Library disappeared if I activate Zotero thru the Z button

ernietamminga
I created a fairly extensive Zotero library quite a while ago, and haven't used it in some months. Firefox says I have the most recent version of the plugin.
Now if I activate Zotero from within Firefox thru the Z button, my whole library seems to have disappeared.
But if I go to zotero.org and log in there, the library is present -- but I can't access Zotero's "settings" or its usual controls ("Add item", "New Note", "Add Attachment", etc.)
I VERY MUCH prefer the interface that comes up via the Z button, compared to the minimal interface that comes up at zotero.org --- but how can I get my library to show up in the "Z - button" version of Zotero???
  • dstillman
    Start here: https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data#where_did_my_items_go

    But if you can't find an existing data directory locally, you can just sync.
  • ernietamminga
    Thank you.
    I don't know where to look for an existing data directory I did a search on my system for "zotero" and found a number of items, but none of them seems to be a data directory.
    So (in the interface I get through the Z button) I did a "sync" -- entered my username and password, but when I clicked OK (ostensibly to launch the sync?) nothing happened. No response at all.
    It's still the case that my library shows up in the interface on Zotero.org, but does not show up in the interface that I get by clicking the Z in Firefox.
    Most baffling!
  • adamsmith
    unless you have automatic sync selected in the preferences, you trigger the sync by clicking the round green arrow.

    I'd take another look for the data directory, though. My guess would be that you inadvertently (or Firefox automatically) performed a refresh, in which case https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/restore_after_firefox_reset applies.
    If you don't find that "Old Firefox profile" folder, then go ahead and trigger the sync.
  • ernietamminga
    (typing clumsily with fingers crossed...) Doing a Sync seems to have solved my problem.
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