Getting multiple copies of items when I sync

Silverfin
I just upgraded zotero from v1. to v2.0.3. I have a library of around 12Mb organised in a dozen or so collections, with very few actual file attachments (just links to pdfs which I store on a memory card).

All appeared to go well until I hit sync, at which point zotero spontaneously generated 3-6 duplicate copies of everything in my library. It does appear to be syncing, but of course it syncs multiple copies of everything.

I have read many previous posts on this topic from earlier versions, and so far I have:

- checked that I have only one zotero library
- checked that I have only one firefox profile
- turned auto-sync off and specified single-direction syncing only
- uninstalled zotero completely, deleted all associated zotero files and folders on my computer, and reinstalled from scratch (copying across only the zotero.sqlite database from the backup copy I made before upgrading)

I've tried all the above both on my main computer (EeePC running Ubuntu with Firefox 3.5.8) and my spare computer (Mac iBook running OS10.4.11 with Firefox 3.5.7)

I really don't understand why it is doing this - please help!
  • dstillman
    edited May 16, 2010
    There's really only one answer to this, and it's that you're merging data from separate libraries—which means any data upgraded from 1.0->2.0, every time, from the same or different computers. So you almost certainly have upgraded more than once and have synced that data to the server. If you then remove local data and perform a regular sync or let it auto-sync (rather than doing Restore to Server after verifying the local data), you'll get duplicates.

    Reproduce the state you want locally, with auto-sync and attachment links verified, and then perform a Restore to Server. If you have data on other computers, perform a Restore from Server on those (again, with auto-sync off before triggering a sync).
    (copying across only the zotero.sqlite database from the backup copy I made before upgrading)
    You need to restore both zotero.sqlite and 'storage' (replacing what's there) or else you'll lose attachment links after re-upgrading.
  • Silverfin
    Hi Dan, and thanks for the quick response.

    I'm only currently using zotero on one computer, I only tried it out on my old Mac to see if it was an Ubuntu-specifric problem, and have now uninstalled zotero and deleted all associated files on it, so I don't see how it can be a problem caused by two computers.

    I purged the online storage and set the sync as 'restore to server', so I don't see how it can be a problem with interaction between local and remote databases.

    On my main computer I uninstalled, deleted all associated files and folders, reinstalled, and restored my local database from the backup I made before upgrading. When I loaded up Firefox it chugged a bit while it converted it to v2 format, then everything looked fine and was exactly how I wanted it. And then I hit sync (restore to server, which had been purged) and the duplicating started again.

    Sorry, but I just don't understand how, having done all the things you said, there can still be extra libraries, and if so, how I find them and what I do about them.
  • dstillman
    edited May 16, 2010
    And then I hit sync (restore to server, which had been purged)
    There's no way currently to purge server data, so you didn't do that. (Purging storage is something else.) And hitting Sync isn't the same as using Restore to Server. To use Restore to Server you actually need to press the Reset button.
  • Silverfin
    I see... I had the general idea but had misunderstood some of the details - it can be quite confusing for non-techie types!

    All seems to work now. Thanks very much for your help!

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