Error in Syncing PDF files with offline client
Report ID:D80147135
Hello,
I moved to a new system and tried to sync my entries. This worked with the sqlite entries but not with the PDF attachments. While syncing there was no error message. The PDF are marked with the icon for a working link but I can't open them.
A new PDF is linked properly but it's stored in the default C:/user/storage folder.
It seems that my settings for a different root are ignored.
Cheers Dominik
Hello,
I moved to a new system and tried to sync my entries. This worked with the sqlite entries but not with the PDF attachments. While syncing there was no error message. The PDF are marked with the icon for a working link but I can't open them.
A new PDF is linked properly but it's stored in the default C:/user/storage folder.
It seems that my settings for a different root are ignored.
Cheers Dominik
I've realized the issue with long uploads as well.
My finding is different (local sync):
- OK: entry sync / sqlite-content
- NOK: user defined PDF root
My new root is displayed in the settings, but ignored: existing PDF are refused, new are stored in the default root.
Cheers Dominik
https://www.zotero.org/support/attaching_files#file_copies_and_links
I’ve defined a new root for my files, but zotero can’t open the files. The pdf icon is ok, no broken links. New pdf will be stored in the default root for file storage.
Again, if you just add a file to Zotero, by default it's going to be stored within the Zotero data directory. If you're creating linked files manually or by using ZotFile, they'll be stored elsewhere.
I moved to a new system, linked to that folder again. Now, I can't open the files anymore. I've installed Zotero to another system, the same problem occurs.
In the preferences, my manual defined base directory is displayed, Zotero prefers the default directory.
So assuming the files exist on your current system, either you've chosen the wrong base directory — such that the relative paths don't match up — or the base directory was wrong on the computer where you created the files, causing them to be stored as absolute paths instead.
If you view the debug output (Help → Debug Output Logging) for trying to open a file, you can see the path it's trying to use. You can also use the Zutilo plugin to modify paths in batch (if, for example, they're still set to an absolute path from the other computer).
The files exist, I can localize them manually. The paths are relative.
I've decided to use the default base directory. This works properly & proofs that my files exist and the path was relative.
I still assume that there's something wrong with the function in the current Zotero releases. That's why the behaviour is different to the previous releases (4.n).
That happens currently:
1. I've defined my base directory manually (partition D) in the preferences. Zotero 'pretends' that it can't localize my files there (error message when I try to open a PDF).
2. But in the background Zotero syncs the files from partition D to partition C / default base directory. In fact, Zotero copies file by file.
This takes a lot of time so I haven't realized earlier what happens.
Again, I think you're confused about how all of this works. If you provide a Debug ID for an attempt to open a file, we can tell you where it's looking and tell you how to fix it.
Note, too, that you have your data directory in a bizarre, nonstandard location: It looks like at some point in the past you moved an entire Zotero or Firefox profile directory to your home folder, and then pointed Zotero at the 'zotero' folder within. While that's not inherently a problem, it's confusing and nonstandard, and I'd strongly recommend just moving the last 'zotero' — the actual data directory — to your home directory as 'Zotero' (with a capital 'Z'). When you restart Zotero, it should notice that your custom data directory is missing and ask if you want to use the default location, and you can say yes. You can then get rid of that extra 'zotero\Profiles\gu62px27.default' stuff.
Please don't be confused, this is from another system with the standard directory to avoid legacy problems.
I tried to open this PDF: Software-Drives_2030_v1-0_online.pdf
Additional information
- Base directory in Preferences: D:\DB\Zotero\storage
- File(s) can be localized and opened with win search there.
- There's no chain symbol with the PDF in Zotero.
Thanks in advance.
See Files Not Syncing.
Does this error belong to the upload issues in 5.0.75 you mentioned previously?
Debug ID: 876735802