How to convert stored files into linked files in bulk

Der Alte Fritz
Hello
I can see how to bulk convert linked files into stored file by using Zotfile.
However how can you do this the other way round? Convert all the files in a particular folder into linked files and move the actual files from the Zotero default storage into a folder of my own choosing.
Or does this have to be done one by one?

regards
DAF
  • dstillman
    You have this backwards. It's Zotero that converts linked files into stored files, from the Tools menu, and ZotFile that converts stored files to linked files.
  • Der Alte Fritz
    You are quite right of course.
    I did read the Zotfile website (http://zotfile.com/) before posting this question but did not understand it.
    So to aid others with similar problems this is what I did:
    1) Go to Tools/Zotfile Preferences
    2) Under "Location of Files" change setting to "Custom Location" and set the folder to the location where you want to store the files
    3) Close this window
    4) Now go and find an Entry with a PDF stored file and expand it
    5) Right click on the line with the PDF symbol and select "Manage attachments"
    6) Select "Rename attachments"

    Zotfile will
    a) rename the attachment according to the rules you have set eg. Harrison_2007_Winning the war.pdf
    b) create a copy in your chosen folder and create a linked file entry in your Zotero record
    c) delete the original PDF stored file entry
    d) Open a dialogue box in the bottom right hand corner of the screen confirming what is happening.
    It should work if you select a number of files all together.

    By changing the file location and working through folder by folder, you should be able to move all your files from stored to attached status.
  • Ole_G
    Hello,

    as zotfile cannot be used anymore with zotero 6, is there a way to rename and relocate the stored files and convert them to linked files using the zotero-settings alone?

    (I am trying to set up an alternative syncing solution https://www.zotero.org/support/sync where the data directory is synced via zotero sync and the linked files are synced via one drive. But all the tutorials I found still rely on zotfile).

    Thank you very much.
  • adamsmith
    You can still use Zotfile
  • Ole_G
    oh, youre right. I somehow remembered zotfile being automatically disabled in zotero 6. No clue, where that comes from...
  • adamsmith
    Zotfile's ability to extract annotations from PDF has been disabled because that's now supported directly by Zotero
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