Sync Error: Corrupted GIF file, cannot locate

quinn_d

I've recently switched from OS X to Windows 8 and during the initial sync I received a number of errors relating to captured websites. I managed to backtrack from the reported error to the infringing reference for most of the issues (using contextual clues about the infringing images, etc.). By removing the attachment from the server (using the Zotero website) the sync would successfully continue until it ran into the next error.

I now have an error relating to a (supposedly) corrupt GIF file (using the logging it tells me the issue and the resource). The problem is, I need to locate the infringing reference on the server to be able to delete it, so that the sync will complete correctly, but I can't backtrack from the abstract storage location to the actual reference, and the infringing image doesn't give me any clues.

Screenshot: http://www.evernote.com/shard/s1/sh/a25fdbf9-356b-41e0-8c65-70fc70f940a9/1498c262fe591a92f5230cbeb2c3228a

Does anyone know of a solution to these sync errors, or, of any way to go from a random storage location back to the reference?

dstillman

That error doesn't say or mean that the GIF file is corrupt—something is just preventing Zotero from writing to the disk. That's usually due to security software on the system interfering.

quinn_d

Thanks for the quick response!

Looking at the error report again, it now indicates simply that it can't right to that location (whereas previously it did say that the image was corrupt): JavaScript Error: "Error: The file 'TME8DQDS/con.gif' could not be created in the Zotero 'storage' directory." {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/sync.js" line: 572}


However, I have disabled Windows Defender (and there is not any other security software on the OS), and tried running Firefox as admin (and rebooting), but I still get the same error: http://www.evernote.com/shard/s1/sh/e5ffc0a9-af04-4d26-b455-108323bc461e/178bddd35b2add1c27d57d3626ae5243

If I was able to locate the problem on the server I think I could work around it (as I did previously). Otherwise, I'm at a loss of what to do here...

dstillman

Are you able to sync from Zotero Standalone? (If you install that, it will ask to use your existing Zotero data directory by default, so it's very easy to try and switch back and forth between that and Zotero for Firefox.)

Don't run Firefox as admin.

dstillman

Looking at the error report again, it now indicates simply that it can't right to that location (whereas previously it did say that the image was corrupt)

I'd have to see the exact message, but I doubt Zotero itself said that. (Firefox might have said that about something unrelated.) Zotero doesn't open files while syncing or care if they're valid at the file-format level. It just saves files to disk. There's no reason to think that there's anything wrong with the files you're trying to sync, so just deleting items isn't a particularly good way to fix this. You'll quite likely just continue to get the error for other files.

quinn_d

I've installed Zotero Standalone, and receive the exact same sync error (same file, same error).

dstillman

Is there a 'TME8DQDS' directory within the 'storage' directory of your local Zotero data directory?

quinn_d

Yup, but the infringing con.gif is not there (although another file, presumably part of the snapshot'ed website is): http://www.evernote.com/shard/s1/sh/175e83da-43d4-427f-9d95-078826e79f09/631e2d8fe3f029ef7ce6818e4ee34b33

dstillman

If you delete that folder locally and try again, does the same thing happen?

quinn_d

I've attempted this previously, but just to be sure, I tried deleting the folder again and it just comes right back with the sync (and throws the same error).

dstillman

If you right-click on the folder, Properties, and clear the Read-Only checkbox, does that make a difference?

dstillman

You can just paste TME8DQDS into the Zotero search bar to see the item in question. Again, though, this is almost always due to something on the system interfering. If you have to go through and delete items manually to get syncs to go through, something is broken.

quinn_d

Same error, and it resets it back to read-only after sync.

quinn_d

(Thanks again for all your help! Amazing effort!)

I've attempted to search for the folder (TME8DQDS) with the search bar (selecting Everything as the search scope), but nothing shows. I've also attempted the same search on the Zotero website, as well as my Group folders, but nothing shows.

I checked, and the search for other folders works, just not for this one. Could this be something wrong with the sync data/server?

dstillman

Empty the trash in your personal library.

quinn_d

Wow! That worked. Thanks so much for your help.