How do I update my library to move attachments to a new location?

jmespge

I've just imported my library from Mendeley, with items being stored in Zotero. As far as I could understand Zotero's confusing file management approach, I've switched from 'absolute paths' to using 'linked attachments' and have set a base directory called 'Zotero library' on my local OneDrive folder. My data directory remains local. I understood that I also needed to install ZotFile to make use of cloud storage, and set it to use the same 'Zotero library' location, with subfolders by author name.

Now that I've set this up and restarted Zotero, nothing has changed - the OneDrive folder stayed empty. I tried selecting items with attachments (although Zotero is unable to sort using the attachment column) and selecting Manage Attachments > Rename Attachments. This placed a handful in the OneDrive folder but just stopped, so it appears that isn't the way to prompt attachments to be moved.

If the attachments don't move automatically after the linked attachments location is set, what is the process for doing so?

dstillman

I tried selecting items with attachments […] and selecting Manage Attachments > Rename Attachments.

That's how you do it with ZotFile for existing files. ZotFile should move new files automatically.

We can't provide support for ZotFile, but you can try doing it on smaller or different batches of attachments, or individual attachments, to try to figure out if there's a problem with a particular attachment.

(To be clear re: "confusing", the standard way of using Zotero is to just to use the default stored-file approach, let Zotero manage and sync your files for you, and not think about it further.)

alexlomba87

This still doesn't answer the question.

adamsmith

I'm not sure why not. The answer is that Zotfile should do it the way you set it up and to experiment with smaller groups of files. (and, if you want to, follow up with the ZotFile developer and/or on the Zotfile thread)

Zotero doesn't move files automatically based on the base directory for linked files.