Document in storage but not in zotero

vanderlindenma

I added a couple of pdf to Zotero two days ago. Today, I tried to find them and realized they disappeared from Zotero.

I use a custom data directory location of the type "/Users/.../Literature" (OSX). I have checked and the documents I added two days ago are in one of the subfolders of "/Users/.../Literature/storage" (the subfolders have coded names like ADH54JTO). However, they do not appear in my Zotero library.

- Is there something I can do to get those documents back into Zotero?
- Is there a clean way to ask Zotero to "re-scan" the data directory location?

Notes:

- My version of Zotero is up to date.
- I have OSX El Capitan.
- I have checked database integrity, no problem there.
- My custom directory location is inside a folder which is synchronized through a cloud service similar to dropbox (namely https://www.copy.com/)

noksagt

This doesn't happen when using Zotero as recommended.

- Is there something I can do to get those documents back into Zotero?

Not automatically. You can, of course, re-add them manually.

- Is there a clean way to ask Zotero to "re-scan" the data directory location?

No.

- My custom directory location is inside a folder which is synchronized through a cloud service similar to dropbox (namely https://www.copy.com/)

I imagine this is the cause of your woes. Your data directory contains your sqlite database. This should not be opened in more than one location and it is difficult for file syncing programs (such as dropbox or copy) to treat that file properly, particularly when it is open. I suspect that copy.com synced an older version of your database to your computer, over-writing changes that Zotero had made that had the working file links. It could have been worse--syncing like this can also cause corruption. You should set your data directory to a local directory that will not be over-written or accessed by some remote tool. You can then use the Zotero Sync Server to keep your metadata/database synced across multiple computers.


You can choose to use Zotero or WebDAV to keep files synced. You may be able to do it with a third party tool (I know nothing about copy.com in particular) as long as that tool allows you to configure it to sync to just the file storage directory.

vanderlindenma

Thanks for your answer noksagt.

I was obviously using this trick to avoid paying for a storage plan as I have a pretty sizable library (and it had work pretty well so far), but I understand that this is not the intended use and that it causes issues.

adamsmith

Note that this isn't something that Zotero does to make you pay; it's just a byproduct of using an unsuitable way of syncing data.
While Zotero Storage does provided the smoothest overall experience, there are a number of ways to use 3rd party service to sync Zotero attachments for free, including the options noksagt mentions in his last paragraph.

noksagt

Just to be clear: database syncing (no attached files) through Zotero is free and the only safe/supported method.

Storage plans only kick in if you choose to sync attached files through Zotero, but there are multiple free third party methods to sync those. Just don't allow your sqlite database to be included in the files that are synced!

vanderlindenma

@adamsmith : thanks for the clarification.

I very much appreciate that Zotero is not trying to force the use of one it's byproducts for sync purposes (which is the reason I originally moved away from Mendeley).

vanderlindenma

@noksaft: very clear thank you.