Files will not synch to new computer

thea.lindquist@color
Hello,
I got a new computer and could not access many of my attached files on it or on my library on zotero.org. I received an error message saying I had reached my storage quota. I then deleted some group libraries as well as some collections out of my library and the usage (100.2%) is not budging. I have emptied the trash, to no avail. I have one very large shared library that I am not actively using but represents a lot of research (diplomat_bios) and am wondering if there is a reliable way to archive it, in a way it will remain accessible in the future, so I can free up space?
The settings are the same on my old computer as my new one, and the files are accessible on the old computer.
I have run the debugging exercise and submitted, the log numbers are D151943509 (trying to unsuccessfully access a file) and D529041553 (synching). I am doing research abroad and only have access to my old computer through someone else, so I hope you can help me get this sorted out. Thanks for your help!
Thea
  • dstillman
    I then deleted some group libraries as well as some collections out of my library and the usage (100.2%) is not budging.
    You're just still at your quota. See https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/storage_quota_and_local_storage for an explanation.
  • thea.lindquist@color
    Gah, okay, that explains it. Is it possible to upgrade storage just briefly for porting over the files, or would I be on the hook for longer? I already deleted some files and libraries I would have liked to have kept not knowing that doing so was futile, if you have any suggestions about restoring those, but my guess is that I've already made my own bed... They're not on either computer anymore. Thanks so much for your help!
  • thea.lindquist@color
    (Also, if you had an idea regarding the diplomat_bios, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.)
  • dstillman
    Yes, you can switch between storage plans at any time, and it will just adjust your expiration date. So, in essence, your stored value will just be used up a bit faster while you're on a higher plan.

    No way to restore truly deleted files unless you have a backup of your data directory, sorry.

    You can delete a group library on the website, and your local Zotero will prompt you whether to archive or remove the local copy of the group. But if you wanted to recreate the group at a later time, you'd need to copy the collections and items to a new library. (You'd want to make sure you have file sync set to "at sync time" if you choose to archive this way, so that you have copies of the files.)
  • thea.lindquist@color
    Thank you for this info dstillman! I am assuming there must be saved files that are only on my old computer at this point, because there is not enough space to synch them to the cloud on zotero storage. Is there a directory I can look at on that computer to determine the size? If well under 6 GB, then it may make sense just to upgrade.

    I'm assuming in that case, I would want to upgrade the storage, ask the person who has access to the old computer to synch it to the cloud, and then synch my new computer myself. Will this overwrite any changes I've made to files on the new computer?
  • thea.lindquist@color
    Coming back to these follow-up questions. Please let me know if what is in the second paragraph is the best path forward, and if so I'll take the necessary steps. (I'm afraid to do so until I have confirmation.)
  • adamsmith
    No, sync doesn't overwrite changes. It's true sync
  • tim820
    edited August 24, 2023
    You can find out how much Zotero file storage is being occupied on your old computer by looking at the total file storage under your Zotero\storage folder hierarchy in your OS on that computer. That will tell you roughly how much online Zotero file storage you need, in order to sync everything from that computer to Zotero servers (those files will then be downloaded to your new computer when that is synced).
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