transferred zotero library to new computer and won't recognize citations

PDM
I exported my zotero database from my desktop into my new laptop. Imported. No problems. I then moved over the existing documents I wanted to work on (already containing some zotero citations). When I try to add a new citation or do the update citations function inside Word 2003, I get a "Zotero - Updating: This citation no longer exists in the Zotero database. Delete it?" However, the whole database is there. I'm assuming I messed up the import function somewhere along the line and it no longer sees things where it expects to. Any suggestions on what I can do?

I'm using Firefox 3.0.1 and Zotero 1.0.7 on both machines. I've also imported my Office settings from the desktop to my new laptop. I know after importing my Word settings that Word didn't like the templates at startup, so I emptied out the Startup folder for Word (zotero.dot, etc.) and reinstalled the plugin. I don't get the startup error anymore, but I still get the citation error for existing documents.
  • PDM
    I did a little more testing and it seems like it can see the database, but it can't recognize the individual entries in it (or at least of preexisting citations entered with Zotero). If I hit the "edit citation" button on the Zotero toolbar in Word, it will pull up the database, but no entry is highlighted. Of course, after that I start getting all the error messages (citation doesn't exist; delete?).

    I tried deleting the current database and uninstalling the Zotero extension from Firefox, then reinstalled the extension and imported the database again, but its the same problem. Is there an index or linkage file that I'm missing?
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    FAQ: What is the best way to move my entire collection to a different computer?

    Also: "Note that, due to the way the word processor plugins currently work, any links in existing documents to references that you have exported and then reimported will be lost. This limitation will be addressed in a future version of Zotero."
  • PDM
    Thanks, I missed that! Might I suggest to the team that this warning be moved up in the FAQ or put in multiple sections. I saw no reason to read about combining libraries since I was moving mine from one computer to another. I searched support for importing and exporting since that is the standard way of doing things like this. Entering the search terms for "transfer to new computer" doesn't even pull up that entry.

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