How to transfer only collection on library from Zotero portable on USB to Zotero w/my library

melzinb

Hi thanks in advance for any and all help. I have my established library with files with pdfs on my hard drive on Zotero. Went to unversity library with unsynced Zotero portable on USB to use their referenced databases. Downloaded references and pdfs etc to Zotero portable on USB in one collection that it is now whole library on this Zotero portable.
Thought I would be able to easily export this collection and associated pdfs and files to my main Zotero but now learning that will not work to include associated pdfs etc.
Am afraid that if I sync portable into a new Zotero online it will pickup up collection but then if I sync my existing library from my hard drive Zotero it will wipe out transferred collection and just put hard drive library in to synced online version. What is the best way to do this and get all information transferred in from collection to final full library on my hard drive? Sorry I'm new to Zotero and would like to understand best way to transfer this collection and how to do this same task in the future. Thanks so much.

dstillman

Thought I would be able to easily export this collection and associated pdfs and files to my main Zotero but now learning that will not work to include associated pdfs etc.

Why do you say that? You can export to Zotero RDF with files and import it into your main Zotero.

Am afraid that if I sync portable into a new Zotero online it will pickup up collection but then if I sync my existing library from my hard drive Zotero it will wipe out transferred collection and just put hard drive library in to synced online version.

That's not how syncing works — it only ever syncs deletions you make yourself — but there's no particular reason to sync here.