Bug: Unable to Import/Export BibTeX and CSV Files in Zotero 7.0.15 (Previously Worked)

xiqiaoyuese

Hi all,

I've encountered a problem with Zotero that appears to be a bug, and I'd like to report it here to see if others are experiencing the same issue or if there are any known fixes.

Issue:
Zotero was working fine about a week ago, and I could successfully import and export bibliographic entries in various formats, especially BibTeX (.bib) and CSV. However, today I discovered that:

Importing BibTeX files no longer works — nothing happens when I try to import .bib files (no new items appear, and there are no error messages).
Exporting to BibTeX or CSV also fails — no files are generated when I try to export selected items in these formats, with no error prompts.
What I’ve Tried:
Restarted Zotero
Updated to the latest version (currently using Zotero 7.0.15)
Tried multiple .bib and .csv files
Used both drag-and-drop and the “File > Import” / “Export” menu options
According to the Zotero documentation (https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/importing_standardized_formats), both BibTeX and CSV formats are officially supported.

System Info:
Zotero version: 7.0.15
Operating system: Windows 10
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Has anyone else run into this?

Thanks in advance!

dstillman

Disable all plugins, restart Zotero, and reset translators from the Advanced → Files and Folders section of the Zotero settings.

xiqiaoyuese

Thank you very much for the suggestion!

After resetting the translators, the import and export of .bib (BibTeX) files are now working again — I really appreciate the help!

However, exporting to CSV still doesn’t work. This format used to be supported, and I was able to use it before without any issues. I'm wondering if there have been any recent changes regarding CSV export support?

Thanks again for your assistance!

dstillman

You can assume that things in the software and in the documentation are supposed to work.

Can you provide a Debug ID for a CSV export attempt that fails?

xiqiaoyuese

Thanks again for the help!

I’ve done some additional testing and here’s what I found:

I disabled all plugins and reset translators, but unfortunately that did not restore the ability to import or export BibTeX files.
Import/export of BibTeX only works when the plugin “Better BibTeX for Zotero” is installed and enabled.
Without the plugin, BibTeX options are entirely missing.
The export option for CSV is still unavailable, even with or without the plugin. This format used to work fine before.
Here is the Debug ID: 2101062279

Screenshots for reference:
Without “Better BibTeX for Zotero” plugin:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u8593131/3mc140jpeg9tzeu1ybxx.png
With “Better BibTeX for Zotero” plugin enabled:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u8593131/ybw2o6f6kzpjirh05nkx.png
Let me know if there’s anything else I can test or provide. I’d really appreciate any further help!

dstillman

That's not a Debug ID, and you still have lots of plugins enabled. Restart in Troubleshooting Mode (Help → "Restart in Troubleshooting Mode…”), reset translators, and try again, and if it's still not working, provide a Debug ID.

You're missing all sorts of translators in that screenshot.

xiqiaoyuese

I’ve just tested again by disabling all plugins and resetting translators, but unfortunately it's still not working.

Here is the new Debug ID: D976555969

Let me know if there's anything else I can try. Thanks again for your support!

dstillman

You still have third-party translators installed in that debug output.

1) Manually disable all plugins.

2) Go to the Zotero data directory and delete the 'translators' folder.

3) Provide a Debug ID for Zotero startup through trying to export, using the "Restart with Logging Enabled…" option.

4) Provide a screenshot of the full dialog that you're using with the menu options you see.

xiqiaoyuese

Thank you so much for your patience and help!

After manually disabling all plugins and deleting the translators folder, everything is now working correctly again.

I’m currently going through the plugins one by one to identify which one was causing the issue.

Thanks again for your support — really appreciate it!

xiqiaoyuese

After some further investigation, I’ve identified the cause of the issue — it’s triggered by the latest version of the Jasminum plugin.

When this plugin updates the translators, it automatically removes existing translators that were already present in Zotero. This explains why standard formats like BibTeX and CSV disappeared.

As you mentioned earlier, the workaround is to manually delete the entire translators folder and then restart Zotero. This forces Zotero to restore the default translators.

Just to clarify:

Using the “Update Translators” or “Reset Translators” options in the settings does NOT fix the issue.
Only deleting the translators folder manually and restarting Zotero works.
Thanks again for your guidance and support!

dstillman

OK, thanks. Please report this to the Jasminum developer.

dstillman

(Reset Translators should certainly fix this, though. It literally deletes the 'translators' folder on disk and then reinstalls all bundled translators. I'd guess that you didn't restart Zotero after disabling plugins and before resetting translators, and even though you had disabled Jasminum, it had already made changes to Zotero's translator initialization mechanism and didn't clean up after itself properly when disabled.)

xiqiaoyuese

Thank you again! I’ve forwarded this to the plugin developer.