Can't open my Zotero library anymore...

Barbotine

I am using Zotero on Firefox, at home and in my office. The version I am using in my office is 4.0.28.10, it seems to be the latest version. the version of Firefox I am using is Firefox ESR 38.6.1 (and I can't change this, since I have not the administrator's rights), on Windows (Windows 7 Enterprise). Since today, when I try to open my library, a window opens with "This version of Zotero is older than the version last used with your database. Please upgrade to the latest version from zotero.org, and if I click on the Check for update button, I have a "no updates found" button. I have tried to download again Zotero from the website, and it doesn't change anything. I still have the same message when I try to open my library. And I don't know what to do, how can I update if it is already updated... thanks for your advice!

adamsmith

https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/newer_db_version

check in particular the bolded part -- you almost certainly had MLZ installed at some point.

Barbotine

Yes, I used to have MLZ on my computer, but I have dis-installed it weeks ago, following the instructions given by Frank Bennett, so I don't understand why I have this problem now...

adamsmith

just uninstalling wouldn't make a difference. You'd still have the changed database (and that's definitely the issue here). Which instructions did you follow exactly? (i.e. walk us through what you did precisely, so we can tell where you may have missed a step).

Barbotine

It was in december, so I am not sure I remember completely. And I did not do it alone, a member of our IT team helped me. I think I have synced the library, renamed the Zotero file as explained, copied the backup file and reinstalled the official Zotero. But it is impossible for me to remember exactly what I did 3 months ago...

If I switch to Zotero Standalone, would it solve the problem? The students I am working with are only using Zotero Standalone anyway, and it would be better to use the same version.

adamsmith

and this had worked in between December and now?
The easiest way would be to make sure that your database is properly synced with zotero.org (i.e. check on the website), then follow the instructions again -- move the data folder somewhere else, restart Zotero, make sure it's empty, then sync.

Standalone won't make a difference one way or the other. You can certainly install it, but it'd use the same database as the Firefox add-on, so the problems would be the same.

Barbotine

Yes, it has worked very well for the last three months... I will try to redo everything, but probably tomorrow, I am now busy with something else.

Barbotine

Today I have some time to tackle the problem... but I have some questions, since I would be sure to do it correctly.
- "find the file "zotero.sqlite" and rename it"... Which name should I choose?
- my latest Zotero backup file is not "zotero.sqlite.77.bak", but "zotero.sqlite.bak". I also have "zotero.sqlite.1.bak", but it is 3 days older.

Thanks.

adamsmith

1. Doesn't matter. You can e.g. do zotero.sqlite.old
2. That's correct. The 77 one is the one that's performed during the database change from Zotero to MLZ. The other ones would almost certainly have the same problem as your current database, though you can try it out -- there's not much of a cost.

Barbotine

OK, it seems to work now, I can open my library and all my references have been synced. Thank you very much!