Relocate data directory out of Dropbox

dstillman

This discussion was created from comments split from: Unable to syncing Report ID 634672646.

Daniel.G_Cabrero

@dstillman: currently I am wrongly syncing the entire Zotero data directory, including the main SQLite database, with Dropbox, which I know is extremely likely to corrupt it.
Hence, I would appreciate to get to know how-to relocate 'which' files, and do this 'safely', and 'where' exactly to relocate them.
Do please check the print screen below to find where and which files I have on Dropbox, and I'd appreciate you'd kindly let me know your advice on this issue:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/00ijgat8y9ex47r/Print_Screen_main_Zotero_SQLite_database.png
Thanks!

dstillman

Close Zotero and move the directory so that it's "Zotero" in your home directory (e.g., C:\Users\:username:\Zotero).

Then, probably when you can leave your computer running for a while (possibly overnight, since your database is quite large), do a database integrity from the Advanced → Files and Folders pane of the Zotero preferences.

You can also delete the old zotero.sqlite-mj3DF6A29EA file — that's not a file Zotero creates, so that likely came from some sort of cloud sync system (though I don't think Dropbox would've created that).

Daniel.G_Cabrero

Sorry I am this very thick and clumsy, yet I want to make sure I move all of the right files/folders to the new directory proposed.
Out of the entire list of files and folders in the print screen you saw, which one/s do I move to the new directory in C:\Users\:username:\Zotero?
i.e. locate, storage, styles, translators, pdfinfo-Win32, pdfinfo-Win32.exe.version, pdftotext-Win32, pdftotext-Win32.exe.version, zotero.sqlite, zotero.sqlite.1.bak, zotero.sqlite.77.bak, zotero.sqlite.bak

It is my assumption that at least the "storage" folder remains on Dropbox, but your help will be most valuable, and appreciated!

Thanks though for letting me know the zotero.sqlite-mj3DF6A29EA I can get rid of :)

dstillman

Just move the whole directory and make sure it's named "Zotero". Don't worry about individual files.

The 'storage' folder you would have to symlink to Dropbox, but that's not a configuration we provide support for.

Daniel.G_Cabrero

This is a very kind and useful answer, thanks!
Reading here, https://www.zotero.org/support/sync, I find that "While using a third-party tool to sync the 'storage' subdirectory of the Zotero data directory is generally safe, syncing the entire Zotero data directory, including the main SQLite database, with an automated tool is extremely likely to corrupt it."
By the reading of this, it then seems doable I could have the 'storage' subdirectory in, say, Dropbox, and the rest in the C:\Users\:username:\Zotero.
Can you kindly confirm this is so?
Thanks

adamsmith

not easily, as you can't move storage out of the Zotero folder and can't just place a subdirectory into Dropbox. You can do some version of this that involves symlinking, but it's a bit more involved.