Problem...

poirmw
I appear to have lost my entire database, and I do not know what I did to cause the, but I see that I do have the sprite file, and it is unchanged. How to I regain access to the database? I hope that I am explaining this correctly.
  • adamsmith
    by "sprite" you mean sqlite, right? What's the size of the zotero.sqlite file you're seeing?
  • poirmw
    11,360 bytes and I have, or had, if I recall well, a little over 1120 entries in the database/
  • adamsmith
    I assume kilo-bytes. That does seem like the right size, yes.
    First, make a copy of the entire folder containing zotero.sqlite and place it somewhere as back-up.

    You've tried restarting Zotero?

    When you show your data directory from the Zotero preference --> Advanced --> Files and Folders, is that the folder containing your zotero.sqlite?
  • poirmw
    I am not too sure that I understand your last question. What do you mean by "Zotero preference -- Advanced -- files and Folders. If I understand correctly, I suspect that you mean is the "sqlite" file from before the deletion. The answer is "yes", if that is what you mean.
  • poirmw
    By the way, I have not tried restarting Zotero for fear that that would consolidate something that might be remedied.
  • adamsmith
    Right, that's why I'm asking you to make a copy of the whole folder, but once you have that, please do restart.
  • poirmw
    Thanks.
  • poirmw
    edited March 19, 2018
    I am being told that the selected file, which I take to mean, "zotero.sqlite," is not in a supported format. But it must be. I have not toyed with that file.
  • poirmw
    I mean "zotero.sqlite." Sorry.
  • poirmw
    edited March 19, 2018
    I mean that I am being told by my computer that "zotero.sqlite" is not in the accepted format. But how can that be since I have toyed with that file?
  • poirmw
    How does one go about rebuilding a database from a "zotero.sqlite" file? In advance, thank you for whatever help you might give.
  • adamsmith
    don't try importing the file, which is what it looks like you tried above.

    Have you tried just restarting Zotero?
  • poirmw
    Yes, and that did not work, and then I tried importing. And that too did not work.
  • poirmw
    Adam Smith:

    I think that I may have lost as many as 250 entries. Fortunately, I have an older copy on a different computer. But that is little comfort at the moment.

    By way of a simple question: why isn't the program separated form the data, or am I wrong about that? At least, the programme appears not to be separated form the data. Again, thanks for your effort to help. I still have the file zotero.sqlite from before the event, but I do not know what to do with it at the moment since it is being rejected.
  • dstillman
    By way of a simple question: why isn't the program separated form the data, or am I wrong about that?
    What do you mean by that? Zotero program files are certainly separated from data files in a default configuration.

    There's not really any way to just lose items in Zotero. It's possible 1) some items haven't yet synced from another computer, 2) you accidentally deleted items (say by using "Delete Collection and Items…" on a collection instead of "Delete Collection…", 3) Zotero somehow ended up pointing to a different, older data directory on your computer, or 4) you have your database in a cloud storage folder like Dropbox and your database was corrupted.
  • adamsmith
    The program is separate from the data. It just stores data in a database file that's not in an import/export format -- that's completely standard. The program executable is in a different folder.

    The way to restore from a database file is
    https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data#restoring_your_zotero_library_from_a_backup1

    so try that with the backed-up zotero.sqlite
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