Zotero 5.0 won't look at my library

bcthk

I was using Zotero Standalone. I upgraded to 5.0. Online I can see my library. But when I r run Zotero, I get this message:

"The selected data directory is too old to be used with this version of Zotero. Please first upgrade the data directory using Zotero 4.0 for Firefox or select a different directory."

Do I uninstall 5.0 and reinstall 4.0? I can't seem to find Zotero 4.0.

dstillman

It should only say that for a data directory from a positively ancient (pre–2011) version of Zotero, so either it somehow reverted to an extremely old data directory or there's something else wrong with your database.

If possible, can you provide a Debug ID for Zotero startup?

dstillman

Though if you know that you previously used a very old version of Zotero in Firefox, it's most likely that you had two data directories and Zotero simply ended up using the data directory in your Firefox profile directory instead of your Zotero profile directory. If that's the case, you can just rename and move the 'zotero' directory from your Zotero profile directory to the new default location, which is "Zotero" in your home directory. When you start up after that, Zotero should automatically use that directory.

bcthk

I am not technical savvy so I am not sure what I should be looking for.

I tried to provide a debug id but the process resulted in a blank page.

The last time I used Zotero was in 2015.

In the Firefox profile directory, I don't find anything that is Zotero except for the extension. I don't know where the data would be. On https://www.zotero.org/, I can see my library.

I have a zotero folder in both the profile directory and default location. In the default directory under the storage folder is a zotero.sqlite that dates from May 2009.

However, when I first launched 5.0, I got the message that my Zotero folder was in my dropbox and that I should move it. I had a copy there. I didn't realize it was the only one. That is what I moved to the new default directory.

In 2015, I thought I was using a standalone version. But I can't find a zotero.sqlite from that year on my hard drive.

In the profile directory on my harddrive, in my "random string" folder, there are several files with .sqlite extensions, but not one that is zotero.sqlite.

I've taken snips of what appears in File Explorer but I don't see how I can attach jpg file or a word file with the images.

Is there a way to download the library that I see on www.zotero.org so that I can use it in Zotero 5?

LiborA

If you see your online library on www.zotero.org then you can only install Zotero 5 and sync it with your Zotero account.

adamsmith

Right, but installation won't work as per the above -- they'd have to find their existing old Zotero data directory, move it somewhere out of the way (don't delete), and then sync.

bcthk

Thank you very much for your responses.

Zotero 5 won't sync. It it is looking for a folder that is not in my hard drive.

The only zotero.sqlite and zotero.sqlite.bak that I have on my hard drive are from May 2009.

On an external drive, I found a copy of a zotero folder where the most recent zotero.sqlite is May 2014, size 1.45MB. There is also "My Library" 12/30/2016.

In an image backup in the program files I found Zotero Standalone with the .exe extention.

None of my Zotero.sqlite files are that big.

The online library that I currently see on www.zotero.org has the work I did in 2015. I have been able to add new entries. But I cannot figure out where Firefox has stored that on my harddrive.

I want to avoid doing anything that would risk over-writing the online library that I see on www.zotero.org.

I have already uninstalled Zotero 5 and Zotero Connector, then reinstalled Connector before Zotero 5.

Before I do anything else, Is there a way on www.zotero.org to copy that entire library to an external source?

Because at this point, I need to be sure I have a backup. There are only 48 entries. If there were a way to save them, then I could put back the old Zotero folder I found on my external drive and see if Zotero 5.0 recognizes the storage and syncs. If I don't see my 48 entries from www.zotero.org, then I could manually put them back in from the backup, right?

adamsmith

Your online data is not going to get overwritten, that's not how Zotero sync works.

What's the location (i.e. the filepath) of those 2009 files?

And what do you mean by this? "Zotero 5 won't sync. It it is looking for a folder that is not in my hard drive."?

If you're getting error messages, please post them here verbatim so we know what's going on

bcthk

Thank you for your response. I updated my comment above (about finding a backup Zotero folder) but did not see your response until now.

When I launch Zotero on my harddrive, I get this message.

"The selected data directory is too old to be used with this version of Zotero. Please first upgrade the data directory using Zotero 4.0 for Firefox or select a different directory."

Selecting the default path gives the same message above. Selecting the zotero profile directory (from dstillman above) give me this message: "The directory you selected is not empty and does not appear to be a Zotero data directory. Create Zotero files in this directory anyway?"

Path for the 2009 files: users\bct\zotero\zotero.sqlite.

There is a storage folder in that path, but the sqlite file is not in it.

In the storage folder is: 8809. Seems to be one entry.

adamsmith

OK, try this: rename /users/bct/zotero to /users/bct/zotero-old and for good measure rename the zotero.sqlite in there to zotero.sqlite.old
Then try restarting Zotero (the expectation at that point is that it'd start with an empty library)

bcthk

adamsmith,
So very sorry I haven't responded to this. I am traveling and can't work on this problem right now. But I will try out your suggestion and get back to you later so that others might benefit. I very much appreciate your and everyone else's responses.