Attachments not opening in online library

kieraeriksen
Hello,
I recently uploaded a lot of documents that I scanned into a computer library from microfilm onto the Zotero online library. I spent a ton of hours going through this microfilm and it seems like some of the files were uploaded, while some didn't, even though it says on the online library that there is a PDF available. I didn't check through all of the files to make sure they opened when I uploaded them because there were so many files. When I try to open some of these files in the Zotero app on my computer, I get the "file not found" notification.

I went back to the online library, where I first uploaded them, to try to open the missing files in the Zotero app, my window flashes grey, and then it returns to the library, without opening the pdf. Did they just fail to upload? I would hate to have lost and have to rescan all these files.
  • dstillman
    In general, see Files Not Syncing.
    I went back to the online library, where I first uploaded them, to try to open the missing files in the Zotero app, my window flashes grey, and then it returns to the library, without opening the pdf.
    This sounds like some sort of problem in your browser. What's an example URL for an item this happens for?
  • kieraeriksen
    I am not sure if it is a sync problem, as the same files appear across all my devices, and the same files that don't open on the online library also don't open in any of the zotero apps. I am not sure how to give a url since the files won't open. How would I copy the url?
  • dstillman
    It's the URL that shows in the address bar when the parent item is selected in the web library.
  • kieraeriksen
    Here is the linK; https://www.zotero.org/kieraeriksen/collections/E8EZV2ZP/items/6XVI8HVW/collection
  • dstillman
    OK, that attachment has never had a file uploaded. That appears to be the case for a bunch of the files you added across several days.

    If this were in the Zotero app, the files would just be in Zotero on the computer where you added them, but if you're saying you did this via the online library, I'm afraid there wouldn't be anything to do at this point other than upload the files again, as they never made it to our servers. Is it possible the original files are still present on the computer you were using? If you email support@zotero.org with a link to this thread, we could send you a list of all the attachments with missing files.

    @tnajdek may be able to say more — it's possible there's a bug with uploading multiple files at once from the web library (which appears to be what you were doing here), or there may have been some sort of error message that you missed.

  • tnajdek
    Uploading multiple files generally works in web library. However uploading large amount of files (or large files) might take a while and for such operations web library displays an indicator. This indicator is quite small (it's in bottom-left corner on desktop browsers) and it's possible to miss it. If web library is closed or reloaded while upload still takes place, files will end up missing. Does that sound like a plausible explanation?

    In upcoming version of the web library we will add a warning for such scenario to make it easier to avoid similar problem.
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