Space and performance problem with local folders - multiple users

Hi there,
we are working with Zotero and a Group Library for many years now. We are working in a terminalserver-environment with individual port numbers.

We are exclusively working with the group library, every reference is saved there. Now we have a growing space and performance problem with the users' local folders.

How can we clean this up and use up less space in the future?

And, if we delete the local folder of a colleague, who is no longer working for us, but who saved references in the group library, will the references still be available for the rest of us? And in a document authored by that colleague? The attached PDF won't be available anymore, but what about the reference itself? Our tests were not consistent...

I would be very grateful for your help!
Best regards,
Stephanie
  • edited February 1, 2023
    I'm not sure I understand. Are you asking about disk usage from synced storage files in each individual user's local folder?

    You can set Zotero to sync files "as needed" in the Sync pane of the preferences, and it will then only download files when opened. An upcoming version will make it possible to configure how many days to store downloaded files locally in order to free up disk space. For now, an individual user could search for PDFs within the Zotero data directory and delete them, but it may be safest to just switch to "as needed" and wait for the aforementioned update to clear previously downloaded files.
    And, if we delete the local folder of a colleague, who is no longer working for us, but who saved references in the group library, will the references still be available for the rest of us?
    Delete the Zotero data directory in their local folder? Sure, if any data and files they've added have been synced, that wouldn't have an effect on anyone else.
  • Yes, I'm talking about the data directory - the local folders with the subfolders "locate, logs, storage, styles, translators". We already set Zotero to sync files "as needed" for everyone. I must admit that we have a huge group library with over 10.000 entries. My personal Zotero local folder is so large the computer takes several hours to count files and arrive at the final folder size. A new coworker of mine is here for only 9 months, but her folder already counts 4 GB.
    In a test we deleted the 8-character storage-subfolder of a specific, newly introduced reference - the reference was still there but the attached PDF was gone. Zotero says the attached file cannot be found. Can I circumvent this problem? How can I make sure all PDFs are synced?
    That would be great, if all PDFs were synced properly and we could clean up the local folders! :)
  • No, don't delete the folders. You can delete the PDF files within if you're sure they've been uploaded, which you can confirm by trying to open them online.

    Files should be automatically uploaded if 1) the person who added them has file syncing for groups enabled in the Sync pane of the preferences, 2) the group owner isn't at their storage quota, and 3) the person syncing isn't getting a sync error. But again, I'd recommend you just wait for the upcoming feature that will do this automatically and safely.
  • Thanks a lot - so we wait for the new version.
    Do you have any idea how we choose the right version for our company? We can only update 3 times a year and the IT wants us to choose a "stable" version. Is there a thread or recommendation how to choose?

    Thanks a lot, Stephanie
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