Online files not syncing to computer

Hello! A few months ago my computer was stolen. Fortunately, my files were all backed up on Zotero online. However, now when I try to open an item in Zotero which I had synced to my old computer, the desktop client on my new computer cannot find the file.

The problem seems to be that the online storage of my files is not syncing to my new computer.

When I tell it to sync, I receive an error message saying I have run out of space to sync to Zotero online and that some files were not uploaded. But when I go to my web Zotero, the files I want are stored there.

I'm less concerned with new files not uploading than I am with the ones online not downloading to my new computer.

How can I get Zotero to download those online synced files to my new computer. The old computer (computer A, as in, the computer with the downloaded files) is not accessible.
  • But when I go to my web Zotero, the files I want are stored there.
    Can you actually view the files, or just the attachment items?

    You're at your file sync quota, and I'm afraid there's a very good chance you were before and your files simply never uploaded from the stolen computer. Zotero would've been showing a warning about this next to the sync icon when you synced.

    Do you have a backup of the old computer?
  • Thanks for your reply! I don't have a backup of the old computer, sadly.

    When I go online I can view and individually download the files, so I know they are stored on Zotero's server.

    You are obviously right, there are things that did not back up because I was at my quote before the computer was stolen, but I can tell that even the things that are backed up are not syncing.

    It seems like the only files that are synced to my computer are the ones I've added to the new computer, rather than the backed up one on Zotero online.
  • Thank you!

    I followed the steps for the sync reset (since I don't have access to computer A, but can see that the files are on the server).

    This is my debug ID: D1146915174 from the sync reset.

    Here is a debug ID from an attempt to open a file: D20443219

    Thanks!

  • edited December 5, 2019
    (2)(+0000017): Attachment file '/Users/[…]/Zotero/storage/D3W9L6V3/[…].pdf' not found

    (3)(+0000000): Initializing download request 1/D3W9L6V3

    (3)(+0000001): Starting download request 1/D3W9L6V3

    […]

    (3)(+0000000): Remote file not found for item 1/D3W9L6V3
    That file doesn't exist online.
  • Thanks for looking at this! If it doesn't exist on the server, how is it possible that I can download it from the server?
  • For that file, you definitely can't. You must be looking at a different file.
  • (Note that you can copy the 8-character item key from the URL into the Zotero search bar in All Fields & Tags mode to see the item in question.)
Sign In or Register to comment.