Library wiped

SimonPrecheurLlarena
Hello,

I was using Zotero without being logged in. After a month of work I figured out it would be a good idea to back up my work by syncing to an account online as Zotero suggests. So I go and logged in from the syncing panel in preferences to an old account I had, and started syncing. Actually I'm pretty sure my data was already lost at that point, but can't e sure. After a few seconds I thought I needed a new account since I'm about to graduate and my old address would expire. I then decided to switch accounts, didn't take the time to read the dialog properly, and then all my data was gone. Reverting back to the old account doesn't show my old library. I switched accounts pretty quickly, how long does it normally take to sync a moderate sized library ?

Quite ironic that in the act of wanting to sync my data to back it up, I actually wiped out all of it.

I don't have either time machine backups (I backup my files on iCloud but zotero saves its libraries elsewhere), neither Zotero library backups, and there doesn't appear to be
any automatic backup files either.

So my data is lost for ever, isn't it ?
Just wanted to add my experience anyway since it might entice Zotero to strengthen their UI as far as these things are concerned.
  • dstillman
    edited March 26, 2022
    So I go and logged in from the syncing panel in preferences to an old account I had, and started syncing. Actually I'm pretty sure my data was already lost at that point, but can't e sure.
    No, it wasn't. It was just syncing. You only got the message later because you had already been syncing with the old account — the message only appears when switching accounts.

    It sounds like you already checked the online library of the old account, but if you had simply let it sync, all your data would be online in that account.

    But if you interrupted it too soon, and you don't have a backup of the Zotero data directory, I'm afraid you only have whatever is in that old account online.

    For what it's worth, this was the dialog you clicked through:
    This Zotero database was last synced with a different account (“[old username”) from the one you are attempting to sync with (“[new username]”). If you continue, all Zotero libraries associated with the “[old username]” account will be removed from this computer.

    Before continuing, make sure all data and files you wish to keep have been synced with the “[old username]” account or you have a backup of your Zotero data directory.
    You then had to check a checkbox for "Remove all data for “[old username]” from this computer" before being able to proceed through the dialog.

    You're not the first to do this by mistake, and we've revised the dialog before to make it clearer what's about to happen. We can try to make the message more dire-sounding or require you to actually type something like "delete my data" or maybe add some sort of backup option, but there's really only so much we can do. People switch accounts regularly on shared computers where the old data needs to be deleted.
    I thought I needed a new account since I'm about to graduate and my old address would expire.
    (Note that you can always add or remove email addresses from your account settings.)
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