Issue w/ attachment download locations

jpaniagu
Hi all,

I just realized that my Zotero is sometimes putting downloaded attachments in the Zotero file library and sometimes in a cloud file I have created for this purpose.

My preference is that all of my attachments are in the cloud and I had set the program up to do this. It had been working this way for years but something has gone wrong and idk what.

Does anything look off about my preferences? I have already deleted and reinstalled. To clarify, these are for files that I acquire via the Safari connector. Sometimes it appears that the file goes to the cloud as I want, but other times it goes into the Zotero library.

Any idea why? Thanks in advance.

Files and Folders:
Lined Attmnt Base Directory: /Users/JP/Library/CloudStorage/OneDrive-CalPoly/Readings

[using relative paths]

Data Directory Location:
Default (Users/JP/Zotero)

Sync:
File Syncing:
Sync attachment files in library using Zotero
DL at sync time
  • dstillman
    Zotero always saves files as stored files. If you're trying to use ZotFile to convert stored files to linked files, that's something you'll have to set up properly. We can't help with linked-file workflows.
  • jpaniagu
    Ty for the quick response.

    I understand why you can’t help with all the varieties of linked work flows but why might zotero be saving in its own file system rather than the file I indicate?

    For years it has been saving directly into my cloud folder. I’ve only used zotfile in very specific circumstances. I’ve not needed it for connector added items.
  • dstillman
    edited December 26, 2022
    As I say, Zotero only saves stored files, unless you manually create linked files via the UI (e.g., "Link to File…"). This has always been the case. Everything else is done by plugins, and we can't help with that. See the section I linked to.
  • tim820
    edited December 27, 2022
    Do you have Zotfile set up to automatically save PDF attachments downloaded by the Zotero Connector to a location that is not local Zotero storage ? That is, is there a Custom Location entered under Tools\ZotFile Preferences\Location of Files ?

    The Linked Attachment Base Directory setting only affects where Zotero *looks* for linked PDF files, when loading them for display; it doesn't affect where they get stored.
  • jpaniagu
    Hi, ty for the response.

    I hadn't realized that Zotfile was allowing me to save these files automatically in the cloud folder I selected. My impression was that I was only using zotfile's abilities when the connector failed and I needed to manually download a PDF off of JSTOR and then attach.

    I do have a custom location set under Tools\ZotFile Preferences\Location of Files. However, for some reason, some of my zotero connector added items occasionally are still saving to the Zotero file system instead of being moved automatically to the folder of my choosing.

    I've also noticed that sometimes my connector fails to add anything to my library using Safari even after a reinstall of Zotero.

  • tim820
    Zotfile should automatically move all PDFs detected and auto-downloaded by the Zotero Connector, from almost all *journal article web pages* (JSTOR being an Connector exception that sometimes requires a manual download/attach/move). There is at least one situation where Zotfile does not move PDFs to the Custom Location, that is when you drag a PDF into Zotero. You can use of course then right click Rename\Move to move that PDF to the Custom Location as a linked file.

    You can do a search in your OS for PDFs under the Zotero\storage hierarchy that have ended up in local storage there, that now all need moving to your Custom Location. That and some other ideas here ...
    https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/83065/zotfile-setup-find-all-stored-not-linked-attachments
  • adamsmith
    There is at least one situation where Zotfile does not move PDFs to the Custom Location, that is when you drag a PDF into Zotero.
    importing a PDF directly via the browser connector (i.e. not the article with attached PDF, but just the PDF with the PDF icon showing for Save to Zotero) behaves like that, too.
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