Transferring and merging libraries

nsilbercoats
This seems like it should be easy, but I'm having trouble.

I have 3+ years worth of stuff in standalone on my old computer. I also have a few months worth of stuff in standalone on my new computer. I want to have it all together on my new computer.

The documentation suggests copying the data directory that contains the old library, but doesn't explain what to do next.

Related - the documentation on transferring a library says emphatically not to export/import, but the page on merging two libraries says just export one and import it into the other.

I'd rather not mess with syncing because the old library is ~5GB.

Help!
  • adamsmith
    Really syncing is the way to go here. I assume the 5GB refer to attachments? If you want to not spend the money and are just going to use the new computer anyway, you can copy the contents of the storage folder from the old data directory to the storage folder in the new data directory after syncing.

    If you really don't want to sync, what I'd do is
    1) Export the _new_ (i.e. smaller) library to Zotero RDF.
    2) Transfer the old library following the instructions (not sure which part isn't clear: there isn't anything apart from copying the data folder from computer A over to computer B so that it replaces the data folder on computer B)
    3) Import the exported library.

    Note that when following this method, all citations in Word/LO documents created from the new library will lose their connection to the item in your library (that's one of the reason import/export is discouraged)
  • nsilbercoats
    Thanks.

    The part that was not clear is what to do when you already have stuff in your data folder in computer B that you don't want to lose.

    If I do sync and copy the storage folder as you suggest, will it remember which attachments belong to which items?
  • adamsmith
    The part that was not clear is what to do when you already have stuff in your data folder in computer B that you don't want to lose.
    right, that only works for transferring, not for merging.
    If I do sync and copy the storage folder as you suggest, will it remember which attachments belong to which items?
    Yes it will, but note that you should copy the _contents of_ the storage folder, not the storage folder itself. You'll have a whole bunch of cryptically named folders in there and want to add those to the already existing cryptically named folders in the new storage folder.
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