Changing linked attachment base directory when I no longer have access to second computer

etnolan

Hi,

I was using linked attachment base directory to work from my home and work computers. I now want to change the location of the linked directory and get the following error

'The attached file could not be found at the following path:

It may have been moved or deleted outside of Zotero, or a Linked Attachment Base Directory may be set incorrectly on one of your computers.'

I no longer have access to the other computer as I have left that workplace, is it possible to fix this issue?

Thanks

dstillman

I now want to change the location of the linked directory and get the following error

That's not correct. You can change the directory from the preferences whenever you want. This is an error you'd get when actually trying to open an attachment, when either the attachment is set to an absolute path or the linked attachment base directory is set incorrectly on your current computer.

The point of the Linked Attachment Base Directory is that you set it separately on different computers. It doesn't make sense to say that you can't set it because you no longer have access to another computer where you were using it.

If you added linked files on another computer where you weren't using it, then any files you added on that computer would be stored with absolute paths, and you wouldn't be able to switch those to relative paths at this point without creating a directory at the same path on this computer and temporarily setting the base directory there to convert those files to relative paths.

An alternative would be to use the Zutilo plugin to modify attachment paths directly.

etnolan

yes that is correct, I get the error when I try to open the attachment, apologies for the confusion

I have changed the location of the attached files and I have changed the base directory pathway to the new location, but when I click to get the attachment I get the error and it's looking for the file in the old pathway. It also says all files are saved to relative paths, only giving me the option to convert to absolute paths?

I was just relaying what the error message was telling me - 'The attached file could not be found at the following path:

It may have been moved or deleted outside of Zotero, or a Linked Attachment Base Directory may be set incorrectly on one of your computers.'

I assume when I was adding linked files on the other computer they were being stored as absolute paths like you say.

How do I go about 'creating a directory at the same path on this computer and temporarily setting the base directory there to convert those files to relative paths.'? The attachments open when I create a directory at the old pathway, but there is only an option to convert to absolute paths...

Thanks for your help

etnolan

OK, all sorted it seems, I converted to absolute paths and then back to relative paths (I think), I did try to use the Zutilo plugin but I couldn't get it to modify attachment paths at all.