standalone pdf file automatically getting attached to an existing item

cnrao
I used to be able to drag and drop a pdf file into an empty area of the middle pane and it would show up as a standalone file. However now this does not seem to be the case. Whenever I drag drop, the pdf file is getting attached to an existing item.

I have "Zutilo", "Zotmoov" and "Attachments" extensions installed and am using ver 7 on a Mac book.

How do I get back the default behavior when dragging and dropping pdf files?
  • mjthoraval
    Do you still see the problem in Troubleshooting Mode (Help → "Restart in Troubleshooting Mode…”), which temporarily disables all plugins?

    Is it adding the PDF file to an existing item, or is it creating a new parent item?

    Are the other methods of adding a PDF file to your library working as expected, for example when you drop the file onto My Library?
    See: https://www.zotero.org/support/attaching_files#adding_files_via_the_zotero_window

    Which version of Zotero are you using and which operating system?
  • cnrao
    Same behavior in Troubleshooting mode; ditto for using the menu to add the file (New item icon, followed by Add File ...)

    From what I can tell, when you add a single (pdf) file Zotero tries to guess the metadata and, depending on the file contents it either attaches to an existing item or creates a new item and attaches to it.

    I am on a Mac Book running Zotero 7.
  • mjthoraval
    It is the normal default behaviour that Zotero attempts to create a new parent item for a PDF file added to your library:
    If you save a PDF directly to your library, Zotero will attempt to retrieve metadata for it and create a parent item automatically. If the item can't be recognized, you'll be left with a standalone attachment.
    https://www.zotero.org/support/attaching_files#child_versus_standalone_attachment_files

    If you do not want this automatic metadata retrieval, you can disable it from the settings:
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u265723/agnayp5oswq2sr3jucei.png
    Users new to Zotero may find the prospect of importing all their data somewhat daunting. Many researchers already have a large collection of PDFs that they've previously organized manually. Zotero makes it easy to import these PDFs and retrieve full bibliographic metadata (for searching, citing, indexing, and organizing), taking much of the pain out of switching.

    To use this feature, simply drag your existing PDFs into your Zotero library or use the “Store Copy of File” or “Link to File” options from the add new item menu (green plus sign). By default, Zotero will automatically retrieve metadata for each PDF, create an appropriate parent item, and rename the associated file based on the metadata. (You can disable these automatic functions in the General pane of Zotero preferences.)
    https://www.zotero.org/support/retrieve_pdf_metadata

    However, it should not attach the file to an existing item if it is not added directly to that parent item. If you see this and can reproduce, please provide detailed steps for it happening.
  • cnrao
    Thank you for the detailed explanation. I have unchecked the automatic retrieval of metadata option as I do not have a large library of these standalone pdf files. As and when needed I can create a parent item with appropriate metadata and attach a link to these pdfs.
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