Scan for multiple files after renaming folder

kaktux
hi there,

i renamed a folder which contains subfolders (and so on) - and one of these is the folder i have my pdf attachments for zotero stored (moved there with zotfile).
So basically i did something like renaming
/home/oldname/x/y//z/zoteropdfs
to
/home/newname/x/y//z/zoteropdfs

After that i changed the file path in zotero/zotfile settings to the new one.
But now whenever i want to open a pdf from zotero it says "i can't find the attached file" - and i have to browse to the folder by hand.

So probably i did something wrong in the procedure - but now its done. Also tbh (and first thing i tried) was renaming the folder backwards - but im not 100% sure what the old name was (capitalisation and all) - didnt work.

Is there a way to tell zotero or zotfile in which directory it should watch for the files that cant be found? A more or less simple - "hey- check that directory for all attachments in the library and change your currently saved location to that"??
  • adamsmith
    You can use Zutilo for this:
    https://github.com/willsALMANJ/Zutilo
    including for finding the old path at which Zotero is currently looking.
    Note that ZotFile's settings only affect where files are moved. It has no influence on where Zotero actually looks for files.
  • kaktux
    thx - that worked.

    for anyone encountering the same problem.
    Install Zutilo - and activate Show attachment path and Change attachment path from Zutilo settings. The names should be something like that - i didnt use the english version

    So basically you just look up the old path via show attachment path e.g.
    /home/oldname/x/y//z/zoteropdfs
    and change it to
    /home/newname/x/y//z/zoteropdfs
    via change attachment path.

    You have to write the path manually - no browsing to locatiosn. So write them down or copy+paste.

    Thx adam
  • katerine1103
    I think I am having the same problem and I installed zutfile but it is not working.
    -----
    Issue:
    ------
    -some of the entries have attachments with filename: "ZotFileStorage/filename.pdf"
    -other entries have attachments with filename : "ZotFileNew/filename2.pdf"
    -To get the filename I click on the attachment (not the parent) and there is an entry called "filename".
    - But all of my files are on the folder "ZotFileStorage"
    - Therefore, when I try to open the files that have filename "ZotFileNew/..." I get the error "File Not Found"
    ----------
    What I want:
    ----------
    - I have been able to manually relink files one by one.
    But I want to be able to do it in batches, or at least changing the filename directly without so many clicks.
    - I tried using zutilo by doing the following:
    right click on the parent file (I also tried clicking directly on the attachment)
    -> zutilo -> Modify Attachment Path
    it asks "The attached file could not be found" and I type: "ZotFileNew"
    it asks "New partial path to be used for attachments with paths matching the old partial path:" and I type: "ZotFileStorage"
    all without the quotation marks.
    - nothing happens. Filename is the same.
    - I should mention that the attachments are linked files. I use zotfile to link the files.

    Any suggestions?

  • kaktux
    I am not quite sure that i get your problem - as two folders (ZotFileStorage and ZotFileNew)seems weird to me.

    But - you are writing just "ZotFileStorage" as path??
    If so you should try the full path - not the subfolder.
    I am guessing your folder is not on the highest level - so like in the example i did above "/home/newname/x/y//z/zoteropdfs" (this is a linux example) instead of foldername only.

    Also if i remember right i did this by clicking on the parent - not by clicking on the attachment.
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