Advice needed for temporary migrating to another PC

Asketa
I have been using Zotero on my desktop PC for several years. Zotero itself is installed on drive C, while my library (storage) is located on drive D. My library contains a mix of attachments: roughly half are stored files, and half are linked PDFs.

For example, on my desktop PC, stored files are located at paths like:

D:\PDF\Zotero Storage\storage\8VJJKQZ9\file.pdf

and linked files are located at:

D:\PDF\To Read\biology\file.pdf

I will be traveling abroad for two months and will need to work from a laptop during that time. I have already synced Zotero between my desktop PC and laptop. However, as I understand it, Zotero sync does not include attached PDF files?

I wanted to move everything from my desktop PC to an external hard drive, and then to my laptop. However, there is a complication: my laptop only has a C drive (no D drive).

What would be the least painful way to migrate everything so that I can fully use my library (including PDFs) on the laptop during this period?

P.S. I don't understand if Zotero sync works independently of Zotero storage?
  • tim820
    edited 9 days ago
    Zotero *file* syncing only syncs "stored" PDFs not "linked" PDFs. And in order to sync stored files, you need a sufficient online file storage quota (300 mb free; paid storage plans for more). Zotero *data* syncing is free and unlimited.
    https://www.zotero.org/support/attaching_files#stored_files_and_linked_files

    Re "I have already synced Zotero between my desktop PC and laptop", do you mean both data *and* your "stored" PDF files ?

    If so, the simplest solution for your linked files (on D:) would be to attach an external drive D: with those PDFs to your laptop for the duration of your travel; so that all linked PDFs are at the same named paths as on your desktop. And if you add new PDFs there during your travel, copy those back onto your desktop (D:) upon your return (or set up cloud sync using Dropbox, Google Drive, Onedrive, etc).

    If your stored PDFs are *not* already synced to your laptop, a somewhat more involved strategy would be required.
  • Asketa
    Thank you for your reply.

    Yes, I did first mean only the data, as I didn't know that Zotero also syncs some stored files. Then I realised that some PDF files are being synced as well.

    Either way, I have around 11 GB of stored and 14 GB of linked files.

    At the moment, I think that Zotero data is synced, and 300mb of PDF files, the rest is not.

    I do not mind to convert all of my linked files to stored ones. I also read a bit about 'relative paths' and 'absolute paths', as it says: "allowing you to access files on different computers as long as the file structure within the base directory remains the same." Does this also work with stored files?

    My original plan was to convert all linked files to stored ones, then transfer my Storage from desktop PC to laptop using external HDD, and then - somehow, don't know how - tell Zotero that that is the new Storage.
  • tim820
    edited 9 days ago
    OK, since you do not have sufficient online file storage quota to sync even all your stored files to your laptop via Zotero servers, the simplest approach would be to expand on the solution I originally proposed to cover just your linked files: an external D: drive that has *both* your Zotero data folder (which contains your stored files) and your linked files folder.

    As long as the paths to your linked files are the same on both computers, and you set up Zotero on your laptop to point to the Zotero data folder on the external D: drive (Edit\Settings\Advanced\Files & Folders\Data Directory Location), everything will work in the same way as on your desktop (there is no need to convert linked files to stored files). Some people operate their Zotero libraries from an external drive permanently (with either all stored files, or all linked files, or a mixture of both). A Zotero library on an external drive will be a bit slower than on an internal SSD. Just make sure that the external drive is plugged in before you fire up Zotero (one solution is to velcro an external drive to the back of your laptop screen, and keep it permanently plugged in).

    Then when you return, you would reverse the process to copy everything from the external drive back onto your desktop computer. You should of course have a good back up routine for all your files (everything under the Zotero data folder, and all your linked files), both now and while you are away.

    If instead you wanted to copy your data folder and all your linked files to the laptop's internal C: drive while you are away, or a hybrid C: (stored files)/D: (linked files) strategy, that is possible too. It's just the more complicated option in this case (eg requiring a Linked Attachment Base Directory setting on both computers).
  • Asketa
    Thank you for your reply again. You are really helping me out here!

    Let us suppose that I want to do the second option, as I have been thinking of moving my entire PDF library to Zotero (converting it to stored files). Also, I wouldn't want to carry my external HDD to all my lectures.

    If I do that, and then move my Storage to my laptop, will it work there as well?
  • tim820
    Yes, that would work too. Just more complex as I said. Use Tools\Manage Attachments\Connvert Linked Files to Stored Files. With your 14 gb of linked files, that is probably going to take a while. So do it in smaller chunks (eg all the 'A' titles, then all the 'B's', etc etc). You don't have to know which items already have their PDF attachments as "stored" files (Zotero should just ignore them in your selected chunk). After that, all you PDFs should be stored files, in arbitrarily-named folders under Zotero\storage on your desktop's drive D: (ie same as your current data folder location).

    Then the transfer to your laptop (and back upon your return) just involves manually copying your entire data folder hierarchy between computers in your OS, like Option B here:
    https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/transferring_a_library

    The only twist is that your data folders will be at different locations on each computer (again, see Edit\Settings\Advanced\Files & Folders\Data Directory Location): still drive D: on your desktop, and drive C: on your laptop.

    As a side note, with 25 gB in total of PDFs, and if you want to continue to use Zotero on *both* your computers moving forward, you should consider the options for synced file storage: a Zotero paid plan or WebDAV (both for stored files only), or all-linked files synced via a cloud service (eg Dropbox, Google Drive, Onedrive, etc).
  • Asketa
    All is done and works perfectly.

    First I used 'Convert Linked Files to Stored Files', and also 'Normalized' names while I was at it.

    Secondly, I synced Zotero data on my desktop with Zotero data on my laptop, and then copied my Storage folder to my external HDD.

    Thirdly, I went to Zotero Storage on my laptop and copied all the Storage content from my external HDD to Storage on my laptop.

    I had to overwrite a couple of files, those that synced previously, in the 300mb free package.

    After that all PDF files were openable on the Zotero on my laptop.

    A few unimportant straggler linked PDF files that remained (they didn't have a parent item, or were just my old notes converted from Word to PDF), however, they are still openable from my external HDD, which serves as drive D.

    *IseeThisAsAnAbsoluteWin.jpg*

    Thank you again for your help and comments tim820, couldn't have done it without you! I simply love Zotero and wish I had money to support the full plan.
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