My Zotero Standalone is Empty

Adia Awanata

Hi,

I am having a problem with my zotero standalone. My library is completely intact, but when I open my standalone it is empty. I cannot reference any of my materials in a word document. Can you help me fix this? I had used firefox once to save documents to zotero, but my custom is to use google chrome. And I know my computer has been updating zotero. So perhaps something happened when I saved a document from firefox into zotero.

Thank you for your help.

adamsmith

Close Standalone and see if your library is visible in Zotero for Firefox. If so, see
https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/sharing_data_directory

Adia Awanata

My library is visible in both chrome and firefox. But when I go to preferences, file folders, the custom data directory is already typed in. But the base directory line is empty. It does not allow me to highlight the custom one or paste it anywhere.

aurimas

I had used firefox once to save documents to zotero, but my custom is to use google chrome.

When you use Chrome, do you have Zotero Standalone open?

My library is visible in both chrome and firefox.

There is no way to view your _local_ library (which is what you need to reference in Word) in Chrome. That's only possible in Zotero for Firefox or Zotero Standalone. It sounds like you might be looking on zotero.org (the website). Make sure that you're checking in the Zotero pane (click the Zotero icon on the bottom right of Firefox).

But when I go to preferences, file folders, the custom data directory is already typed in.

Click "Show Data Directory" and make sure that the same directory opens up in both Zotero Standalone and Zotero for Firefox. (Another way to check this is to open up Firefox and Zotero Standalone, then click on the Zotero icon in Firefox. If Zotero Standalone gains focus, you're ok. If not, then something is incorrectly set up)

But the base directory line is empty. It does not allow me to highlight the custom one or paste it anywhere.

That option is unrelated to your issue.

Take a look at https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/sharing_data_directory if you need more help configuring your data directories.

Adia Awanata

When I am on firefox, there is no zotero icon in the bottom right corner.

When I click "show data directory" nothing happens. My chrome standalone will not do anything.

I also do not have a Zotero standalone for firefox. I only use zotero in Chrome. Should I download the firefox standalone? Would that help? I am not sure how to access the zotero pane you're referring to in firefox.

aurimas

Please read through https://www.zotero.org/support/installation#where_and_what_do_i_download so we're talking about the same thing. If you can't access Zotero in Firefox, take a look at https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/no_status_bar_icon

Adia Awanata

Thanks for your help. I was able to download zotero properly on my firefox. My library is not visible in the firefox pane.

When I use chrome, I use standalone. My standalone is presently nonresponsive.

My firefox pane will not sync with the library. Report ID: 291512460.

adamsmith

My firefox pane will not sync with the library. Report ID: 291512460.

could you specify what exactly happens?

aurimas

My standalone is presently nonresponsive.

Also, what does this mean? Does Standalone freeze when you open it? Does it freeze when you try to sync?

Adia Awanata

Hi,

When I try to sync the pane with the library, the green arrow turns but then the red exclamation point emerges. The details say: File not found. The documents all appear to be accessible within the firefox pane now.

When I open my chrome standalone, it doesn't do anything. It does not appear to be frozen; I can go to preferences and to advanced and file folders, but it will not let me change anything that is listed.

And even though the documents are visible in firefox, I still cannot insert footnotes in my word documents using the zotero add-ins.

adamsmith

OK, so my sense is these are two separate issues. Let's fix this for Firefox first. Install the word processor add-ons for Firefox:
https://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_installation
and see if your library then shows up in the Word add-on. Make sure you have Zotero Standalone entirely closed when you try this.

I'm not sure why you keep calling Zotero Standalone "Chrome Standalone" - it's important that it's clear this has nothing to do with a specific browser. You may have a connector in stalled in Chrome to facilitate import, but beyond that Zotero runs entirely independently of Chrome.
Then, could you provide a couple of examples of what you're trying to change and what is happening? Are things greyed out? Do they switch back? etc.

Adia Awanata

Thank you very much. Firefox now gives me add-ins.

I referred to it as the Chrome standalone because I only downloaded a standalone for Zotero on chrome. I was under the impression that certain standalones work only with certain browsers.

I was instructed to make sure that my standalone is using the correct data directory and to highlight the base directory and put it in the custom directory if it wasn't already there. There is no base directory listed. There is a custom directory listed, but I cannot highlight it. When I press "show data directory" nothing happens. It appears that my standalone is not totally nonresponsive. I can click on "export library" or "import" but it will not let me click "create a new item".

adamsmith

I was under the impression that certain standalones work only with certain browsers.

no, there is only one standalone version for all browsers.

For Standalone - forget about the base directory, you don't need that. What exactly does it say under "Data Directory Location"? If "custom" is already selected, can you press the "choose" button?

Adia Awanata

Custom is already selected. Yes, I can press "choose". I do not know what I should choose, though.

adamsmith

see here: https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/sharing_data_directory#sharing_the_data_directory_manually
you want to find out what the data directory for Zotero for Firefox is and then select that in Zotero Standalone.

Adia Awanata

I do not know how to get to "Preferences" on the firefox pane.

Adia Awanata

I found it.

Adia Awanata

I am unable to select the data directory listed on the standalone.

Adia Awanata

And it already says firefox in that data directory, which may mean that they are already sharing the same data directory.

adamsmith

I am unable to select the data directory listed on the standalone.

unable meaning what? you can't find it?

And it already says firefox in that data directory, which may mean that they are already sharing the same data directory.

are you sure they are? Could be a different Firefox profile.
If you click on "Show Data Directory" in Zotero for Firefox what's the exact filepath? And what's the exact, complete path to the custom directory in Standalone?

Adia Awanata

The data directory listed will not highlight when I click on it.

When I click show data directory, it does not show me the whole directory. Nothing happens when I click show data directory.

I cannot see the exact complete path.

Adia Awanata

I cannot see the exact complete path in the standalone. But the one in firefox shows up. But it shows up in an "open a file" window. It's not listed as a statement. It is a list of files in a folder.

Adia Awanata

To clarify: the items in the standalone will not highlight. And "show data directory" does nothing in the standalone.

adamsmith

you should be able to get to the whole path from there - details depend on your operating system, but usually some version of right-click (on any file) --> properties does the trick.
For Windows 7 (and I think 8) this will work:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ff678296.aspx

adamsmith

for Standalone, if need be, copy it by hand or take a screenshot, upload it to imgur.com and post a link here.

Adia Awanata

Here is the firefox directory.
C:\Users\Downbeat.4\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\1tlgho0v.default\zotero

Here is the visible part of the standalone directory.
C:\Users\Downbeat.4\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\k95

adamsmith

so not the same directory. Click on choose in Standalone and select the firefox directory - you simply have to click through to it. If that's not possible, be specific - how does that not work?

Adia Awanata

Choose is working. So in order to choose the zotero folder, does it matter if I open the zotero folder and then choose it? Or do I have to highlight "zotero" and choose it? Not sure if it matters.

Adia Awanata

It worked!

But my firefox pane still has the red exclamation point by the green arrow. It looks like all the documents are there, though.

Adia Awanata

Thanks a lot for your help.

aurimas

Click on the exclamation mark and submit the error report. Post the report ID here (and, if you can, the actual error message as well).