Zotero Desktop App - Not syncing then unlinked account and lost all my data and files

k.chauhan2555
I lost all my files when unlinking my account i can't find anything on my laptop or app where are all my files in zotero as it was all organised and was not syncing for the past couple of months as i had sync issues
  • adamsmith
    edited June 30, 2024
    You can check if you have a hard disk backup from which you could restore, but that's about it, I'm afraid. The unlink operation displays a very prominent warning that it will delete files
    Better answer below
  • dstillman
    If you unlink your account and check the checkbox to remove local data, it will remove your local data. The checkbox isn't checked by default.

    You can set up syncing again to download whatever data is in your online library. You do appear to have been syncing until at least a few weeks ago, but you're at your file storage quota, so all your attachment files won't have been uploaded.

    Beyond that, your only option would be to restore from a backup you made of your Zotero data directory .
  • k.chauhan2555
    Is there any way to get the old database file back. I'm not concerned about the PDF files but actually the references and all my subfolders?
  • dstillman
    I answered this above.
  • k.chauhan2555
    edited June 30, 2024
    Ok but the latest zotero.sqlite shows the date currently and 1MB file size surely that is not my latest database. It would be an older version...Is there any way to get this back or has it been saved over as i had hundreds of references
  • k.chauhan2555
    I just need to know whether the database is overwritten or can i retrieve an old backup from my PC somehow?
  • k.chauhan2555
    please help i am losing my mind!
  • dstillman
    I already explained what you did and what your options are at this point. There's really nothing else I can say on this.
  • k.chauhan2555
    Thanks for this
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