Duplicate records after sync

Roditou27
Hi!
I tried to install Zotero on a different computer as I had to switch to a new one so I imported my library from a backup file to the new computer while still using the old computer. Mistakenly I pressed the sync button and and I now have in both locations the copies of the same record three times and sometimes even four. How can I solve this problem?

Many thanks
Christina
  • adamsmith
    You shouldn't use export/import to transfer a library (see https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/transferring_a_library ). The easiest way to remove the duplicates would be to sort your library by "Date added" and then delete all items that were added by the import (which would all have about the same date + time added)
  • Roditou27
    Many thanks!
    This was very useful :)

  • Roditou27
    edited January 21, 2019
    Hi again!

    I just noticed that even though the problem with copies of the same record existing three and four times has been solved I still have duplicates and it seems that all of them were added on the same date and just some minutes apart. I think what happened was a while ago i organised my citations in different folders. I dragged the records from the main library into folders so now the main library shows also the copies that i am guessing Zotero identified as new entries. My worry is that if I delete the duplicates what happens if I have used them already in my writing. The system will notify me that some citations are missing a record or these will be deleted automatically? Should I just keep the duplicates? I cannot tell which record i used already in my writing so to delete the ' correct' duplicate.

    Thanks!
    Christina
  • bwiernik
    Dragging items in Zotero to collections does not duplicate them—the same item can belong to multiple collections. If you mean that you dragged a PDF from your computer multiple times into different Zotero folders, then yes, Zotero would treat that as multiple items. You want to import an item only once, then manipulate it from within Zotero.

    Don't delete the duplicates. Use the "Duplicate Items" smart collection in the left pane (right click on My Library and choose "Show duplicates" if it is not visible) to merge the duplicates.
  • Roditou27
    Thanks!
    I opened the 'duplicate items' file but how do I do the merging?
  • bwiernik
    Sort by title. Then select an item. All of the duplicates will be selected. Click the merge items button in the right pane.
  • Roditou27
    edited January 21, 2019
    Found it!

    Many thanks!

    Am still confused though how this might have happened because most of the duplicates were identical. Some carried corrections in the date field that I don't remember performing....I am just trying to avoid this happening again in the future. Could it be that deleted files reappeared when i synchronised the database with the one online?
  • Roditou27
    Hi!

    Am still confused though how this might have happened because most of the duplicates were identical. Some carried corrections in the date field that I don't remember performing....I am just trying to avoid this happening again in the future. Could it be that deleted files reappeared when i synchronised the database with the one online?

    Many thanks!
  • bwiernik
    When you import from a backup file, Zotero treats those as new items. When you then synced to your Zotero account, Zotero downloads the existing items in your account, thus leading to the duplicates. When you install Zotero on a computer, just set up sync to download your library—don't use export/import.
  • Roditou27
    Hi!

    Thanks this has been very useful.

    I finally did not switch to the new laptop I kept using the old one. However, it is now time to do the switch. When the whole mess happened I deleted zotero from the new laptop and kept using the one on the old one. I merged the duplicates so now both my online library and the one I am using on my old laptop have the same amount of entries. My fear is that if I reinstall zotero on the new laptop (this carried all the duplicates which I fixed on the old laptop) will still carry the duplicates and create that whole mess again? So I am guessing I have to delete everything related to zotero on the new laptop before I reinstall it so it doesn't carry anything from last time I install it? Word on my new laptop still carries the plug in....

    Maybe this fear is in my head and when I install it again on the new laptop I ll get the library I currently have online and on my old laptop?

    Many thanks for all your help,
    Christina

  • Roditou27
    Hi!

    Can I please get your input on the above?

    Many thanks!
  • dstillman
    edited March 26, 2019
    It's not clear to me what you did on which computer, but if you've used Zotero on the new laptop previously and you're happy with what you have in your online library, the safest thing to do is to just delete the Zotero data directory on the new computer, with Zotero closed. You can then open Zotero (to an empty library) and sync to pull down the remote version. That would be equivalent to starting fresh on a new computer.
  • Roditou27
    Thank you so much!

    It worked :)

    Christina
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