"File has been changed in multiple places"

ebrusati
When I try to sync standalone Zotero to the server I get an error that it can't sync because entries have been changed in multiple places and wants me to select which one to keep. The problem is there are 5000 of these! I'm trying to use Zotero as a group with my co-workers so not syncing means no one else can see what I've added. I think the problem is a large number of entries I imported from EndNote.

Is there any way around this?
  • ebrusati
    And I should add that the reason there are multiple copies is probably because it took me several tries to import citations from EndNote.
  • adamsmith
    So those items are in a group?
  • ebrusati
    Yes, in a group library.
  • ebrusati
    Another problem with this is that there does not seem to be a way to resolve a few of the 5000 problems, save them, and come back to resolve more later. It's all or nothing.
  • adamsmith
    Could you give us a step-by-step of what you did? What's especially relevant are on which computers imports and syncs occured.

    Multiple large imports and deletes with sync enabled are kind of a recipe for disaster, so I'm not sure how easy this is going to be to disentangle, but we can see what the options are.

    I'd ask you to not try anything yourself unless you have a very precise understanding of how Zotero sync works: good chance it'll make things worse.
  • ebrusati
    I did the big import over a year ago so I cannot give you the exact steps I used. The import was done on my computer and initially it synced correctly to the server (I can see those entries on the Zotero website). I think the problem started when I started using standalone Zotero (however my online Zotero in Firefox won't sync now either). Basically, now it won't sync anything, old or new.

    I've had this problem for several months and gave up on it but am now trying again, so I'm sorry I can't remember all the details.
  • ebrusati
    Even citations that I've just added in standalone, that I know are nowhere else, won't sync.
  • adamsmith
    once you get a conflict nothing syncs, so that's no surprise.

    How much of the relevant items is visible in the online group library on zotero.org?
  • ebrusati
    It looks like all of the items that I imported from EndNote are there but maybe nothing else since then.
    I think at one point I deleted items in an attempt to resolve this sync problem (thinking I could wipe them out an start over by re-importing) but instead it created a mess.
  • adamsmith
    edited December 12, 2014
    edit: The details of this matter, so please follow to the letter and ask if you have any doubts.

    For all of the below, you want to make sure to have a back-up of your Zotero database first:
    https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data#backing_up_your_zotero_library

    So one thing you could do is to export everything you've added since as Zotero RDF (should be feasible sorting by "Date Added"). Remember to do this for your library and the group in question.

    Then, start fresh with an empty Zotero profile. You want to disable sync during this to be sure this is working right. It's crucial that you _not_ do this by deleting anything in Zotero. Instead, simply move the Zotero data folder (the one you've backed up above) to a different location and restart Zotero. You will then see an entirely empty Zotero database.

    Now sync (you'll likely get a single conflict for the Welcome item, resolve that and the sync will go through).

    Now re-import the items you exported above and sync again. You should be set.
  • ebrusati
    So backup what's in standalone Zotero?
    I'm not quite sure what you mean by an empty Zotero profile. Could you explain?

    Thanks for the help. I will try this.
  • adamsmith
    Yes, back-up Standalone (presumably that's actually the same as Firefox. It would be in a standard set-up).

    For the empty Zotero profile: It's what you would have if you installed Zotero on a new computer. I.e. an entirely empty databse. I provide instructions on how to do that in that same paragraph.
  • aurimas
    edited December 12, 2014
    Not to confuse you, but could you verify that your Zotero Standalone and Zotero in Firefox are linked? https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/sharing_data_directory#how_do_i_know_if_my_data_directories_are_shared don't actually modify anything, just let us know what the outcome of that test is.

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