Collections disappear after resetting Firefox

mtai33
I reset my Firefox last week, and since then I notice that several of my collections have disappeared.
  • mtai33
    I was using both Standalone and Firefox. The collections that disappeared were more recent ones created within the last 6 months or so. Thinking that using Standalone and Firefox somehow messed things up, I deleted Standalone yesterday.
  • mtai33
    I am using Mac OSX 10.9.5
  • DWL-SDCA
    Do you mean that you upgraded Firefox or that you reset it?
  • aurimas
    Thinking that using Standalone and Firefox somehow messed things up, I deleted Standalone yesterday.
    Deleting something in attempt to recover data is generally one of the worst things you could do. Look for your old library either on your desktop inside the "Old Firefox Profile" directory that would have been created if you reset Firefox, or at one of the default Zotero data directory locations https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data#default_locations You're looking for a zotero.sqlite file that would be several MB and modified last just before you noticed the missing collections. If you find it, use the instructions here. Make backups of everything first
  • mtai33
    I reset Firefox (not upgrade) because for some unknown reason Bing suddenly became my default search engine instead of Google. I reset Firefox to get back to Google.
  • mtai33
    Thanks for your suggestion, aurimas. I found the old zotero.sqlite file (127 Mbytes) but don't know where to find the 'storage' folder that goes with it. What will happen if I just replace the current zotero.sqlite with the old zotero.sqlite (from Oct 22) without replacing the 'storage' folder? When turn sync back on, will zotero write over the server data with the local data i.e. sync from local to server?
  • mtai33
    I found 4 folders named 'storage.' How do I determine which one belongs to which zotero.sqlite?
  • mtai33
    Okay, I switched the current zotero.sqlite file with the older version without replacing the storage folder. That seems to work fine and I have now recovered the missing collections. Next I proceed to sync the local with the remote, and Zotero prompts me to choose between duplicate items (425 in all). That went fine too but next Zotero issues a series of alerts (pop up window) about new items it is adding to some of the collections. Here all I need do is click OK at the bottom of each alert pop up window. But one window was so long (vertically) that the OK button went completely off the screen (and I can't scroll the pop up window). What should I do now?
  • adamsmith
    press return to OK windows without a visible OK button.
  • aurimas
    edited November 5, 2014
    You do want to copy over the correct storage folder as well. You need to copy the storage folder that is in the same directory as the zotero.sqlite file. If you found the file by searching your system, you can right-click the file and select "Show Containing Folder" (or something similar).

    Since you already started syncing, this makes things a bit more complicated. First do what adamsmith says and let the sync proceed until you see a progress bar next to the sync arrow. Close Zotero. Delete (or move somewhere) your current storage folder and copy over the storage folder that was next to your zotero.sqlite file (the one you found). Then open Zotero and under Zotero -> Sync -> Rest, select "Reset File Sync History" (not the other two options!!!). Now wait for Zotero to rescan all of your file attachments and download any missing ones.
  • mtai33
    Many thanks, adamsmith. Syncing completed.
  • mtai33
    Aurimas, the OLD zotero.sqlite (127.1 MB)is so much bigger than the CURRENT zotero.sqlite (9.9 MB) but why is OLD storage folder (873 MB) smaller than CURRENT folder (4.08 GB)? CURRENT" being the one with the missing collections after I reset Firefox. Wouldn't you expect both the OLD sqlite and storage folder to be bigger than the CURRENT.
  • aurimas
    Hmm, I'm not sure how that could have happened. Seems like the safest thing to do would be to simply merge the two (I.e. copy over the _contents_ of the old storage folder into the new one without overwriting existing folders). Still do the reset file sync history step afterwards, so that Zotero rescans your storage folder.
  • adamsmith
    Could be an indexing thing?
  • mtai33
    How do I send you a screenshot?
  • adamsmith
    upload to a free image hosting site like dropbox or imgur.com, link to it here.
  • mtai33
    Kindly see screenshot of the sqlite files and storage folder before and after the Firefox setup October 22 / 23. Notice the file and folder sizes.


    https://www.dropbox.com/s/ygzrepc980rfbhu/Zotero%20sqlite%20and%20storage.png?dl=0
  • aurimas
    What I said above still applies. You can merge the two directories without overwriting existing content. I'm still not sure how to explain the discrepancy.
  • mtai33
    By "merging the two directories," do you mean merging the two storage folders? Do I simply copy/paste all the files from the smaller to the bigger folder?
  • mtai33
    What do you mean by "not overwriting existing content"?
  • aurimas
    Do I simply copy/paste all the files from the smaller to the bigger folder?
    yes
    What do you mean by "not overwriting existing content"?
    When you copy paste, some of the directories may already exist. I would suggest not overwriting them. Or you might have to check if the files stored inside those directories are different (as in, one might be more "up to date", e.g. annotated). I think if you cut (not directly from your backup copy, that should remain untouched) and choose to not overwrite destination directories, the duplicates will not get moved and you'll be able to easily compare the two to determine what to do.
  • mtai33
    I merged the 2 folders and did like you said. Everything looks fine now. Many thanks !

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