Installation error accessing mozilla's pref.js see msg pls

WebbSC
NotAllowedError: Could not open `C:\Users\strai\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ny5oz7je.default-1568688852669\prefs.js' (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED)

Undoubtedly some permissions issue or it's possibly already open with Firefox?. Win10 latest v. Properties say should be able to access, but cannot open to edit - denied - Any thoughts on how to circumvent. Will attempt again with all instances of Firefox closed...
Thanks for any ideas
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited 17 days ago
    That's something you'd have to debug on your system. Likely security software preventing Zotero from accessing the Firefox prefs (which it does to make sure there isn't a pre-2017 Zotero for Firefox installation).
  • WebbSC
    Thanks very much for the advice about running the js in zotero. As far as I can tell, that resolved the issue. One point for future reference and a caveat, the culprit was my AV software locking that directory. Temporarily shutting it down and then running the initialisation of zotero allowed me to use the scripting tool and block that check with the command line that you suggested. It was impossible to do that, however, without finding the problem first, since zotero _will not open_ if it can't run the check... just sayin'. Fortunately, software engineering is my bread & butter, but a normal academic or researcher probably would not have solved it so easily...
  • WebbSC
    PS - just so you know, the command you sent me showed up in the email, but not in the above text.
    Thanks again for the assist, greatly appreciated.
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited 16 days ago
    The JS wasn't relevant, which is why I deleted it. You just had to disable your AV software and start up once. Zotero only checks the Firefox profile once.

    This migration code has been in place for a decade and we've gotten almost no reports of this, so this isn't a general problem, but we're going to remove the migration code in the next major version. If someone hasn't migrated their pre-2017 Zotero for Firefox data directory by now, they can probably live without it (or move it manually).
  • WebbSC
    :-) - Ahhh sooo... I suspect your migration thoughts are correct - Thanks again for the assist. Kind regards
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