Transfer library not successful

Bill743

I have Zotero on my old computer with many files. I am now using my new computer (also a PC - not an Apple). I newly installed Zotero on my new computer. I saw the instructions about "How can I move my Zotero library to a different computer?" and followed them. That is, I copied my old data folder files from my old machine to my new one. When it noted that there were copies (from the new install), I told the computer to "skip" those files because the newly installed files would have the most recent update. I copies and installed the filed when the Zotero programs were not running and open. I assumed that when I opened my Zotero program on the new computer, it would read the data files and automatically import or list the old storage files (bibliography info). This has not happened. Even when I restart the computer, opening the new Zotero program just gives the initial page, including the page such as "welcome to Zotero" and instructions to use the quick start guide. There is no library listed.

Is there a refresh or "import" button I am supposed to use to have it read and use the files which I have transferred? Thank you for your help.

dstillman

What files exactly did you copy?

These are the instructions for transferring a library:

https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/transferring_a_library

You shouldn't be skipping any files — if you skip files with the same filename, it's just going to skip the main Zotero database and Zotero will be empty when you open it. If there's already an existing Zotero data directory on the new computer, you should just delete it and put the transferred one in its place. This really is just as simple as copying a directory to the new computer.

Or, as the page says, you can use Zotero syncing instead, but there's no particular reason to do that if you have an easy way to transfer a folder between the two computers.

Bill743

Thank you. Those instructions worked. I followed the instructions before from the link that you provided as well. What I did not know was that I was to delete the data directory on the new computer before copying all the files from the old one. This new directory was created when I installed Zotero.

My suggestion would be that these "transferring a library" instructions are updated to say that if Zotero has already been installed in a new computer, then those data files in the data folder should be deleted before installing all of the old files. The instructions do not note that, though they do provide other critical information (such as how to find those data files). Thanks again for your help.

dstillman

We'll clarify that — thanks.