Linked file (via ZotMoov) gets copied back to storage when accessed

JinuKim
Zotero version: 7 (latest)
OS: Ubuntu Linux
Plugins: ZotMoov, Better BibTeX, Attanger (disabled during testing)

I use ZotMoov to move PDFs to an external folder as linked files. The setup:

- ZotMoov: File Behavior = Move, Directory = a custom folder outside Zotero
- "Automatically Move/Copy Files When Added" = enabled
- Linked Attachment Base Directory = set to my vault folder
- "Automatically attach associated PDFs" = unchecked
- File Syncing = disabled

**Problem:**
When I access a linked file item (e.g., right-click → Show File, or access it via the Obsidian Zotero Integration plugin), Zotero copies the PDF back into ~/Zotero/storage/ under a new hash folder. The Show File path also changes from the linked file location to the storage location.

**Steps to reproduce:**
1. Add a paper to Zotero. ZotMoov moves the PDF to the external folder as a linked file.
2. Delete the PDF from ~/Zotero/storage/ if it exists there.
3. Right-click the item → Show File.
4. The PDF reappears in ~/Zotero/storage// and Show File now points there instead of the external folder.

The original PDF in the external folder is still there — so the file is duplicated.

**Expected behavior:**
Show File should open the linked file location without copying anything to storage.

Is this intended behavior or a bug? Is there a way to prevent this?
  • AbeJellinek Zotero Team
    If the file is still in ~/Zotero/storage, it isn't being converted to a linked file attachment, and Zotero is doing the right thing by redownloading it on open. But that's pretty much all we can say; for issues with plugins, you'll need to contact the plugin developer.
  • tim820
    edited 17 days ago
    Re "2. Delete the PDF from ~/Zotero/storage/ if it exists there", that obviously should not be necessary, and does not happen in general with Zotmoov ... for the way that most people use it, Zotmoov does not leave a copy of the PDF in Zotero storage when it moves the file to the 'Move To' folder.

    Are you sure you do not have Zotmoov's File Behaviour dropdown set to Copy (a rarer use case) rather than Move ?

    Also, how are you adding these items/PDFs to Zotero ?

    Finally, the latest version of Zotero is 9 not 7.

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