If Zotero was originally installed by an admin, only an admin can update.
It is possible to install Zotero as a non-admin user and then you can also update it yourself -- don't try this if you still have an admin version installed, though; that won't work.
Re-installing Zotero will not cause you to lose any data, no. Neither re-installing nor a typical uninstall will remove your Zotero data. That said, you should, as with all important data, always have a back-up of your Zotero library: https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data#backing_up_your_zotero_library
Thank you. I am unable to back up with this: "move up one level in the file directory with zotero [and the Chrome browser] closed." I don't have Firefox. So I logged in at zotero.org on Chrome, exported the 2 collections I most want backed up and saved them as rdf files on a networked corporate drive. I was able to open these when logged back in to zotero.org. Will this get it?
(these are I think the Northwestern University instructions -- the basics here are still the same and should work, except with Zotero anywhere it says Firefox, but might be worthwhile finding updated ones to link to)
I'd indeed like to back up my data directory, but the steps displayed through he link are apparently from an old version. What do I click to "move up one level in the file directory"?
Got it now. I was referring to the screenshots on saving my data directory which did not correspond to my zotero toolbar, possibly the last version of zotero. I did copy the data directory and directions for restoring it into a file on a separate drive, so I'm good to go. Thanks!
My computer has a sacred admin account that I pretty much never touch, but when I was installing Zotero I was prompted for the administrator password and of course supplied it. Yesterday, as I have done several times before, I ran Zotero as an adminstrator, installed updates, and made sure every automatic update option I could find was turned off. And today I once again had the error message about not being able to run updates because I wasn't an admin. While attempting to reinstall as suggested above, I was prompted for an admin password again, and there was no obvious way past that. When I gave up and cancelled the admin password dialog, the installation continued with no apparent consequences, and everything will hopefully work now as promised.
Just wanted to spell out how this all looks from the user's point of view, because I think it suggests several changes that are needed in the product itself.
Upgrade Storage
It is possible to install Zotero as a non-admin user and then you can also update it yourself -- don't try this if you still have an admin version installed, though; that won't work.
Re-installing Zotero will not cause you to lose any data, no. Neither re-installing nor a typical uninstall will remove your Zotero data. That said, you should, as with all important data, always have a back-up of your Zotero library:
https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data#backing_up_your_zotero_library
And if you already tried reimporting an RDF file, it means you created duplicate items in your library.
Thanks!
Just wanted to spell out how this all looks from the user's point of view, because I think it suggests several changes that are needed in the product itself.