Restoring deleted folder and files

richardj15
I accidentally deleted a library sub folder containing many files. I attempted to restore them by following the procedure in "Restoring from the last automatic backup", but without success. I have done this before with no problem so I am not sure why it didn't work this time.

As an alternative fix, I attempted to replace all the contents of the Zotero data folder in Firefox profiles by transferring copies of them from a backup hard disk. Upon restarting Firefox the files had returned but after a few minutes the folder and files were gone again--I think the automatic syncing function removed them.

Is there a way to restore the folder and files from my backup hard disk that will not conflict with the Synching tool?

Thanks
  • dstillman
    edited August 4, 2011
    Turn off auto-sync in the Sync pane of the Zotero preferences.

    Then close Firefox, restore from your backup, and start Firefox. Rename the affected collection—to anything, it doesn't matter—and also add a random item to it. Then try syncing. I think your local changes to the collection should override the deletion that you synced to the server.

    If that doesn't work, you could always just create a second collection and drag all the items from the first collection to it.

    Once you're set, re-enable auto-sync.

    (Also, just to be clear, you didn't delete any items. Removing a collection simply removes the collection and subcollections. The items are still at the root of your library. Worst-case scenario you would just have to recreate the hierarchy.)
  • w80
    This is a situation in which an "undo" button sure would be useful.
  • richardj15
    Dan,

    Turning off auto-sync did the trick. Thanks

    As "w80" noted above, it would be super to have an "undo" command option in the case of removing collections. I have had this same problem multiple times because I think I am removing one file but somehow end up removing the whole collection. Somehow that sequence of selecting a single file or reference and removing it seems to risk removing the whole collection. Not sure why.

    Again, thanks for the prompt and perfect solution.

    Richard
  • PGodinho
    Google docs and dropbox has a kind of a log historic of your files.
    You can revert your files to a specific date and time.
    It will be nice if we could have it here.
  • mugo
    I re installed Zotero and now have lost all my data from zotero on my laptop. I have all the data on my online account. How do I restore my data to the standalone zotero on my laptop?
    Please note the following:
    (1)the sync option under preferences is not working. I have tried to change the base directory without success.
    (2)I can still see some zotero files/folders on my laptop. I do not know how to place them so the re-installed zotero can pick them up again.
    Please give me very precise instructions. Thank you for your help.
  • adamsmith
    The easiest would be to sync. If that's not working, we'd need to know details about that.
    www.zotero.org/support/reporting_bugs
    As for finding&restoring items from the harddisk, see here:
    https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data#where_did_my_items_go
  • pdhaughey
    I accidently deleted a folder in a shared folder with hundreds of files. I tried to undo it bu the sync had already happened, no both of us cannot find it. How do you find something deleted?
  • pdhaughey
    Where is my backup stored on my laptop, the sync already ruined the online backup? so the troubleshoot listed above does not work. UNDO needs to be added so that every change is not automatically synced
  • adamsmith
    See this: https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data#restoring_from_the_last_automatic_backup
    and then follow very closely Dan's instructions from the 2nd post in this thread (the details matter, so if anything isn't clear, ask rather than doing it wrong).


    (also note that, as he says, it's not the items that got deleted, just their association with a specific collection).
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