Cannot restore collections & indexed items from a back-up

Natasha D'Lima

Hi, I recently downloaded Zotero for a Mac and had to switch my library from a Windows system. I transferred the entire manual backup called 'My Zotero Library backup (RIS)' folder to my new system's data directory location. It did not detect the library, but right-clicking on the actual .ris file and saying open with Zotero made all my entries (with files) show up in the library. I had synced to the online version a long time ago, but ran out of space, so my manual backup is much more current than the online version. I have not used the syncing option in my new system for fear of losing the new files.

Now here are my troubles:

1) I had sorted most of my entries into collections, but none of the collections are showing up in the library. The online version shows the collections that were done at that point, but the manual version does not show any collections. Is there a way to obtain my previous sorting into collections? I can't find any existing similar problems on the forum either.

2) On my earlier system, all the entries had blue dots indicating they were indexed. However, some of the items show that they are not indexed now. Is there a way to fix this?

3) Once I solve problem 1 & 2, is there a way to back up only specific folders/collections online or does Zotero back up everything it can? That way I can take an online back-up of my most important data first, before I run out of space!

Thanks so much for your time!

LiborA

In the first, you do not need manually import data from one computer to another. If you have data synchronized with Zotero servers, then these will automatically be downloaded to the new computer. Now I think you have all data twice, have not?
In the second, RIS is maybe the worst format for step what did you do. There is no information about collectin etc. For this, the Zotero RDF is the best solution.
The blue circle is not information about indexing, but about attachments.

dstillman

Yes, don't use export/import to transfer a library.

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

Natasha D'Lima

Thanks for your help and sorry for the delayed reply..

@LiborA I don't have all my data synchronized with the servers, only a little bit before I ran out of space. & I haven't synced the newer version yet. So thankfully, I don't have the data twice. Thanks for letting me know about the blue circles too!
Zotero itself did not recommend the RDF solution, that's why I didn't use it (the link that @dstillman sent).

@dstillman I did read this before transferring and I did move the data folder, but it did not detect the library, no matter what I did. I had used an RIS format as a second backup, so used that. That didn't detect either (despite putting it in the correct folder, as suggested by Zotero), so I finally right-clicked the RIS file and said open with Zotero. That was the only thing that worked.

My older computer had to be given away and so I don't have access to it anymore. I do have all the older data in the complete Zotero folder as well as the RIS backup. Is there a way to restore the folders for my older data in this current scenario? Should I delete Zotero, reinstall and then try to transfer the complete library folder? Would that help?

dstillman

If you transfer the original data directory to the right location, it will absolutely work, and (other than sync) it's the only option you should use.

1) Check your current Zotero data directory from the Advanced → Files and Folders pane of the Zotero preferences. It's probably "Zotero" in your home directory.

2) Close Zotero and rename that directory as "Zotero-Old".

3) Rename the backup directory containing zotero.sqlite to "Zotero" and move it to the same spot.

4) Start Zotero.

dstillman

(This is assuming you actually have a zotero.sqlite file in your backup directory and that it's more than 1 MB.)

Natasha D'Lima

@dstillman I just did the steps of renaming to Zotero-old and putting the backup directory as you said. Although it is now reading the backup folder as my default storage directory (I checked), my library is now blank again. Not sure how to make it read the directory. Also, my zotero.sqlite file is only 918 KB. Any ideas?

dstillman

918 KB is an empty database, so you likely copied the wrong folder from the old computer or restored from the wrong backup. Are there other, larger zotero.sqlite.* files in that folder?

Natasha D'Lima

Unfortunately no, there aren't. :(
However, the folder has an 8+ MB zotero.jar file, if that helps.
What do you suggest I do now?

dstillman

That shouldn't be there — that's from the Zotero installation files, not the data files, and it suggests you had things very much mixed up on your old computer.

Without a proper backup or an up-to-date sync, the RIS import is your only option. (If you really were going to use an export, Zotero RDF would've been the only way to preserve collections.) Note that, now that you've imported from RIS, if you do sync, you'll end up with duplicates for anything that was also online, though those will at least be in the proper collections as of your last sync time, and if you merge duplicates the merged items will remain in the correct collections. But, obviously, anything you added since the last sync time won't be categorized correctly or linked to your word processor documents.

Natasha D'Lima

So, what I'd need to do now is delete the newly made Zotero folder and revert to the renamed Zotero old folder?

Thanks for all the help!
Also, is there a way to only sync specific folders online?