Restoring library from two back-ups
I recently tried to restore a Zotero library (1) from a backup on an old laptop, to a new library (2) I had been using on a current laptop, by transferring the squlite file and the storage folders from the old library (1) to the working directory of the new library (2), and storing these folders from library 2 in a temporary file. This did not achieve what I was hoping it would, and I ended up with an empty Zotero library, even when I put the squlite and storage folders from library 2 back in the current directory. I now have:
-an online version of the new library 2, but I don't know how to restore this to the desktop app, and...
-a backed up version of library 1, which I don't know how to recover from backup.
I'd be really grateful for some advice on these issues.
-an online version of the new library 2, but I don't know how to restore this to the desktop app, and...
-a backed up version of library 1, which I don't know how to recover from backup.
I'd be really grateful for some advice on these issues.
https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data#restoring_your_zotero_data_from_a_backup1
If that's not working, you likely don't have a proper backup. If the zotero.sqlite file is 1 MB or 5 MB, it's an empty file. If it's bigger, it's a real database.
For the old library, I've done what's recommended on that page, and set the backup folder (6.3MB) as the key directory, but Zotero desktop is still empty.
Sorry, I meant that the squlite file is 6.3MB, which suggests it is a proper backup. Could it be anything to do with the fact that the backup was from a windows PC and I am trying to restore to a mac?
If you're getting an empty database, you may be somehow restoring it to the wrong place.
If you don't mind uploading it to the DB Repair Tool and posting the Upload ID here, we can tell you if it's really empty. (If you do so, ignore the download link the tool provides. This is just a way to securely share the file.)