"My Library" is my friends

annamarie
I first used Zotero to help out a friend with her research. We downloaded Zotero on my machine and I created an account. However, I think we also had me login as her to get her library since we couldn't figure out of to make me a member of her group. When I bring up zotero by clicking the "zotero" in the lower right-hand it brings up her library.

When I click on "My Library" on the web I have no items. I'm sure that there's an easy way to delink her library - but since I'm not sure how it all works I'm afraid of messing up her research without some expert guidance.

I want to start using Zotero for my own purposes. How should I proceed? Thanks!
  • techneaux
    Open Zotero. Click the wheel icon ("actions") on the top row, then "preferences." Click the big "sync" button. Make sure your login information is there. Then click the smaller "reset" tab, select "restore from Zotero server," and click the "reset" button below. If your library is now blank, all is fixed!
  • annamarie
    Lovely! Thank you - yes now I remember putting her info in there.
  • annamarie
    Except it won't clear my local library! I've tried to clear it three times and it keeps restoring the local library. Now what?
  • adamsmith
    did you do "restore from Zotero server"?
    Alternatively, empty your library (delete all items and empty the trash)
    and restore _to_ server - but make sure you have your and not your friends information in there.
  • dstillman
    I'd recommend not deleting data manually. Restore from Zotero Server should really be enough (and is safer).
  • adamsmith
    Dan - I trust you're right on this, but if you've got a minute to explain why?

    My thinking was if she has accidentally synced regularly with her new/real account (i.e. only followed the 1st part of techneaux's advice above), restoring from server wouldn't work.
    Also, since she just wants an empty library, what are the risks?
  • dstillman
    Oh, well, that's true—if she did sync someone else's local library with her account (which would have required clicking past an explicit warning dialog that all data in the two accounts would be merged), Restore from Server wouldn't work. But she can check that easily enough by logging into her own account online to see what's there.

    My point is simply that, unless she's 100% sure that she's syncing with her own account, deleting data and syncing is dangerous, since if for some reason she's still using her friend's account she would delete her friend's data. And it shouldn't be necessary if her own account is actually empty on the server.
  • techneaux
    edited June 6, 2010
    annamarie: great advice from the people above. But just in case something is still fishy, I'd recommend opening Zotero, click wheel/gear icon, click export, and save the data somewhere. Just in case somehow your friends library gets messed up... you have the backup to give her to restore it.

    Please give us an update on whether your "My Library" on the web (http://www.zotero.org/annamarie/items would be the url, i think?) is still empty or not.
  • annamarie
    Thanks guys. I got it fixed up - had to see where "sync automatically" was checked. AND (if I remember correctly) NOT let it sync but tell it to cancel. I truly admire the way ZOtero protects folks from making lame-headed mistakes. I think the fail safes and the effort it took me to DELETE is a very good idea.

    So I finally got it so that the local library was empty. Then I added three items. I thought I had an empty server library but I followed link (Thanks techneaux) and low and behold nope all the items I didn't want were there! (Gosh I hope my friend has it on her own account!)

    So I did a reset and had the local overwrite the server. All is good now in my universe!
  • annamarie
    And oops I didn't read your suggestion that I export it first. She's on her own. She's finished with the paper so it may be okay.
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