I just updated Zotero and got the following error - see below

PAWatt
I just updated Zotero and got the following error - see below. Can anyone help. The Zotero program now runs but shows no library
Peter

"Database upgrade error

Error: Error(s) encountered during statement execution: disk I/O error [QUERY: PRAGMA foreign_key_check] [PARAMS: ] [ERROR: disk I/O error]
Zotero.DBConnection.prototype.queryAsync<@chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/db.js:669:13
From previous event:
Zotero.Schema</this.updateSchema/updated<@chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/schema.js:206:17

  • dstillman
    edited March 8, 2021
    A disk I/O error is a general, unspecified problem with Zotero's ability to access your disk. It usually happens from having your Zotero data directory on an external disk or in a cloud storage folder, but it could also indicate a genuine problem with the filesystem or could be caused by security software. Often you'll see a similar error if you try to interact directly with the zotero.sqlite file in your data directory. It's not a problem in Zotero itself.
  • PAWatt
    Thank you. I am not clear what to do about this problem. Zotero won't run due to this problem. After the above error is shown the program will do nothing but close itself. I uninstalled and reinstalled Zotero - same problem. I was thinking the solution would be to login the Zotero program to my account, but cannot do that as the only action the program can take is to close itself
  • dstillman
    edited March 12, 2021
    This isn't a Zotero problem, so the fix won't be in Zotero. You need to investigate the things I say in my message. You haven't responded to any of that. Is your data directory in the default location, or is it somewhere else? Are you able to copy the zotero.sqlite to another location via the filesystem? Are you running security software, and if so have you tried disabling it?
  • PAWatt
    Thank you - will follow your suggestions
    1. Turned off security software temporarily - no effect
    2. The data directory and data file are in the standard place i.e. ‪C:\Users\PAWat\Zotero\zotero.sqlite (size 214,564kb, date 12 March 2020)
    3. Your suggestion that there is a problem with zotero.sqlite is correct in the sense that when copy the file and then try to paste into another folder I get can't read from the source file or disk

    I have a big storage area on the cloud rented from Zotero so I am hoping I can recover my data from that if my current zotero.sqlite is destroyed. I can't see how to do that if Zotero won't run. Zotero.sqlite.bak is 210,852kb and dated 13 June 2018 so not much good.
  • dstillman
    when copy the file and then try to paste into another folder I get can't read from the source file or disk
    Right, so that's a filesystem problem. You can try to repair your disk using standard Windows tools.

    Failing that, if you're sure your online library is up to date, you can try to delete zotero.sqlite from your data directory (if Windows lets you) and then sync Zotero to pull down your online library data.
  • PAWatt
    Many thanks.
    There were some problems found by SFC which were fixed and then DISM confirmed files were OK. However zotero.sqlite remained a problem, so I renamed it oldzotero.sqlite and logged Zotero into my Zotero cloud store and synced. That seems to have totally fixed the problem.
    Many thanks.
    By the way, am I foolish to rely on my Zotero cloud storage and not do backups of zotero.sqlite??
  • dstillman
    Cloud syncing/storage is never a replacement for a proper local backup. You should always have a full backup of your computer, and that very much includes your Zotero data directory. Ideally you would want to use a tool that performs regular, automated backups of your entire computer.

    Cloud data can certainly help you restore in the case of a disaster, as it did here, but you never want to solely rely on it. If something wasn't syncing properly, or you delete something accidentally and that deletion syncs to the cloud, or there was a problem with some cloud service that wipes out your local data, you want to have a local backup.
  • PAWatt
    Many thanks for very helpful advice
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