Linked attachment base directory not finding all attachments

wmec

I'm trying to set the relative path for my linked file attachments in my Zotero library but when I choose the base directory containing my files I get the message "333 existing attachments were found within the new base directory." when it should by finding over 1200 attachments.

dstillman

You can view debug output with Help → Debug Output Logging → View Output and then try to open an attachment to see where it's looking.

If necessary, you can use the third-party Zutilo plugin to adjust the path, but that shouldn't be necessary if you've used the base directory setting properly. The most likely possibility is that it isn't or wasn't set properly on one or more of the computers where you save files, and so some attachments are still set to absolute paths.

wmec

All the links were added on the same computer from the same base directory, though I was using absolute paths when I added them and only set the base directory after the fact. That computer can open all the attachments fine, though when trying to use the library on a different computer, the debugger confirms that some are set to relative paths but most are set to absolute paths. Would that mean I'd have to adjust the path of each file manually?

dstillman

You won't have to adjust each file regardless, since Zutilo can batch-change paths, but again, that shouldn't be necessary.

Are you saying that some files — the ones that won't open on this computer, presumably — are set to absolute paths that are within the base directory on the other computer? I'm not sure why that would happen (were you using ZotFile?) but if that's the case, you can either use Zutilo to batch-change the paths to be correct for this computer and then set the base directory to make them relative or, on the computer where they can be opened, clear and re-set the base directory, which should collect all the files below the base directory and convert them to relative paths. Either way, once they're relative paths and the base directory is set correctly on both computers, you'll be able to open them in both locations.

wmec

Yes, some are set to the original absolute paths. Clearing and re-setting the base directory does the same thing every time, only setting some to relative paths.

Changing the attachment paths to relative paths using Zutilo is working to make the files accessible on both computers, but I can't change all paths at once.
EDIT: If I select multiple entries and try to change their paths together, only some will be changed.

dstillman

Yes, some are set to the original absolute paths. Clearing and re-setting the base directory does the same thing every time, only setting some to relative paths.

Are you trying this on the computer where the files are all accessible or on the computer where some aren't? You have to do it on the former.

If that's what you're doing, can you provide a Debug ID that shows opening a file that's still set to the absolute path followed by re-setting the base directory such that the file is left as an absolute path?

wmec

D2060510574

wmec

I've ultimately edited the paths with Zutilo - though it didn't work when I tried to do it in a single batch, so I performed the edits in smaller batches.

dstillman

OK, hard to say what happened without further debugging — possible it's related to your having the files on a network drive — but let us know if you have further trouble.