online server storage

mkolkailah

Hello,

I have about 40 items on my personal Zotero library and only 17 items are showing on the Zotero online server library. I tried to manually sync it again and it just keeps saying that one note is too long. I even emptied out my trash and checked my storage space, I've only used 140MB out of my 300MB.

please let me know what I can do because I'm worried about not having my library backed up.

Thank you

adamsmith

You need to find the note in question and shorten it or delete it. (If you delete it, make sure to empty your Zotero trash afterwards) Typically this happens when you try to paste images into notes, which isn't supported. The character limit for notes (which has nothing to do with max storage space) is very high -- something like 50,000 characters or so -- so normally the only way to get this are images.

Note, btw. that you shouldn't use sync as a replacement for backups:
https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data#backing_up_your_zotero_library

mkolkailah

I just took out all the images in most of my notes. It was syncing until my online server ran out of storage space. Most of the books are there, but not the notes.

Also, thank you for telling me about the back-up. I tried to follow the set by step guide but it wasn't the same on my computer for some reason. first of all, I have windows. second of all, I use chrome and not Firefox. I followed most of the steps anyways and when Finally really the data directory, there was only a couple of folders, including locate, storage, styles, translators, etc.. I dragged the folder titled storage into my flash drive. The file ended up being bits and pieces of my zotero library and it was mostly PDFs that were copied. Please let me know how I can successfully update my whole library without missing anything!

I appreciate you taking the time.

Thank you

DWL-SDCA

But a 2T or larger external drive ( cost is about $100US). Automatic backup systems are built-in to the Windows and Mac operating systems.

If Windows:

http://lifehacker.com/how-to-back-up-your-computer-automatically-with-windows-1762867473

If Mac:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201250

You may think that $100 is too costly but consider if you lost everything on your computer (did I hear a scream?). Good backup is not only a safety net; it will allow you to go back to earlier versions of a file when you need it.

adamsmith

It was syncing until my online server ran out of storage space.

not sure I follow here. Why do you think you're running out of storage space? What is the message you're getting exactly?

As for backup -- as the knowledge based article says, and as DWL suggest, the best way to go is to automatically back up your entire harddisk.
If you do want to back up just Zotero, copy the entire data directory, not just the storage folder in it.

mkolkailah

an exclamation mark in a yellow triangle pops up next to the manual sync green arrow saying "you have reached your zotero file storage quota. some files were not uploaded. other zotero data will continue to sync to the server."

I'm taking up to 98% of my storage.

So I was actually in the right place when I was seeing all these files including the storage file?

Also, it wont work if I simply try to copy and paste everything straight out of my zotero library and into an outside folder, correct? (sorry if the answer is obvious, I'm really not technologically savvy and still getting used to zotero)

adamsmith

OK, that new error indicates that you're actually now at your storage quota. You can disable file sync (as the message says, data will keep syncing), use a third-party webDAV sertices which provides more storage, or pay for Zotero file storage.
But you should almost certainly see all your notes now on all synced computers and online. Notes count as data and will keep syncing even when you don't have any space left for attachments/files.

So I was actually in the right place when I was seeing all these files including the storage file?

yes. And just copying all of those files is all you need to do for back-up. Further down on that page you'd find instructions on how to restore from backup should you need to.