Zotero doesn't recognize old Zotero-references

bpreusche

Hi,
when I go to 'insert citation' in an 'old' docx-file with existing zotero-references, the window pops up, but it does not recognize the citations before [...]" ! I can choose another style, yes (because of choosing "store-refrences-in-document"-option - i think?!), but if I update/change somethings of the data in the zotero library it doesn't change anything in the citation-field of the file.

Might it depend on the "Store references in document" - option ? Another document without choosing this option works fine.

The solutions of "Debugging broken documents" (http://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_troubleshooting) had no effect.

The Report-ID is: 1726120263 (but I don't know whether this belongs to my described error; in fact there occurs no error!)

adamsmith

Sounds like your database became disconnected from the document - e.g. by exporting/importing items or so. In that case Zotero falls back to the data stored in the document.
You can test this yourself, if you'd like.
Use alt+f9 in the word document and copy the field code for an item that hasn't update. Towards the beginning of the field you'd see the item URI, something like "uris":["http://zotero.org/users/234272/items/BCWPT28V"]
Compare that to the version of the item in your Zotero library online. You can also get item URIs for items from your client following the instructions here: http://zoteromusings.wordpress.com/2013/04/23/zotero-item-uris-from-client/
I'd expect the one in the document and the one online to be different.

(edit: if you have a very old document, it may have an item key instead of a URI - that should just be the last part of the URI)

bpreusche

You are right - the uris in the old document are diffrent from the uris in a new document (which is updated):

http://zotero.org/users/local/Nm0K1aK8/items/T772GW5U

http://zotero.org/users/234272/items/TRQIAJ2B

Means that, I've destroyed the zotero-database (the allocation) when I exported/imported data ??

adamsmith

If you export and item and re-import it, Zotero assigns it a different ID/URI. It looks like that's what happened here. (This isn't the only way this could have happened, just the most likely one).

Unfortunately, I don't think there's an alternative to deleting and re-inserting any reference that you still need to update.

aurimas

Technically speaking, there is an alternative. You can replace the old URI with a new URI. You need to replace the one that looks like
"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/*****/items/****"](i.e. the one that says "uri", not "uris"). Then turn off field codes and click Zotero Refresh button.

Whether it is easier to delete the reference and re-insert it, probably depends on how many times a reference is used. If you're using a reference a lot in the document, a simple search and replace could really speed up the process.

At some point, Zotero should probably add a function to re-attach disconnected references.