File could not be found even though it hasn't moved

SFBsearch
I'm new to Zotero, so this may be a matter of things being setup wrong...but I'm having an issue accessing some files from other computers. I am using my server to store my library, rather than the cloud. On one computer I am using, if I right click on an attachment (or parent item) and choose "show file" it says, "the attached file could not be found. It may have been moved or deleted outside of Zotero". However, if I double click on the entry, it opens just fine. So it seems that I am accessing the server without issue, and I am having no server issues otherwise in other programs. This is the case for all items in Zotero when accessed on this computer.
If I go to my other computer and try to "show file" it locates it on the server with no problem.
  • adamsmith
    how are you using your server exactly? Since you're using a custom set-up you need to provide exact details before we can say anything.
  • SFBsearch
    Thanks, perhaps I have things setup improperly. I have the standalone application installed on both computers, and I have set the base directory as a folder on my server (which I just named Zotero). I did this via Tools > Preferences > Advanced > Files and Folders.
    Also under Data Directory Location, it is setup as Custom, and points to that same folder.
    Is there other information you need?
  • aurimas
    What exactly is "your server"? Is that a WebDAV server? A SAMBA share? An FTP server? Something else?

    In either case, using the same exact data directory on two different computers is highly discouraged (you might avoid data corruption if your server supports file locking, but then you would probably see Zotero errors if you happen to try and access the database simultaneously from two computers) and we can't provide support if you choose to do this.

    Also, the base directory only deals with file attachments stored as links, not file attachments managed by Zotero (those inside the /storage folder). It generally does not make sense to set the Data Directory and Linked Attachment base directories to the same location. Given your inability to find file attachments, I would guess that you are looking at a _linked_ file attachment (on the computer where you can access it, where is it located?) and you either didn't sync the linked file attachment (which would be located somewhere outside of your data directory) or you set the Linked Attachment base directory to an incorrect value (this is almost certainly the case, but it could be both).
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited September 3, 2014
    It generally does not make sense to set the Data Directory and Linked Attachment base directories to the same location.
    (In fact, we should prevent that, since it's almost always done out of a misunderstanding of what the two settings do and it could quite possibly cause all sorts of problems.)

    (Ticket created.)
  • aurimas
    Lastly, if you don't mind sharing, why are you trying to use your own server to sync Zotero? Is it privacy concerns, Zotero storage costs, something else? Syncing Zotero _data_ (not file attachments) using some third-party method is not supported, but there's also almost no reason to attempt to do this (aside from privacy concerns), since data syncing is absolutely free. For file attachment syncing, there are plenty of options that would not require you syncing your Zotero database (e.g. WebDAV, symlinked "storage" directory, converting to linked file attachments, etc.)
  • SFBsearch
    Sorry for the delay. I honestly don't know enough about our server to tell you more specifics. I didn't realize setting Zotero up this way was an issue. When I did some software comparisons for the various options out there, in looking at the storage options for Zotero it said unlimited local storage, so I thought that the paid plans were only if you want to have cloud storage.

    I already have a very large amount of PDFs to catalog in Zotero, and it will be ever increasing. So the free level of cloud storage won't be enough. I was considering going the paid route, just to have access from anywhere, but I just wanted to use the system for a while before doing so and make sure it is the way I want to go.

    Privacy is also a concern, but only mildly. I'm fine however I can make this work best.

    So can you expand on how I would properly setup my library to have data syncing through Zotero, and attachment syncing locally hosted? If it's more complex that setting which folder on my server I want to store the attachments, that's fine I can pass the info along to my IT guy, as that is a little over my head.
  • aurimas
    edited September 5, 2014
    With file attachment syncing you have a couple options for your personal library (group library attachment syncing is only supported via zotero.org, but you can choose to sync your personal library via one method and group libraries via zotero.org).

    The easiest method, if you have this available, is to use WebDAV. You could ask your IT people if they have a WebDAV option available. You can set this up via Preferences -> Sync -> Settings. Select "Sync attachment files in My Library using" -> WebDAV. Then enter your WebDAV URL and credentials. Even if your IT people cannot provide you with a WebDAV server, you can use a number of third party services that offer more free storage, some of which are listed here. Using WebDAV also allows you to use mobile apps, like Paperhip and ZotPad, to access your attachments.

    Other options include using ZotFile to move all of your attachments to another location that would be synced by whatever third party service you want (DropBox, Google Drive, your own file server that you can mount as a drive, etc.), or selectively syncing only the "storage" directory inside your Zotero data directory - you _must not_ sync the zotero.sqlite file (this might mean symlinking the Zotero "storage" directory to a folder that's inside Dropbox or whatever you use, or using a sync service that allows to sync selected folders on your hard drive, e.g. SpiderOak). I definitely recommend using WebDAV if you can.
  • SFBsearch
    Great, thanks for the info!
  • solec
    Hello,

    I am having a similar issue but I am using one single laptop to access Zotero standalone.

    Lately, the new files that I am indexing are not found when I reopen Zotero: "The attached file could not be found. It may have been moved or deleted outside Zotero"

    I did not move or delate any files. Do you know how may I solve this issue?

    Sincerely,

    Soledad
  • adamsmith
    provide a debug ID for an attempt to open such a file:
    http://www.zotero.org/support/debug_output
  • solec
    Hello Adam,

    Thank you for your answer. The Debug ID is D723759185.
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    Attachment file 'D:\Do[...]\Ge[...]\Ga[..] - 2007 - [...]Wome.pdf' not found
    solec: How exactly are you adding the files? Are you using Zotero alone, or with something like ZotFile? Your debug output shows an attempt to open a linked files, not one stored within Zotero's own directory. So the file has to be at the (redacted) location above.
  • solec
    Hello Dan,

    I am adding the files using the link to file with Zotero Standalone 4.0.22 (Please, see an example on Debug ID D1967818213)

    I had been adding files in this way for a long time and had no problems before.

    But lately when I open Zotero and click to open the file that I had previously linked to, the path seems to be missing and I get the message: "The attached file could not be found. It may have been moved or deleted outside Zotero"

    Thank you for your help.
  • aurimas
    So that would mean that the file at the location indicated by Dan above has been moved/deleted (but do check if that file exists in the unlikely even that there's some sort of bug in Zotero). Zotero does not manage linked files in any way, so this was probably done by some other software or, possibly, by a third-party Zotero add-on (like Zotfile). If you have some sort of Zotero add-on installed (would be listed under Tools -> Add-ons), let us know and we _might_ be able to help you find the files. Otherwise, there's nothing we can do.
  • solec
    Hello aurimas,


    Do you mean that the "link to file" option placed above "store copy of file" is not Zotero? I checked and found only 2 add-on installed: Zotero Word for Windows integration (so I can use Zotero while working with Word files) and Zotero LibreOffice Integration.

    The files exist in the location in which they had been linked to. I found them using the information stored + windows search.
  • aurimas
    edited September 9, 2014
    Do you mean that the "link to file" option placed above "store copy of file" is not Zotero?
    It is, but all Zotero does is link to that file. It would not move it to another location (without a third-party add-on, which you don't have installed) and it would not delete the file from your hard disk if you chose to delete it from Zotero. It would, however, rename the file if you chose to rename it based on parent metadata (right-click menu) or renamed the file manually (by clicking the link name in the right panel). So there's a chance, if you did any of those two actions (did you?), that Zotero messed something up. I would find it extremely unlikely if that happened for more than one PDF though.
    The files exist in the location in which they had been linked to. I found them using the information stored + windows search.
    Can you copy-paste the file path and the file name here for the link mentioned above?
  • solec
    File path: D:\Doctorado UOC\Uruguay\Gender

    File name: Gallagher - 2007 - Agency, Resources, and Identity Lower-Income Wome.pdf

    The problem is that is happening with a lot of files. I would not worry about one single link missing.

    In general, I change the names of the files from Zotero, after indexing them or creating a parent item.
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    If that's where the file now exists, then you moved the file since adding it to Zotero. As you can see from my redacted version above, that's not the path where Zotero is looking for the file. (The "Uruguay" folder isn't in the original path.) If you move the file outside of Zotero, the link will break.
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    Also, are you using the linked attachment base directory setting in the Advanced → Files and Folders pane of the Zotero preferences? The fundamental issue is still the same — the file isn't where you originally told Zotero it was — but that could slightly change how this might have happened.
  • aurimas
    edited September 9, 2014
    You can either move the files back to the original location or use the "Linked Attachment Base Directory" setting in Zotero to fix the links.

    For the latter, go to Preferences -> Advanced -> Files and Folders. Under Linked Attachment Base Directory, set it to the _original_ location first (you'll have to re-create the folder if it's no longer there), press OK, then repeat the steps with the new location. (if you don't recall the exact location, Dan can probably tell you where Zotero is looking for the files)

    Once your links are working, you can remove the Base Directory setting altogether (but you don't have to)
  • solec
    In this case I used the linked attachment option from the "new item" button.

    I am pretty sure I did not move the files from the folder (and I am the only one using the laptop). Well, I was sure... now you make me wonder. I shall observe what happens from now on.

    Thank you so much for your help!
  • adamsmith
    well, you wouldn't have needed to move the file itself: changing anything in the folder hierarchy - such as adding the Uruguay folder and placing the Gender folder into it - would have the same effect as moving the file itself: it changes the link.

    (If you have batches of files to re-link, you may also benefit from the Zutilo add-on: https://github.com/willsALMANJ/Zutilo )
  • solec
    Thank you!

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