Zotero Word Plug-in not connecting to Zotero library

Report ID: 716499626
Here's what I did:
I opened Zotero application on my laptop.
I opened Word 365 application on my laptop.
I started typing a sentence in my Word.
I see the Zotero toolbar in Word.
When I click on "Add/Edit Citation" in Word, nothing happens. None of the other buttons in the Zotero toolbar work either.
Any ideas on what to do here would be appreciated.
  • Yes, I looked at this and did all of these things several times with no luck. Worked extensively with the IT support at my company on this. No luck. Any other ideas for me?
  • edited September 27, 2023
    You deleted Zotero.dotm from your Word Startup folder, made sure it was completely gone from Word, and reinstalled it from the Cite tab of the Zotero settings?

    Just to test, if you double-click the Zotero.dotm file in the Word Startup folder to open it directly in Word, does that work any differently? (That may give you two Zotero tabs. Try both.)

    (Also, we know from the Report ID, but be sure to mention in your thread titles that you're using the Zotero 7 beta.)
  • Yes, using the beta.
    We thought maybe that would make a difference since Zotero was not connecting to Word with Zotero 6.
    Let me try the Word Startup folder.
  • OK, I found the Work Startup folder and opened Zotero directly in Word. Does not work differently. :(
  • Sorry, I mean Word Startup Folder.
  • But did you delete the Zotero.dotm? If you just found the Word Startup folder, it doesn't sound like you actually tried that previously.
  • The IT guy deleted it and added it back in a few times. He remoted into my computer and worked on this whole issue for about an hour. I wasn't following every step, so I didn't see precisely where the Word Startup folder was. So I needed to find it just now on my own. We both looked at the Zotero support docs and worked through them together.
    BTW, when I start Word and the Zotero app is NOT open, I get an error message saying that"Word could not communicate with Zotero" so it seems to be recognizing that Zotero is not open, at least. But then, when I open Zotero, no error message pops up, it's just that nothing happens.
  • He ran out of ideas of what to try, so I said I would post the query here and see if you all could help.
  • Can you provide a Debug ID for Zotero startup through pressing one of the buttons in Word, using the "Restart with Logging Enabled…" option?
  • OK, so I need to start Word first? Or Zotero first? Or it doesn't matter?
  • Doesn't matter.
  • OK, nothing related to Word integration there. Weird that you're getting different behavior with Zotero open, but assuming you pressed one of the plugin buttons while that was running, it doesn't seem like anything is making it to Zotero.

    @adomasven may have some other ideas of things to try.
  • OK, thanks for your help.
    Yes, different behavior with Zotero open vs. Zotero closed.
  • Yes, I pressed a few buttons on the Zotero toolbar in Word while it was running.
  • Did this used to work for you before? Do you have any proprietary security software running? Could you try disabling it temporarily?
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