Synch problems import

fosrecki
Hi there,

I have this issue. I just got a new laptop and the first thing I did was to export my zotero library and imported it into my zotero standalone on the new computer. This worked fine. But it turned out to be a bad idea eventually. When I tried to synch the two laptops, all entries on the old laptops were doubled, for obvious resons. Zotero synched the new one with the old one and as both contained the same entries, I got double entries on the old computer. Always synch, not import is what I could have known.

So I (a) deleted all double entries on the old laptop and (b) I deleted the whole imported library on the new laptop. I wanted to do this the elegant way now and tried just to synch the new one with the old, no import this time.

But when I now press the round green synch arrow on my new laptop literally nothing happens. No synch, no error warning, nothing.

What could be the solution to this? How can I use my library on the new laptop without producing double entries on the old one? How can I get the synch process started on the new machine?

All the best,

Me.
  • dstillman
    Nothing happens because you deleted all items in your library. There's nothing left to sync.

    If you just did this, you may be able to restore from one of the automatic backups on the old computer. That will only include your items, not files, but we may be able to relink your attachments if you were using Zotero Storage.

    Otherwise, you would need to restore from another backup you made of your data directory and replace the online library.

    (In the future, I'd strongly recommend posting here — which you had already done in the past — before taking drastic steps like these. Many people here could've told you how to easily recover from this without deleting your whole library (by sorting by Date Added and deleting the whole imported set), as well as not to use export/import to transfer a library in the first place.)
  • fosrecki
    Ok, thanks for your answer. And sorry for not making this clear: the library is alive and kicking and safe, but only on the old computer. So how can I use it on the new one when pressing the synch button has no effects?
  • dstillman
    You need to use Replace Online Library from the Sync → Reset pane of the Zotero settings on the old computer, and you need to do that before it syncs. I'd recommend making an immediate backup of your Zotero data directory on the old computer, before opening Zotero if it's not currently open. To perform the reset, you might need to disable your internet connection on the computer before opening Zotero.

    Just to be clear, you deleted all items in the library, old and new, on a synced computer, so if you sync the old computer, it will remove all items in the library.
  • fosrecki
    Thank you very much, this was super important and helpful. I just immediately disabled auto-synch my new computer and will do as you recommended. Thanks again, I wasn't aware how close I was to desaster only because I used import instead of synch to begin with!
  • dstillman
    To be clear, it’s the old computer where you have to avoid the auto-sync. The deletions are all already in your online library, which is completely empty. There’s no need to disable auto-sync on the new computer.
  • fosrecki
    Absolutely right, I thought the same right right after I wrote my last comment.
  • fosrecki
    Me again, I tried your method, but failed at the second step. I made a backup of my library. I also cut my internet connection, so that no unwanted synch can start. But the reset pane in zotero on my old compter is grey and I cannot klick on it. What can I do?
  • fosrecki
    I may also add that I don't see a "disable auto-synch" button in my synch pane in my zotero preferences. So I keep the internet connection cut, just to be safe. Perhaps that's the problem? Perhaps this is why I cannot klick on the greyed-out reset plane?
  • dstillman
    Syncing has to be set up. It sounds like you're currently logged out.

    Make a backup of your data directory with Zotero closed, start Zotero, set up syncing, immediately disable auto-sync, and then switch to the Reset tab and do Replace Online Library.
  • fosrecki
    But how do I disable auto-sync, I dont see a button to do this.
  • dstillman
    Everything will be active once you've set up syncing.
  • fosrecki
    Sorry, I am so helpless and frustrated with this. I don't understand what to do with the backup of my library. It is on my desktop. Now when I click on the reset plane, zotero gives me the option of replacing the online library. Yes! Exactly what I want. But I expected that zotero will then ask me where my locally saved library is I want to use now instead of the empty online library. I would have told zotero: take the backup from the desktop! Instead, nothing happened. The window just closed. What should I do?
  • fosrecki
    I guess this has to do with this section of the backup process. And I just don't understand this. Do I have to erase the "old" database? Do I have to manually replace to old, erased one with the backup one?

    "Click “Show Data Directory”, which should reveal your active data directory containing zotero.sqlite and possibly a 'storage' subdirectory. Close Zotero, change to the parent folder of the active data directory (Cmd-up-arrow on macOS, Alt-up-arrow on Windows), and rename the folder to “Zotero-Old”. Next, copy the data directory from your backup to the original location (e.g., “Zotero”)."

    I simply don't understand this.
  • fosrecki
    In other words: do I have to first erase everything from the original location "Zotero" and THEN copy the backup-ed files "Zotero-Old" into this???
  • dstillman
    The backup is just that: a backup, in case a sync went through by accident and all the deletions you made were applied. It has nothing to do with Replace Online Library.

    Replace Online Library replaces the online library with whatever you have in your Zotero library on that computer at that time. If that's the correct data, that's what you'll get online, even if you've made deletions or other changes since the last time that version of the library was synced.
  • fosrecki
    Because this reads as if I should copy the backup-ed files just into the original folder? That seems super wrong. To copy a backup of a folder into the original folder?
  • fosrecki
    Ok, good. Unfortunately it did not work anyhow. I now re-connected both computers with the internet. I replaced the online library with the local library on the old computer. I enabled synch on both computers. On the new one still nothing happens when I press the green synch button. What can I do?
  • dstillman
    To be clear, you said this above:
    the library is alive and kicking and safe, but only on the old computer
    So I've been operating under the assumption that that's still the case — that you can see your data on that computer. If so, all you need to do is run Replace Online Library on that computer.

    If that's not working for you, provide a Debug ID for running Replace Online Library.

    And forget about the new computer for now. All that matters is your old computer and the online library. You'll see your data in the online library if you do this correctly.
  • fosrecki
    "So I've been operating under the assumption that that's still the case — that you can see your data on that computer. If so, all you need to do is run Replace Online Library on that computer."

    That is correct. I did run "replace online library" on my old computer where I still can see my library in full.

    Just synch on the new computer does still not work.
  • dstillman
    edited May 30, 2024
    Please read my previous post in full.
  • fosrecki
    D1418058084
  • dstillman
    edited May 30, 2024
    That doesn't show Replace Online Library being run. Are you actually clicking the "Reset…" button and clicking through the confirmation dialog?
  • fosrecki
    Ok, I might know what the reason is. Just give me a few minutes.
  • dstillman
    The reset is now running.
  • fosrecki
    Great, it now worked. After opening the "replace online library" pane I just clicked "ok", assuming that this would start the replacement process. Instead, I had to press the "start replacement" (or similar) button. And I did.

    Now the libraries are perfectly synched. Thanks for being so supportive and patient.

    All the best, Me.
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