Copy settings and configuration from one Windows machine to another

llinfeng
Based on the documentation on this page: https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data, the "default location" for Zotero 5.0 is now C:\Users\\Zotero. However, I cannot reproduce my full configuration of Zotero by simply overwriting such "Default folder" with contents on an old machine that has been configured carefully.

Quick question: how to reproduce existing settings and configuration for Zotero 5.0 apps on a new computer? Both of my machines (old and new) are running Windows 10.

Previously (back in 2018 and 2019), I was reproducing all the settings along with add-ons and their configurations in a new machine by overwriting contents in the following directory of the new machine, with files from a corresponding folder on the old machine.
> Dir: C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Zotero\Zotero\Profiles\some_random_str.default\

However, the AppData folder approch is no longer working: it will reproduce the add-on entries, but will not copy over the add-on settings. Worse still, the add-ons only show up in the Add-ons manager. The setting dialog for Zotfile, for example, is missing from the Tools menu at the top of the window. (Thus, this copy-over-AppData-folder approach is not working anymore.) It also introduced a serious problem with the columns in the main pane of the new Zotero intsalltion onf the new machine: all columns were checked, including those in the "More Columns" category.

  • dstillman
    edited April 6, 2020
    The profile directory contains settings. There are no other folders, so copying the "AppData\Roaming\Zotero" directory in full, after removing whatever's on the new computer, would be the way to transfer settings. Don't merge files from different profile directories. This is just the profile mechanism we inherit from Firefox, and nothing about this has changed.
  • llinfeng
    Thank you for your quick reply. Though, this is my original impression of how migration between Windows computers should work. And, per my recent testing, it failed twice on two Windows 10 machines.

    Indeed, I was copying from a "full installation" of Zotero on an old machine. I have also removed the ~/Zotero folder before pasting into the "AppData\Roaming\Zotero" in full.

    The product of the "migration", is:
    1. Full batch of columns in the main pane, including those in the More Columns category, and
    2. Partial add-on settings was migrated. (Only Zotilio's setting page shows under Tools menu-item).
    3. Better BibTex configuration tab did not show up in the Zotero Preferences window as well.

    I actually have 2 copies of "old Zotero", one on my laptop and one on the desktop machine in my office. All Add-ons were configured properly on these two old installations. Yet, sourcing from both has failed.
  • dstillman
    I have also removed the ~/Zotero folder before pasting into the "AppData\Roaming\Zotero" in full.
    I'm not sure what you mean by this. The former is the data directory. The latter contains the profile directory. They're totally separate things, and there's no need to delete ~/Zotero to copy settings. Copying your old data directory to ~/Zotero would be a separate step.
  • llinfeng
    edited April 6, 2020
    Thank you for clarifying that ~/Zotero fodler is meant for storing data, and "AppData\Roaming\Zotero" is the profile directory. I was not quite aware of the difference (._.) And, I have been relying on Zotero's server for syncing the records.

    Now, my situation is that updating the local profile directory with contents from an "Old Installation" did not bring back the full configuration. It has repeated on both new installations of Zotero over a total of 5 attempts. I will do the reboot-magic and see if it helps.
  • dstillman
    edited April 6, 2020
    It also sounds like you might be coming from an earlier version of Zotero and possibly older versions of plugins on the old computer. E.g., in current versions of Zotero you can't access plugin preferences from Tools → Add-ons, so all current versions of plugins add options to the Tools menu. If you copy old versions of plugins and run a current version of Zotero, things are going to be broken.
  • dstillman
    @llinfeng: For what it's worth, I wouldn't recommend copying an old profile directory at all, and it's not something we recommend in our documentation. prefs.js has your settings. I wouldn't do more than copy that file over to a new profile. You'll need to reinstall plugins and set up syncing again, but that should be very easy.
  • dstillman
    edited April 6, 2020
    (An exception would be using a tool like Migration Assistant on a Mac, which copies the entire state of the computer, which should function identically. In your case you're installing the program separately, and possibly using a different version, so various things likely aren't going to work.)
  • llinfeng
    I see. Let me check my add-ons ==> Quickly, I recall opening the Add-on page on the old installation and confirming that Zotfile did not have anything new to update. And, the features of Zotfile is working perfectly on the old installations: it was monitoring the changes in a local download folder, and actively migrating renamed PDFs to a central place + linking to the Zotero entries.

    Not sure if this speaks against the compatibility concern. I Will check through the compatibility issues.
  • llinfeng
    @dstillman I think you are right. The missing add-ons are those that has compatibility issues. One example reporting failure to install Better BibTeX with Zotero 5.0.85: https://github.com/retorquere/zotero-better-bibtex/issues/1483

    I will look into reinstalling the needed plugins.

    Where to find the "prefs.js" file? I did a global search and did not find a file as named.
  • dstillman
    It's just a file in the profile directory.
  • llinfeng
    edited April 7, 2020
    @dstillman Thank you for clarifying! I managed to restore the Zotero installation on two Windows machines. Here are the steps that have been verified to work for two times (on two Windows 10 machines with newly refreshed OS). I was still trying to copy the full Profile directory, as there are quite a number of delicate add-on settings that I cannot reproduce accurately.

    0. Make sure that there are no leftover files from the previous attempt, if any. This includes deleting the Profile directory ("AppData\Roaming\Zotero" ) and the Data directory (~/Zotero).

    1. Prepare the Profile directory content from an existing Zotero installation. Mine is from a working installation of Zotero 5.0.85, with Zotfile, Better BibTex, and Zutilo.

    2. Install an **old** Zotero on the local machine. My installer for Zotero 5.0.56 is here: [external link removed — D.S.]

    3. Delete the Profile directory on the local machine, and unzip the prepared working copy from Step 1.

    4. Open the local installation of Zotero, and confirm to "sync" with the web-server. Patiently, wait for 5 minutes or so.

    5. Once all the entries are in place, Better BibTeX won't be working quite yet. Updating the local installation of Zotero helps restore Better BibTeX in full.

    I call it a day when all entries in the local installation are correctly linked to a PDF file and are "indexed" properly with a citation key. The citation keys were not populated before step #5, nor were there any content for Better BibTeX in the Preference configuration window.



    ----
    Lastly, I found my old post from 2018 :) Glad to confirm that the old fomula still work in 2020.

    https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/comment/320103
  • emilianoeheyns
    I can't currently reproduce the problem that BBT can't install, but I'd strongly prefer it if you could test whether BBT installs correctly on a clean profile on that machine. If it does, then it seems to me the problem is associated with the profile you're installing BBT to, not BBT itself.
  • dstillman
    edited April 7, 2020
    I wouldn't worry about this — I'm pretty sure llinfeng just had old versions of everything on the old computer and tried to use them with a newly installed Zotero.
  • emilianoeheyns
    The problem reported on the BBT GH is that the newest BBT won't install in Z5.0.58 -- if profile corruption plays a role there, I'd rather not chase after that phantom.
  • nicolas.lienart
    Thanks heaps @llinfeng
    Your instructions work perfectly https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/82366/copy-settings-and-configuration-from-one-windows-machine-to-another#Comment_352785
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