Upgrade StorageZotero plugin in Microsoft Word on MAC missing or not functioning
As noticed at our library all MAC users do not get Zotero add in in Word automatically after the Zotero software download from your website. Then the story goes in different directions:
Some do not have the possibility to reinstall Word add-in in Zotero preferences simply because this message is missing there. Others do have it, but when they run reinstallation (with Word and Zotero closed), even though they receive the message that this add-in has been successfully installed, it does not appear in Word. Therefore, we use the manual method, which you describe here:
https://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_troubleshooting
https://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_manual_installation#manually_installing_the_zotero_word_for_mac_2016_plugin
We want to note that it is not the easiest task to find the Word startup folder on MAC. Some students do not get it also when they copy Zotero.dotm from Zotero folder to Word startup folder, they need to have the Developer plugin in Word and install that file through Developer-Word plugins. Then some students happen to finally get it in Word, but as soon as they do not save the Word file, the Zotero plugin disappears, they have to repeat the procedure of associating the Zotero.dotm file through a Developer plugin in Word again. Zotero plugin stays if they save the specific file where they started citing through Zotero, though.
In addition, we have a couple of students who after going through all these procedures get the Zotero plugin, BUT (surprisingly!) when they start using it (so, when they click on “Add citation”), the message appears: “Word could not communicate with Zotero. Please ensure that Zotero or Firefox is open and try again”. Zotero is open, they tried to use both Chrome and Firefox, together and separately, they had both connectors installed. They had the newest MAC operative system (2017), newest Word (2016 or 2017) and newest Zotero 5. They tried to reinstall Zotero 5, Word and connectors. They also tried to use Zotero 4, older version. Nothing helped. Of course, they tried to remove Zotero.dotm from Word startup folder and place it there again.
Could you advise us something helpful?
Some do not have the possibility to reinstall Word add-in in Zotero preferences simply because this message is missing there. Others do have it, but when they run reinstallation (with Word and Zotero closed), even though they receive the message that this add-in has been successfully installed, it does not appear in Word. Therefore, we use the manual method, which you describe here:
https://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_troubleshooting
https://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_manual_installation#manually_installing_the_zotero_word_for_mac_2016_plugin
We want to note that it is not the easiest task to find the Word startup folder on MAC. Some students do not get it also when they copy Zotero.dotm from Zotero folder to Word startup folder, they need to have the Developer plugin in Word and install that file through Developer-Word plugins. Then some students happen to finally get it in Word, but as soon as they do not save the Word file, the Zotero plugin disappears, they have to repeat the procedure of associating the Zotero.dotm file through a Developer plugin in Word again. Zotero plugin stays if they save the specific file where they started citing through Zotero, though.
In addition, we have a couple of students who after going through all these procedures get the Zotero plugin, BUT (surprisingly!) when they start using it (so, when they click on “Add citation”), the message appears: “Word could not communicate with Zotero. Please ensure that Zotero or Firefox is open and try again”. Zotero is open, they tried to use both Chrome and Firefox, together and separately, they had both connectors installed. They had the newest MAC operative system (2017), newest Word (2016 or 2017) and newest Zotero 5. They tried to reinstall Zotero 5, Word and connectors. They also tried to use Zotero 4, older version. Nothing helped. Of course, they tried to remove Zotero.dotm from Word startup folder and place it there again.
Could you advise us something helpful?
If they are library computers -- anything unusual about the install? Any particular security rules applied?
1. Under Zotero -> Tools -> Add-ins "Zotero Word for Mac Plugin" is enabled
2. Zotero.dotm is placed in the startup folder of Word
A new install of Zotero should have the plugin enabled by default (though we've had multiple reports of it not being enabled and are working on removing this requirement) and Zotero upon install attempts to put Zotero.dotm in the correct place, unless, Word startup folder isn't set to the default directory or the user doesn't have write permissions in that directory.
So adamsmith's question is on-point: is there anything unusual about the install or the setup of these Macs?
Some have "Zotero Word plugin for MAC" in Zotero's Tools, but some do not. But even those who have it after they run "Reinstall Microsoft Word add-in" it does not install it. The best solution for these students was to associate Zotero.dotm file via Word through Developer-Word plugins-Associate and then open the Zotero.dotm file in Word start-up folder (all procedure done via Word Developer mode-Word plugins).
Those lucky ones found Zotero.dotm in Word startup folder, the unlucky ones had to get out of Word and search for Zotero.dotm in Finder to copy it to Word start-up. The other lucky ones managed it, but the unluckiest ones found Zotero.dotm file in Zotero folder, but got lost and could never find Word start-up folder. Then one student had a very special case, when all was set and Zotero.dotm was in place, but while she started citing in Word with Zotero the error message appeared "Word could not communicate with Zotero. Please ensure that Zotero or Firefox is open and try again".
I don't really know about the setup of these MACs, but they seem to be all personal MACs, the only thing they download from our intranet is Microssoft Office package, because it is then free.
Is Zotero plugin in Word on MACs suppose to stay stable or only stays if you are working wth Zotero in that document?
Any further tips about?
If something is unclear I can publish the screenshots.
1. Check that under Zotero -> Tools -> Add-ins "Zotero Word for Mac Plugin" is enabled
If you find that it is enabled, it means Zotero will have already attempted to install Zotero.dotm in the default Word startup location, but it cannot hurt to go into Preferences -> Cite -> Word Plugins and click "Reinstall Word Add-in".
If you find that it is disabled, then you need to enable it and Zotero will attempt to install Zotero.dotm in the default Word startup location upon restart, but you also can go into the Preferences and click the button just to be sure.
Note that if the add-in within Zotero is disabled and a student manually places Zotero.dotm in the Word startup location and sees the Zotero Tab in Word, they will get the message "Word could not communicate with Zotero. Please ensure that Zotero or Firefox is open and try again" upon clicking the buttons. The solution in this case is to enable the add-in within Word
2. Check that Zotero.dotm is placed in the startup directory of Word. You can follow the manual installation instructions to achieve this.
Enabling the add-in within Word is not functioning for some of our students, Zotero.dotm is located in start-up folder for Word via Word, but they receive the error message anyway.
We suspect it has something to do with the startup folder location: it is very difficult to find the right one; while looking through Word one finds it easily, but while looking for it through MAC it seems to be lost somewhere deep in the subfolders and other subfolders...We tried the manual way, too. The problem persists.
In addition, we are wondering why those who have managed to install the plug-in have it only in those Word documents in which they cite and not in every Word document?
The default startup directory is defined and with standard installs always the same:
~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Startup/Word. You can open Finder, press Cmd-Shift-G and paste the above path -- it will work every time. If the directory does not exist, it means Word thinks the startup directory is somewhere else. However, if the startup directory is set to the default one, then, as long as the add-in is enabled under Zotero -> Tools -> Add-ins, Zotero should properly place the Zotero.dotm file in the directory when installing the plugin through the Preferences -> Cite -> Word Plugins pane and no manual installation should be required in the first place.Even if Zotero.dotm is placed in that directory, versions of Word 2016 prior to 15.38 had problems and sometimes wouldn't display the Ribbon Tab, so updating might be required. We have not observed this and haven't had prior reports, so detailed troubleshooting for such specific instances would be required (perhaps in a separate thread).
Zotero > Tools > Add-ons > Preferences > Zotero Word for Mac Integration > Preferences > Word processors > (Re)install Microsoft Word Add-in