error starting Zotero even after install

Hrvoje Cargonja

I am somewhat new user and this is the first time I've encountered this error. I use Zotero in Firefox and even after reinstaling both Firefox and Zotero I can't start it. I've checked and Zotero is not on the list of Add-ons in Firefox.

I managed to get the error reports from Firefox and I'm posting them below.

Is there any help?

Hrvoje

Error loading http.js zotero-service.js:241:0
missing ; before statement http.js:1000:1
SyntaxError: missing ; before statement http.js:1000:1
NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE: Component returned failure code: 0x80570016 (NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE) [nsIJSCID.getService] overlay.js:3:0
no element found feat_support_new.xul:1:20
Error loading http.js zotero-service.js:241:0
missing ; before statement http.js:1000:1
SyntaxError: missing ; before statement http.js:1000:1
NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE: Component returned failure code: 0x80570016 (NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE) [nsIJSCID.getService] include.js:1:0
Error loading http.js zotero-service.js:241:0
missing ; before statement http.js:1000:1
SyntaxError: missing ; before statement http.js:1000:1
NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE: Component returned failure code: 0x80570016 (NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE) [nsIJSCID.getService] include.js:1:0
Error loading http.js zotero-service.js:241:0
missing ; before statement http.js:1000:1
SyntaxError: missing ; before statement http.js:1000:1
NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE: Component returned failure code: 0x80570016 (NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE) [nsIJSCID.getService] include.js:1:0
TypeError: Zotero is undefined include.js:4:4
Error loading http.js zotero-service.js:241:0
missing ; before statement http.js:1000:1
SyntaxError: missing ; before statement http.js:1000:1
NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE: Component returned failure code: 0x80570016 (NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE) [nsIJSCID.getService] include.js:1:0
TypeError: Zotero is undefined include.js:2:4
SyntaxError: missing ; before statement installer.jsm:143:1
TypeError: Zotero is undefined overlay.js:189:3
Error loading http.js zotero-service.js:241:0
missing ; before statement http.js:1000:1
SyntaxError: missing ; before statement http.js:1000:1
[Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80570016 (NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE) [nsIJSCID.getService]" nsresult: "0x80570016 (NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero-item-history/content/xpcom/history.js :: ZoteroItemHistory.prototype.init :: line 39" data: no] zotero-item-history-service.js:81:0
ReferenceError: Zotero is not defined zotero-item-history-service.js:82:2
NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE: Component returned failure code: 0x80570016 (NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE) [nsIJSCID.getService] main.js:27:0
ReferenceError: setTimeout is not defined zutilo.jsm:465:20
not well-formed sync:1:1260
ReferenceError: dw_locktimer is not defined js.php:1:771748
TypeError: $tree.dw_tree is not a function js.php:1:360173
TypeError: History.getState is not a function _zoterowwwAll.bugly.1429126755.js:4478:20
TypeError: History.getState is not a function _zoterowwwAll.bugly.1429126755.js:4478:20

Hrvoje Cargonja

Dear all,

Just to let you know that I fixed the problem, or at leats delayed it. Not quite sure. I deinstalled Firefox again, but this time I deleted all Mozilla directories in AppData folder of my Windows Profile. I reinstalled Firefox and then Zotero and now it seems to be working fine. From what I could gather it seems that Mozilla is a bit quirky when it comes to its Addons, it doesn't display them correctly. Even now, I still can't see Zotero in Mozilla's Add-On List, but also not VLC plug-in.
I'm not sure if this is a permanent solution but I can finally get to my stuff.

Hope this all this helps!

Hrvoje

dstillman

Great, thanks. We've had one other report of this. It's extremely strange, and we have no idea what causes it, but some sort of corruption of Firefox files (maybe from malware, maybe from a Mozilla bug, maybe something else) seems likely.

[Edit: Also, just to note for other who try the above, be sure to back up your Zotero data directory before deleting any Firefox files.]

Hrvoje Cargonja

Thank you!

dstillman

Since we're still trying to piece together what's causing this, are you running any security software? Any reason to think you might have had malware on your system previously? When you deleted the Mozilla directories, did you make a backup of your Zotero data directory and copy it back in, or did you sync your data from the server to an empty data directory? Anything else unusual about this system?

Hrvoje Cargonja

Well the only think it comes to mind is that a great deal of Mozilla addons, before I reinstalled it, were not updated (Adobe, VLC and Java). I tried to update them at first, and as I told you, I even reinstalled Mozilla but it didn't work until I deleted those directories in Appdata. Hope this helps and thank you for the work you guys are doing. This is really great software.

dstillman

So for at least one person, this did indeed happen after malware. That's still by best guess here.