Trouble file syncing

birish
Hi!

When I highlight a PDF on my iPad, I can access the highlighted file on zotero.org, but the file is not updating on my desktop (the highlights aren't present). I've tried syncing the desktop, as well as deleting the PDF on the desktop and redownloading it, but it doesn't contain the uploaded file with the highlights. I've also tried resetting the File Sync History.

My debug code is: D867041377
  • birish
    edited August 24, 2024
    Also, for files that were edited on my Ipad, now the desktop won't let me save the PDF that opens from the Zotero client. I get an Adobe Acrobat error: "There was a problem reading this document (110)."

    The desktop CAN however, make changes to other PDFs, and those changes are synced correctly and can be seen on both zotero.org and on the Ipad. The issue has to do with the computer accessing/editing files that have been changed on the Ipad.
  • birish
    edited August 24, 2024
    One more thing. I just reinstalled the Zotero client, and now I can see the changes made to Ipad files correctly -- *when the PDF is opened in Zotero.* When, however, I navagate to the file on my Desktop in the Zotero Storage folder, it's the same old file that hasn't been updated for a few weeks, with no annotations. When Zotero syncs a changed file, does it not redownload and replace the file in the Storage folder? I'd like to be able to use Acrobat to read and annotate files on my desktop, but that seems to be the problem, as the file is only "synced" when it's read within the Zotero client, not on the computer itself!

    Picture 1: when I open the file in Zotero
    Picture 2: when I ask Zotero to "Show file," and then open it in Acrobat
  • birish

    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u696277/h2d8hetb3j3id744ram9.png
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u696277/jzjojk43vsyq1i3q8q6b.jpg
  • birish
    And to clarify: when I delete the file from the Desktop, and then ask Zotero to download it again, it downloads a clean version from several weeks ago -- not the latest copy that is on the Zotero.org server and that shows up in my Zotero client.
  • enozkan
    Zotero does not write its annotations to the pdf file, but saves them in its database. You can see them in the desktop app if you open the file in Zotero, not an external pdf reader.

    This is explained here:

    https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/annotations_in_database

    This is not a bug, but it is intentional (see the Benefits section).

    You can always export a copy of the pdf with the annotations embedded, as it mentions in that page.
  • birish
    Thank you so much!!!!!
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