Upgrade StorageHow to exporting while keeping directory structure intact?
This question concerns 3 topics (Import/Export, Zotero Standalone, Sync), so I'm not sure if this is the best place to ask my question.
I've been using Zotero Standalone on my laptop, but I have to use another laptop for the following 2 months. I exported my Zotero database from my first laptop and managed to re-import it on laptop #2. On my first laptop the PDFs, DOCs and audio files I had linked to, used to be in specific directories, properly named, of course. After the export & import, they now all reside in single folders with non-descriptive names like "426" (while the files luckily still all kept their names), so that is quite messy. I'd like to keep everything in different directories on my laptop (or maybe on Dropbox, that's also an option), so that I can also quickly find and copy stuff when not using Zotero.
In short:
I have an orderly Zotero Standalone with everything linked to specific folders on my laptop #1 (which is being repaired and I can't access it for 2 months because I'll be somewhere else).
I have a new substitute laptop with Zotero Standalone and the exported library from #1, but everything is in folders with numbers. I want to add more stuff to my library in the meantime. I also copied all the original and properly named folders with the documents and other stuff.
In 2 months I will switch back to my old laptop or maybe even get a new one.
What's the best option to get everything neat again, and to keep it neat? Are the original locations still saved somewhere in Zotero so that I can connect them back? Or will Zotero somehow re-identify the file-names (because they're all unique)? Or would you recommend to keep everything in a Dropbox folder and manually reassign all the PDFs and DOCs (with "only" about 100 it's still feasible)?
Thanks in advance!
- André
I've been using Zotero Standalone on my laptop, but I have to use another laptop for the following 2 months. I exported my Zotero database from my first laptop and managed to re-import it on laptop #2. On my first laptop the PDFs, DOCs and audio files I had linked to, used to be in specific directories, properly named, of course. After the export & import, they now all reside in single folders with non-descriptive names like "426" (while the files luckily still all kept their names), so that is quite messy. I'd like to keep everything in different directories on my laptop (or maybe on Dropbox, that's also an option), so that I can also quickly find and copy stuff when not using Zotero.
In short:
I have an orderly Zotero Standalone with everything linked to specific folders on my laptop #1 (which is being repaired and I can't access it for 2 months because I'll be somewhere else).
I have a new substitute laptop with Zotero Standalone and the exported library from #1, but everything is in folders with numbers. I want to add more stuff to my library in the meantime. I also copied all the original and properly named folders with the documents and other stuff.
In 2 months I will switch back to my old laptop or maybe even get a new one.
What's the best option to get everything neat again, and to keep it neat? Are the original locations still saved somewhere in Zotero so that I can connect them back? Or will Zotero somehow re-identify the file-names (because they're all unique)? Or would you recommend to keep everything in a Dropbox folder and manually reassign all the PDFs and DOCs (with "only" about 100 it's still feasible)?
Thanks in advance!
- André
https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/transferring_a_library
for transferring a library. Don't use import/export.
That would have Zotero remember the location of the files, though it will not actually transfer the files themselves. You'd need to manually move them over (e.g. via Dropbox). You may have to set relative links up in the advanced tab of the Zotero preferences.