Upgrade StorageHow to Associate Zotero Link With Original File
Hi,
When I add a file to my zotero library, zotero duplicates that file and stores it under [username]/Zotero/storage/[code like VJ5NP9CU, etc]. How do I make it so that Zotero just links to my original file? Ie, when I add something from [username]/documents/project, clicking on that file name in Zotero opens that file, rather than a duplicate of that file that Zotero has created.
I have a rather large library and have no interest in creating duplicates of every single one of my files, for space purposes; also, I'll admit this is theoretically on me, but it's come up a couple times that I'm concerned I open a pdf through Zotero, and make some highlights and such, but then those highlights aren't there when I open the pdf through my OS explorer because I'm technically opening a different file. (Or vice versa, modify the original and changes don't carry over to the Zotero file). For both of these reasons, I do not want to have two versions of every one of my files on my computer.
Sorry in advance that I bet this is a super basic question, I just can't think of what the jargon to refer to this problem would be, so searching has not turned up much and I can't figure it out in the preferences. I'm new to Zotero but very, very happy to have had it recommended to me, great experience so far.
Thank you!
When I add a file to my zotero library, zotero duplicates that file and stores it under [username]/Zotero/storage/[code like VJ5NP9CU, etc]. How do I make it so that Zotero just links to my original file? Ie, when I add something from [username]/documents/project, clicking on that file name in Zotero opens that file, rather than a duplicate of that file that Zotero has created.
I have a rather large library and have no interest in creating duplicates of every single one of my files, for space purposes; also, I'll admit this is theoretically on me, but it's come up a couple times that I'm concerned I open a pdf through Zotero, and make some highlights and such, but then those highlights aren't there when I open the pdf through my OS explorer because I'm technically opening a different file. (Or vice versa, modify the original and changes don't carry over to the Zotero file). For both of these reasons, I do not want to have two versions of every one of my files on my computer.
Sorry in advance that I bet this is a super basic question, I just can't think of what the jargon to refer to this problem would be, so searching has not turned up much and I can't figure it out in the preferences. I'm new to Zotero but very, very happy to have had it recommended to me, great experience so far.
Thank you!
(But the alternative, of course, would be to just delete the PDF after you import it and let Zotero manage its copy — including syncing, renaming, deleting when you delete the item, etc. And while you have an existing set of PDFs you're adding now, going forward you would want to be adding items and files from the web, and those will become stored files (unless you use the ZotFile plugin to convert those to linked files).)