Upgrade StorageCan my Zotero data stored in Dropbox be redirected back to the original default location?
Hi,
Just under a couple of years ago I moved my Zotero data storage to a location within Dropbox and though heeding the advice of only having Zotero open on one machine it appears Zotero can have corruption issues because eventually it seems that at some point when the Zotero database is open and dropbox writes to it and then Zotero writes to it, database corruption issues occur or can occur.
I myself only recently started getting warnings against potential database corruption. The question I have is not to necessarily move away from using Dropbox but whether it might be a better idea to redirect my data folder back to it's original default location (or perhaps if not the operating drive in C:/Users/myname/Documents/Zotero then within my data drive on my second hard drive on the same PC?) and then to move the storage folder to Dropbox and replacing it with a symbolic link, as I am sure I read that by placing a symbolic link in our Zotero folder (redirecting to the storage folder in Dropbox), we can make this folder visible to Zotero, yet at the same time allow Dropbox to automatically include this folder and synchronize the contents with its cloud storage? I'm not sure of the steps involved but I read this supposedly helps eliminate data corruption as 1. Dropbox automatically backups up all changes to the storage folder to its cloud storage 2. Zotero sees the symbolic link storage which redirects to the storage folder in Dropbox and 3. The database is backed up via Zotero’s cloud storage. Another step also was to disable syncing attachment files in my library since Zotero does not use WebDAV, which also supposedly helps eliminate data corruption?
Nevertheless, could someone verify this and if this is correct, the steps I need to follow to do so?
Also if the above were not feasible, are there any other alternatives, or should I redirect my storage folder back to a location on my PC anyway?
Note: I did click on database maintenance in Zotero preferences/Advanced/Files and Folders/Check database integrity and it said no errors were found in the database, but then I'm not sure if that is because it was after it was resynced with the Zotero cloud? Like all users I'm sure I have made a number of unintentional mistakes to ensure preventing data corruption through human error.
Thank you in advance
Just under a couple of years ago I moved my Zotero data storage to a location within Dropbox and though heeding the advice of only having Zotero open on one machine it appears Zotero can have corruption issues because eventually it seems that at some point when the Zotero database is open and dropbox writes to it and then Zotero writes to it, database corruption issues occur or can occur.
I myself only recently started getting warnings against potential database corruption. The question I have is not to necessarily move away from using Dropbox but whether it might be a better idea to redirect my data folder back to it's original default location (or perhaps if not the operating drive in C:/Users/myname/Documents/Zotero then within my data drive on my second hard drive on the same PC?) and then to move the storage folder to Dropbox and replacing it with a symbolic link, as I am sure I read that by placing a symbolic link in our Zotero folder (redirecting to the storage folder in Dropbox), we can make this folder visible to Zotero, yet at the same time allow Dropbox to automatically include this folder and synchronize the contents with its cloud storage? I'm not sure of the steps involved but I read this supposedly helps eliminate data corruption as 1. Dropbox automatically backups up all changes to the storage folder to its cloud storage 2. Zotero sees the symbolic link storage which redirects to the storage folder in Dropbox and 3. The database is backed up via Zotero’s cloud storage. Another step also was to disable syncing attachment files in my library since Zotero does not use WebDAV, which also supposedly helps eliminate data corruption?
Nevertheless, could someone verify this and if this is correct, the steps I need to follow to do so?
Also if the above were not feasible, are there any other alternatives, or should I redirect my storage folder back to a location on my PC anyway?
Note: I did click on database maintenance in Zotero preferences/Advanced/Files and Folders/Check database integrity and it said no errors were found in the database, but then I'm not sure if that is because it was after it was resynced with the Zotero cloud? Like all users I'm sure I have made a number of unintentional mistakes to ensure preventing data corruption through human error.
Thank you in advance
You should copy the entire 'Zotero' data directory folder back to its default location (~/Zotero or C:/users//Zotero) and change the settings for the data location in the Zotero Advanced preferences pane.
If you are still getting messages related to corruption or weird behavior, and you've been using Zotero sync (so that your library data are stored on zotero.org; you can check in the library view on the website), follow these steps:
1. Close Zotero
2. In the Zotero data directory, rename the zotero.sqlite file to zotero-old.sqlite
3. Open Zotero and let it re-sync your library from zotero.org. It will create a fresh, non-corrupted database
To use Dropbox to sync files, the easiest method is to use Zotfile to move files into Dropbox for you (see here: http://zotero.org/support/sync#alternative_syncing_solutions). Symlinking the 'storage' subfolder of the Zotero data directory is also a possibility, but requires more work to set up.
My experience wasn't extensive enough at the time to avoid the potential data corruption risk I have since realised could incur with currently placing my entire Zotero data storage within Dropbox.
I am now going to redirect my entire 'Zotero' data directory folder back to it's default location and then consider either using Zotfile or symlinking the 'storage' subfolder of the Zotero data directory at a later date.
Meanwhile, when I do redirect it back to its default location, you mention to then change the setting for the data location in the Zotero Advanced preferences pane, by that I assume you mean just changing the data directory location from the current custom dropbox location back to the default location? Probably stating the obvious but just want to be certain.
I will relay at a later time/date the changes made and the method used and if any further warning messages occurred or not.
Kind regards