Is anyone else having problems with the Preferences > Advanced > Files and Folders dialogue

nbrefzot

Sorry about the length of this first post.

The problem started somewhere between Standalone v4.0.26.4 and v5.0.42. I had stopped using Zotero for a while and came back to it. After a reinstall to go from v4 to v5 I had problems moving to the custom library location that I wanted. To overcome this I reinstalled a v4 and then located my library with this, allowing the automatic updates to run to get this to v5. This caused the problems detailed at: https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/71574/zotero-5-asks-to-move-my-library with the move or Not Now dialogue.

The dialogue path fields do not accept the locations I want to use. I did eventually get the data directory path accepted by transferring the whole profile directory to the new location and then deleting the files and folders which were not needed. The dialogue does not seem to accept a simple path such as: G:\Zotero.

Links to screenshots show how this happens:

The files and folders dialogue starts with the Revert to Absolutue paths button inactive:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/utl2ucrihqdy203/2. v5 Start of files and folders dialogue.jpg?dl=0

Clicking on the choose button for the base directory brings up the dialogue to select a folder:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nb49lvn2a0cfl2t/3. v5 Click on choose button for base directory.jpg?dl=0

After selecting a folder the change base directory dialogue comes up:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qhus9hwji762nw7/4. v5 Click on change base directory button in dialogue.jpg?dl=0

Changing the base directory highlights the revert to absolute paths button, but does not show a path or select one when the preferences dialogue is closed and opened again saving the new settings:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yxjvkenjj1shzvo/5. v5 Revert to absolute paths button active.jpg?dl=0

This same behaviour happens with the Data Directory dialogue to change the location of the data directory to an external drive.

Thank you for any comments or help.

adamsmith

I'm a bit unclear on why you want the base directory. Do you use any links to files? Otherwise there's no need to specify this.

Beyond that, my guess would be that the location gets removed because Zotero can't find it at start-up, likely due to its location on an external drive.

bwiernik

@dstillman in your other thread gave you specific, safe instructions for resolving your issue. He is the lead developer for Zotero. You can trust him when he says an operation is safe.

dstillman

I suggested starting a new thread with screenshots for the filepicker issue, but yes, my instructions in the other thread are perfectly safe.

dstillman

@nbrefzot: Can we also see a Debug ID for trying to set the Base Directory (assuming, as adamsmith says, you're actually using linked files).

nbrefzot

I don't want to use linked files, I was just using the base directory to illustrate the behaviour of the dialogue, without having to use and change the data directory dialogue. When you say 'Zotero can't find it at startup', the USB stick with the folder I want to use is available when Zotero is started, the application and the data directory are on the same stick. But the stick is not in the pc when the system is started. Might this mean that the Zotero can't find it? The Debug ID is for startup is D1065236974. The Debug ID for the base directory dialogue, trying to set a base directory and then cancelling it, is D1944380630. Thank you for your help.

dstillman

Can you share what path you're trying to set it to?

After trying to set a linked path, if you go to the Advanced pane of the Zotero preferences, click on "Config Editor", and search for extensions.zotero.baseAttachmentPath, is there a value set?

nbrefzot

Well done! I've found out what the problem is. Because of the way I was clicking on the file dialogue 'two' copies of the last folder in the path ended up in the string. So the path in the advanced setting didn't exist. Once the last bit of the string was removed the path appeared in the Files and Folders preferences dialogue. Now I know the paths will work I can sort everything out and get rid of the dialogue at startup, and stop messing about with the base path. Thanks for your help.