download Zotero Standalone and (or not) Firefox and associated extensions.
This solved the problem, without using TimeMachine etc.

Thanks again (from France) for all your help and time spent on a problem created entirely by my own clumsiness.