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Troubleshooting: [Sticky] communicating with Zotero [from Word/OO]

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    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 11th 2007 edited
     
    Help me please, I downloaded Zotero MS Word plug in and now it stopped working. When I try to import my citations on my Word document, all I get is an error message saying: AN ERROR HAS OCCURRED COMMUNICATING WITH ZOTERO. PLEASE ENSURE FIREFOX IS OPEN AND TRY AGAIN. It was working fine before, but now it stopped. I tried erasing and re-installing the plug in, but I still get the same error. Does anyone have a solution? :(
    • CommentAuthorarggem
    • CommentTimeNov 11th 2007
     
    Are you using the most recent (1.0.1) version of Zotero?
    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    Thank you for your response. YES I downloaded the newest version and tried to re-install the MS plug in, but I still get the same error message.
    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    I hope the Zotero 1.0, which I got from the website home page, is the same as 1.0.1. If not, where can I get that from?
    • CommentAuthorarggem
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    Yes, v. 1.0.1 is what you get from the home page now.

    To confirm your version number, click on the "cog" or "wheel" icon in the top row of the Zotero window. Then click "About Zotero." At the top you will see the version number.

    Oh, btw, are on a PC or a Mac?
    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    Yes I do have this version and prior to this I did the following steps:

    Error message: AN ERROR HAS OCCURRED COMMUNICATING WITH ZOTERO. PLEASE ENSURE FIREFOX IS OPEN AND TRY AGAIN

    1. Erased Zotero toolbar from MS Word
    2. Uninstalled and reinstalled Zotero add-on version 1.0.1
    3. Erased Zoter folder from Mozilla folder
    4. Reinstalled MS Word plug in

    Actual result:
    Same error message
    • CommentAuthorarggem
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    One more question, what version of FireFox are you using? If you don't have the most recent (2.0.0.9) upgrade and see if that helps.

    If that doesn't help, I think I'm out of suggestions...You'll need to wait for help from someone more knowledgeable of the inner workings of Zotero.
    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    I do, thanks anyways
    • CommentAuthorarggem
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    OH! Wait! I do have one more suggestion: In the wheel/cog icon there is an option to "Report Errors."

    You might want try if you haven't already. :)
    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    I did thanks, do you know how long do they take to respond?
    • CommentAuthorarggem
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    Usually they respond fairly quickly, sometimes it takes a few days. It probably depends on how many crises they are dealing with at the time!

    Are you facing an urgent deadline?
    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    yes, my prospectus is due on Tuesday @_@
    • CommentAuthorarggem
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    TOMORROW??
    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    Yup, I have been trying to fix this all weekend. I will try to post my problem in another forum, do you have any suggestions as to where should I post this?
    • CommentAuthorarggem
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    As far as I know, this is the best place.

    Hopefully someone will be along shortly.

    If it's any consolation...I feel your Pain!!!
  16.  
    I will try to post my problem in another forum

    Please don't. We read all messages, and duplicate posts will be deleted.

    Did you try Report Errors after a communication error, as arggem suggested?
    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007 edited
     
    Thanks for the response. What is the email of zotero support? is is support@zot[...].org. Because I re-installed zotero 1.0.1, the Report Errors option is not available, I think
    • CommentAuthorarggem
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    miluska...Dan IS the Man!! :)
    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    Here is what pretty much is happening. I am using the latest version of Zotero (1.0.1) and the Word plugin (1.0b1).
    When I try to get my citations, stored at Zotero, to my Word 2003 document, I get a "communication error" with Zotero. It asks me to keep the Firefox open. But it is already open. So far I did the following steps:

    Error message: AN ERROR HAS OCCURRED COMMUNICATING WITH ZOTERO. PLEASE ENSURE FIREFOX IS OPEN AND TRY AGAIN

    1. Erased Zotero toolbar from MS Word
    2. Uninstalled and reinstalled Zotero add-on version 1.0.1
    3. Erased Zoter folder from Mozilla folder (where my old stored documents used to be)
    4. Reinstalled MS Word plug in

    Actual result:
    Same error message
  20.  
    What version of Word are you using, and what platform?
    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    Thank you for the response. I am using Microsoft Office 2003 SP2. How do I find which platform?
    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    Another thing I've noticed was that the View option is not available anymore for every document I save for my references.

    P.S.: I tried installing Zotero plus its MS plug in again and I still get the same message. I don't understand what happened. It was working fine before.
    • CommentAuthorarggem
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    The platform is the operating system of your computer. Is it Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS X, Linux?

    What do you mean by the view option? What did it show you when it worked?
    • CommentAuthorarggem
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2007
     
    miluska,

    Are you using an English version of Zotero, or a different language?

    Also, you said you "Erased Zoter folder from Mozilla folder (where my old stored documents used to be)"...

    Did you restore that folder? If not, you have deleted all of your references and documents that were stored there. If that's the case, nothing will show up in the middle column. Is that what you mean by "no view option"?
    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 13th 2007
     
    The folder is back. What I mean about the view option is that your document displays in the middle window and the info appears in the right. Before I had the view and locate options available, but now I only have the Locate one only
    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 13th 2007
     
    The view option is actually to go to your document online
    • CommentAuthorSimon
    • CommentTimeNov 13th 2007
     
    miluska: the Report Errors option should be under the cog/gear menu, third from the bottom. If you have Zotero 1.0.1, there's no reason you shouldn't have this menu option. The output from this feature will help us diagnose the problem; without it, it's difficult to provide any help.
    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 13th 2007
     
    Yes I submitted one: Report ID 1643714743
  29.  
    miluska: Do you get the error in a new document?
    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 13th 2007
     
    Yes I do, in new and stored documents
  31.  
    Create a new Firefox profile, install Zotero (and nothing else), create a few references, and try citing them in a new Word document.
    • CommentAuthormiluska
    • CommentTimeNov 14th 2007
     
    I tried to open the Firefox profile manager with firefox.exe -ProfileManager and all I get is a new page instead of the Profile Manager window
  33.  
    Any news on this problem? I've had the same problem, with the same error message, for about two weeks (I'm using Office 2004 on a mac). I've tried creating a new profile in firefox, completely uninstalling office and reinstalling it, uninstalling and reinstalling zotero--all with no effect. I still press the citation button in word, the screen flickers over to firefox, but then the error message pops up--but the citation window never does.

    Very frustrating. I've started using neooffice in the meantime, which works fine. But I'm not thrilled about the fact that (I assume) the citations made in Neooffice will be screwy if or when I go back to word.

    I'd be grateful for any help or advice.
    • CommentAuthorturnip
    • CommentTimeDec 13th 2007 edited
     
    I am running Zotero with Word 2003 and WinXP (SP2) and initially encountered this problem which has been resolved.

    There are really two parts to the installation: Firstly, installing the browser plugin via the ‘Download’ link on the home page (http://www.zotero.org/), secondly, installing the document template (http://www.zotero.org/documentation/microsoft_word_integration)

    The communication error is most likely a result of having an unsupported and/or out of date browser – in my case, Firefox 0.8 instead of the required version 2.0 or later. Browser version can typically be determined through the ‘help’->’about’ menus; the earliest browser versions supported by Zotero listed via the home page given above.

    Essentially, I’d recommend to all experiencing this problem to:
    (i) Download latest browser of choice supported by Zotero
    (ii) Uninstall existing browser, replacing with that browser downloaded in (i)
    (iii) Install the Zotero plugin & document template.

    As an aside, the browser plugin installation process ‘appears’ to complete successfully with the older browsers…

    I have only experienced the Windows setup, but I suspect the same applies to Mac users.
  35.  
    Hello, I am encountering the same problem. I just submitted a request using the button in Zotero (the cog thing). I am running Zotero 1.0.1 with Word 2003 and WinXP (SP2).

    I was switching different styles of citation to see how they look on my document and I started to get the problem. I tried all the suggestions above but nothing seems to work. I have a paper due soon and this is a disaster for me. I hope someone can get back to me ASAP.

    I want to use zotero for my dissertation so a more stability is highly desired!
  36.  
    And my Firefox is the latest version, 2.0.0.11.

    HEEELP!!!
    • CommentAuthorcantabrian
    • CommentTimeDec 19th 2007
     
    I'm with springchild74. Though I appreciate turnip's desire to help, his/her suggestions do not solve the problem. I had checked all of things several times, uninstalled and reinstalled the programs, and all of that several times before posting.

    I will say that one of the times that I reinstalled word, it somehow worked again for about an hour. But the error message began appearing again, and it hasn't gone away.

    Perhaps it's a glitch in my version of word (for mac), but it looks to me like the problem is bigger than my computer alone.

    I would be VERY grateful for a solution to this. Perhaps the next update of zotero or of the word plugin will solve the problem. When might those be coming out?
  38.  
    You know, it is very strange, but now this is working. What I did was that I typed a few words in the documents that were not responding, and then boila it started to work again. I have NO idea why it's now working and I am having my fingers crossed that this won't happen again.

    I wish you luck Cantabrian.
    • CommentAuthorm.neiger
    • CommentTimeJan 7th 2008
     
    Hi springchild74

    I suddenly started to encounter the same issue, but unfortunately, typing a few words did not help. Have you come to target it more precisely?

    cheers,
    Marc
    • CommentAuthorm.neiger
    • CommentTimeJan 7th 2008
     
    Ok, I found my problem. Due to a synchronization issues (non zotero related) between my two computers, my zotero database was missing an item used in the bibliography...
    However I must point that the error message "communication error" was rather misleading.
    I'm also eagerly waiting for the online storage that shall solve my main synch issue!

    Cheers,
    Marc
    • CommentAuthorbenshaine
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2008
     
    I've got a similar problem. Suggestions?

    I'm running Firefox 2.0.0.11 with Zotero 1.0.2 & Word plug in 10.0b2 on Mac OS 10.3.9.

    When I insert a reference in a Word document, I get a Word window that says
    "Zotero - Updating
    This citation no longer exists in the Zotero database. Delete it?"

    If I respond "no," not to delete it, then the reference seems to be placed correctly in the document.

    I've tried inserting various references, put into my Zotero database on various dates, with the same result.

    I get the same Word window when I try to insert a bibliography. Again, if I respond "no" don't delete, then the bibliography is inserted correctly into the Word document.

    I've restarted both Word & Firefox; same thing happens after those restarts.

    Thanks - I'm really appreciating Zotero.
    • CommentAuthors marple
    • CommentTimeJan 14th 2008
     
    Hi here are my error log #s
    626640728
    1449297488
    1531898910
    latest zotero & firefox installs
    windows xp
    word 2003 english

    I had all the latest downloads, then 1/2 through my work today (which of course is due tomorrow) i got the zotero couldn't communicate error. I uninstall ed closed down restarted everything 2x, once reinstalling using the plug in installer, once copying the plug in from the download directly into the word\startup folder.
    I believe i updated last week when the update came out(my browser auto checks and i have been working in zotero every day for a few weeks) but have not had a problem until a few hrs ago. although i have noticed in hanging recently, but that could be another issue.

    this version of the document was opened on a mac, via email, then downloaded via email back on my pc today. I check with the pre email version, and that version seems to have no problems with zotero. unfortuneatly i have almost 12hrs worth of work in the new version. As it is a chapter going under review, there will be many more edits to make, so i hope we can get zotero to work smoothly on it again.

    thanks for any assistance
    stacy
    • CommentAuthors marple
    • CommentTimeJan 14th 2008 edited
     
    Hi, i have gone to an earlier version of my document, and the zotero fields are being recognized, however i have two new issues:
    1. hanging, zotero is hanging for 20-40 seconds with each action
    2. no communication with ucb library, the icon for a book or journal article appears at the end of the url bar, and a red box shows up in the right section of the zotero screne, however no record is down loaded.- google books works fine however.

    thanks!
  44.  
    I ditto Marple, since a few days ago zotero plugin is kind of freezing everytime I ask the plugin to "communicate."

    At first I thought this was due to spyware but I ran the scan and I could find nothing. The other programs are fine too.
    • CommentAuthorbenshaine
    • CommentTimeJan 19th 2008
     
    update to my comment of 1/11/08:
    The problem is specific to the Word file I was working on. I opened a couple of other Word files, & Zotero worked fine with them. However, the file that has the problem is the master document for a project. Copying and pasting the contents of that document into a new file doesn't help -- the new file has the same problem.

    Dan, any ideas about what to do?

    Thanks very much
  46.  
    Hmmm... yes, similar problem with the communication error message--Zotero simply doesn't work. Just downloaded the plug-in, updated Zotero and Firefox, and am running 2007 MS Office suite with the most recent updates. Suggestions welcome.
    • CommentAuthorBriza
    • CommentTimeJan 20th 2008
     
    The same connection problem. Firefox 2.0.0.11, Zotero 1.1 and MS word plugin 1.0b2. Using WinXP Pro + MS WORD 2007. And nothing mentioned on the forum helped.
    Report ID: 1950391608
    This all happend regardless of firewall, antivirus...


    Thanks for any suggestions.
  48.  
    benshaine and others experiencing this problem: If you don't mind sending the document you're working on to support@zot....org, we can probably figure out what's going on here. If you're able to copy a small section of the document (single citation, paragraph, etc.) into a new document and reproduce the problem, that would also work just fine.
  49.  
    Thanks to Ben for sending in an excerpt from his document. We think we may have already fixed most of the causes of these communication errors in the latest dev build and will be releasing a new version in the next day or two, but for those trying to do work in the interim, if the plugin works in a new document, you should be able to fix a broken existing document quite easily by copying a page or so at a time into a new document and seeing if the error still occurs. Once you reproduce the error, you should be able to narrow down the text until you find the problematic citation. Remove that citation from the original document and the problem should go away (unless there are multiple problematic citations, in which case you'd have to repeat the process).

    If you are able to find a problematic citation, you should also send that document excerpt to support@zot....org so we can take a look at it.

    Hope that helps.
  50.  
    Hi I am also having a problem. I'm not sure if I am using dev version and in need of a new plug in. I once used dev version and firefox keeps automatically updating the zotero -- of which I'm not sure if it is dev version or the ordinary version. Do I need a new plugin for the word?

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