Slow Performance Issue with Zotero

CheeseyBoba
edited May 6, 2024
REPORT ID: 2074405063

Recently, I've noticed a significant decrease in performance, with Zotero taking an unusually long time to respond to every click. Whether it's navigating through my library, importing new items, or performing basic tasks, each action seems to be accompanied by extensive loading times.

This slowdown has had a considerable impact on my productivity and efficiency, making it challenging to work effectively with Zotero as I normally would. Given the integral role Zotero plays in my research workflow, resolving this performance issue is crucial for me.

I'm reaching out to seek guidance on potential steps I can take to address this problem. Are there any known troubleshooting methods or optimizations that can help improve Zotero's performance?
  • CheeseyBoba
    edited May 5, 2024
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u13110270/ckrh6kih2gqzs13pensu.png

    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u13110270/o0jvb4xkxedafvgyhun5.png

    Hopefully you can see the attached photos, I got stuck at the "loading items" stage for approximately half an hour, the loading indicator continues to spin, and it does not display any updates or changes.
  • CheeseyBoba

    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u13110270/834x226snggizd88x1ch.png

    One hour past, it still stuck at the same stage...
  • adamsmith
    Which Zotero version -- I have a vague recollection that there was a bug with a retracted item notification in an older version. (Generally for speed you'll also see significant improvements in the Zotero 7, certainly for the type of library sizes (I recall something like 50k?) that you're working with.)
  • CheeseyBoba
    edited May 6, 2024
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u13110270/2q1jxofkwnwhlf2p49f9.png

    Hi @adamsmith, thanks for your reply, I think is version 6? May I know how to upgrade to version 7?
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u13110270/7bvktp7bslontztcrnf6.png
    Because as shown in the attached screenshot of my Zotero, it mentioned that no new updates available
  • CheeseyBoba

    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u13110270/o21af4b6fu9xckhjk2ur.png

    Attached to this is a screenshot illustrating the problem. As you can see, Zotero frequently displays "Not Responding" and takes an extended amount of time to process actions, making it challenging to navigate and utilize the application effectively.
  • dstillman
    edited May 6, 2024
    Just to note, while we do ask people to start new threads for new issues, it's a bit bizarre to post this (and include annoying, unnecessary lines like "This slowdown has had a considerable impact on my productivity and efficiency") without acknowledging your other thread, where we just established that you accidentally imported tens of thousands of items multiple times. All the items currently in your library were imported within the last few days. This didn't just suddenly happen for no reason.

    That screenshot also shows an active sync, likely related to the changes and deletions you've made to tens of thousands of items. You should let that finish before doing anything else, since among other things we're not able to check the current state of your library until it's done syncing.

    Once that's done, it looks like you're trying to load the Duplicate Items collection. Start by switching to My Library, and then restart Zotero. Does it start normally in My Library?
  • CheeseyBoba
    I apologize for that.

    Following the completion of the sync process, I've observed that the lagging issue in Zotero still persists. Despite waiting for the syncing to finish and restarting Zotero, the application continues to exhibit slow performance, with delays occurring with each action.
  • dstillman
    edited May 6, 2024
    You didn't answer my question about Duplicate Items.
  • CheeseyBoba
    Thank you for your prompt response and guidance.

    Regarding your question about the Duplicate Items, I've recently taken the step to unlink my account and have deleted all my Zotero data on my computer associated with that account, so I am currently unable to provide information about the Duplicate Items as you requested. Sorry for the inconvenience caused.
  • CheeseyBoba
    edited May 6, 2024
    I have a question regarding Zotero's sync functionality.

    Given that I primarily work on one computer and don't require access to my Zotero library from multiple devices, I'm considering whether it's necessary to sync my items in the library. Is it possible to opt out of syncing my data in my library?

    If so, what are the implications or limitations of not syncing my Zotero library? Will I still be able to use Zotero effectively without syncing, and are there any potential drawbacks I should be aware of?

    Thank you for your assistance in clarifying this matter. I appreciate your expertise and guidance.

  • adamsmith
    You can turn off sync, yes. You won't have web/mobile access to your library and it's one less source of back-up (so you'll need to be extra sure to have good local back-ups), but functionality-wise it doesn't have any other impacts.
  • CheeseyBoba
    I see, thanks for your response.
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