Zotero Guide

You may want to create a free online Zotero account, which enables you to sync your Zotero library to a cloud-based version that you can access from anywhere.  This also serves as a backup, in case your hard drive fails.

To create an account, visit the User Registration page on the Zotero website and follow the instructions.

To "sync" your online account with the Zotero library on your computer, do the following:

1. In the Zotero program, click on the Edit menu and choose Preferences
2. Click the Sync button in the menu at top
3. Click on Link Account and enter the username and password for your online Zotero account
4. Set your Sync preferences as desired and press OK

Since your Zotero library is saved to your computer's hard drive, you need to export it before you replace your computer.  It's best to create an online backup as described on this guide.  But you can also save out your Zotero Library before getting rid of your computer.

1) Find the Zotero storage folder on your computer, using Windows Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).  The default locations are:

• Windows: C:\Users\[User Name]\Zotero
• Mac: Users/[Username]/Zotero

2) Copy the entire Storage folder to a USB Drive, or upload it to your Google Drive

3) On your new computer, after you install Zotero, copy your old Storage folder to the appropriate location as indicated in step 1