After transferring to new PC, local library is empty, but online library is OK

Emily2020

I transferred my zotero folder and its contents to my new PC per the instructions at https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/transferring_a_library

However, my local zotero library is empty, except for the default "Zotero Quick Start Guide." But it shouldn't be empty, because the transferred zotero folder is 1.54. GB, with 21,670 files and 894 folders.

Meanwhile the online library appears to have everything in it. I haven't synced yet because I don't know whether the "empty" local library would overwrite the good online library,causing me to lose everything, or whether the online library would overwrite the local.

Could you please help me troubleshoot why my local library is empty?

Thanks.

adamsmith

You likely have the library on the new computer pointing at the wrong folder/place (mostly commonly, people point one level of hierarchy to high or low).

If you want to fix this, you can look at the contents of the folder when you click "Show data directory" in Zotero.

That said, you can also just sync if you want to save yourself the trouble. Empty libraries don't overwrite populated ones during sync.

Emily2020

Hi, thanks for the prompt reply. I used "Show data directory" and everything looks good to me. Shows everything I copied over. I see the following:
locate
storage (1.52 GB)
styles
translators (6.28 MB)
zotero.sqlite (996 kb)
zotero.sqlite.1.bak (18,604 kb)
zotero.sqlite.bak (996 kb)
zotero.sqlite-journal (89 kb)

Emily2020

If I can't get the local library working, I will use sync, but I'd like to understand how to set it up if I can. It would make me more confident about putting so much time into building the zotero library if I can understand why it's working or not working. Thanks!!

Emily2020

By the way, this backup is from 2014. Maybe there's a zotero version issue making my 2014 library backup incompatible with the current zotero.

Emily2020

I was reading this page: https://www.zotero.org/support/sync

and I noticed that Zotero file storage provides "web-based access to single-file attachments such as PDFs (but not web snapshots."

Does this mean that if I use sync to download my online Zotero library to my empty local library, that I will lose my web snapshots?

Bottom line, are there any disadvantages, such as losing certain types of data, if I overwrite my empty local library with my online Zotero library? Thanks for your reply.

adamsmith

no, you won't lose anything by syncing. snapshots just aren't viewable on zotero.org. They still sync (and it does look like you have attachments in your storage folder anyway. Zotero wouldn't re-download them).

dstillman

That info was actually outdated — snapshots have been viewable on zotero.org for a couple years.

Emily2020

OK, thanks for the information. So it looks like I have nothing to lose by syncing. Just out of curiosity, though, do you know why it might be that my local library isn't working? I don't like knowing that I can't rely on my local backups to work when I need them. That means that the online version is my only backup, which is not ideal. Generally, I keep more than one backup of something so imnportant.

adamsmith

the actual library you're pointing to is empty:
zotero.sqlite (996 kb) --> this is empty
zotero.sqlite.1.bak (18,604 kb) --> this is a normal (though small-ish) library size.

Emily2020

Thanks so much for explaining! Anyway, my local library seems good now.