updated firefox and lost zotero local library

Hi there,

Firefox asked me if I wanted to update and did warn this would include my add ons. I agreed to the update nonetheless, but was then concerned when I couldn't find Zotero (and all my info!!) at all. I have re-downloaded the Zotero add on and logged in to my old online Zotero account through the website and through syncing restored that part of my library which was stored online.

My remaining problem is that most of my library was stored only locally on my computer (I think, as I understand it!?) as I had run out of online storage. These files seem to have disappeared out of the zotero library - when I click on the item title in zotero i get the message "file not found", and some titles seem to have disappeared altogether. In the local storage on my laptop there are many folders, but most of them are empty. I have found some files by directly searching the macbook for them, but they are all over the place, rather than in the zotero storage folder. And I'm not even sure if they're all there...

Is there a way to restore things?

Any help is much appreciated!

Thank you! Catrina
  • Zotero wouldn't disappear when you update Firefox, so I'm suspecting that you actually "refreshed", which is different. For that, see here:
    https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/restore_after_firefox_reset

    Your local Firefox data is still on your computer Since you have already synced, you can just copy over the "storage" folder rather than restore from the local backup.
  • Hi adamsmith!

    Thank you SO much for your help, and so quick as well! I've been at work and unable to reply. I've now had a go at following your instructions and some info has come across, however there are still many files missing. I was a bit confused which storage folder and zotero.sqlite file to copy across, as several of the folders in the old firefox data folder contained files and folders with these names. So I've copied the one with more items in it, but not sure if this is correct or where to find the remaining missing files..

    Thank you so much for your assistance!

    Kind regards,

    Catrina
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