Moving from Mendeley

VickiDunk
Hi
I am attempting to follow the instructions for moving from Mendeley. I have located the backups folders backupSlot1(-6). Inside the folders are the following files: database.sqlite, info.json and monitor.sqlite.
I moved the database one to the next folder up and selected it for import, but Zotero is telling me that this is not a supported file type.

Can someone please tell me what I am doing wrong here?

I am trying to move to Zotero in the hopes of having better integration with Scrivener, I am starting to write my thesis and I have a lot of references.

Thanks
Vicki
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited February 3, 2021
    Those aren't relevant files. From the instructions:
    Locate your Mendeley data directory and look for a backupSlot1 (or higher) folder. If you see a database in the form <email>@www.mendeley.com.sqlite within one of the backup directories, copy it into the data directory one level up. Then start the import in Zotero by going to File → “Import…”, choosing the “Mendeley” option, and selecting that database.

    If the backupSlotN folder contains an .sqlite filename with a long string of random characters, the backup has already been overwritten by the encrypted database. Check another backupSlot folder or use one of the methods below.
  • VickiDunk
    There is no file called that, but there is a directory called www.mendeley.com - it is higher up the tree than the backupSlot1 folders
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited February 3, 2021
    The instructions are correct. If you don't see an unencrypted backup in the locations it specifies, see the rest of the instructions — e.g., about downgrading to 1.18. Mendeley has been encrypting the local database for years, so I'd be surprised if you found an unencrypted database backup at this point.
  • VickiDunk
    I'm not suggesting they are incorrect. I am just trying to work out how to move to Zotero
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    Right, I'm explaining that the instructions tell you everything you need to know, and you shouldn't do things that aren't listed there (e.g., trying a "database.sqlite" file that isn't mentioned or some other folder elsewhere on your computer).
  • VickiDunk
    Perhaps, but it does say database - and I'm not that tech savvy- so potentially not as clear to some.
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    I've added a note to the instructions that those other files aren't relevant.

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