Moving between computers

ZeynepOlgun · 2026-03-16T04:51:44+00:00

I’m moving from a Windows computer to a Mac and I’m a bit confused about how to handle my Zotero library. I have Zotero Sync enabled, and when I installed Zotero on my new Mac and logged in, all of my library items automatically appeared, including those from my old computer.

However, on my old Windows computer my main Zotero folder is stored in Google Drive. Since I’m using Zotero Sync, I’m wondering if it’s safe to delete that folder. I’m not entirely sure where the files actually “live” , whether everything is stored online through Zotero Sync, or whether the data is still tied to the Google Drive folder and would disappear if I deleted it.

I’m also unsure what happens if I download my Google Drive to the new computer. Would that create another copy of the same Zotero files, or is it necessary to keep things working properly?

For context, I only store citation data in Zotero and don’t use it to save PDFs.

I’d really appreciate any advice on the best way to move forward. Thanks!

adamsmith · 2026-03-16T13:52:59+00:00

What do you mean by "my main Zotero folder is stored in Google Drive"? Generally, don't do that. If Zotero syncs to your Mac, that presumably means sync is working (you can also check the Web Library here on the site).

ZeynepOlgun · 2026-03-16T14:12:54+00:00

Hi Adam, thanks for your reply. So in my google drive, I have a folder called "Zotero" which has the zotero.sqlite folder in it. I am confused to if my Zotero is backing up only online, or to this folder, and if it would be a problem if I delete this folder.

dstillman · 2026-03-16T14:16:58+00:00

Right, you can't do that:

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

ZeynepOlgun · 2026-03-16T14:19:29+00:00

Hi, okay so I had absolutely no clue, thankfully I had no issues so far. Is there a resource which explains how I can move this folder? I would be very happy if you could explain how I can resolve this without losing any data. Thank you!

dstillman · 2026-03-16T14:29:22+00:00

If you just set up Zotero normally on the new computer and all your data transferred via sync, you don't need to worry about it — your data would be in the default location on the new computer. You can delete the folder in Google Drive without affecting Zotero.

(To be clear, you can always make a copy of the Zotero data directory in Google Drive or anywhere else, and even automate some sort of backup to do that. You just can't use that as the primary location for your Zotero data.)