Error on Mac OS 10.14.6

all of sudden all my refs do not show, error is 1561856341. Refs are there, in the web (cloud). On restart the refs show briefly, but then clicking on Sort by Date (or any other heading) shows a blank window in all folders and overall. Not just the folder which was open for Sort by. Updated to Zotero 5.0.33, same problem, error ID 909161895
  • This was a bug in a Better BibTeX update. Update to the latest version of BBT from the gear menu in Tools → Add-ons and this will be fixed.

    But while unrelated to this, you're also using an extremely out of date, two-year-old version of Zotero, and I'm unclear why that would be something you would "update" to. You should be running the most recent version, currently 5.0.79.
  • Thanks, I could not find how to update BBT, but disabled it. Then I see the refs but all columns, I had to manually re-set the selection. But why do I have 5.0.33 is because it is what Update offers. Now I try again and it offers 5.0.79. When I updated during making the 1st comment all it offered was 5.0.33.
  • edited December 3, 2019
    As I say, you can update BBT from the gear menu in the Tools → Add-ons, or you can just reinstall it.
  • But then when I try to update to 5.0.79 I get a failure message when I try to install the required "helper tool", whatever that is. It says I have "other copies of Zotero running"
  • and there is no "gear" anywhere I can see in the Mac desktop version.
  • You should just restart your computer and reinstall Zotero from the download page.
  • Have been using Zotero for over 8 years now, this the first time I've had problems.



  • edited December 3, 2019
    and there is no "gear" anywhere I can see in the Mac desktop version.
    There absolutely is, in the top-right corner of Tools → Add-ons → Extensions.

    If you don't see it, you can take a screenshot of what you're seeing, upload it somewhere (e.g., Dropbox), and provide a link here.
  • Anyhow, just to be clear, while this particular problem was entirely from the BBT plugin, you seemingly haven't received any updates to Zotero — including major new features — in almost two years. After installing Zotero 5.0.79, you should keep an eye on the changelog and make sure you receive an automatic update the next time there's a new version.
  • Thanks, I manually downloaded and install 5.0.79. I had set it to automatically update but I think what always happened was this error with "two copies running" maybe because I did not authenticate to change Apps? When I download and open the DMG and then authenticate the move from the DMG to Apps folder it does install.

    But what I do not understand is why this error happened all of a sudden. Did BBT update silently? Did Zotero? I don't think so. All was exactly the same as I had been using for months, intensively. Anyway now on to a new version.

    BTW thanks for the quick response and I am a Zotero evangelist with all the graduate students I teach in USA and China.
  • Both Zotero (normally, at least) and plugins update automatically all the time — that's how you get the latest bug fixes and improvements. There was just an unfortunate bug in a BBT update earlier today that broke things (and, due to its particular nature, didn't show up in BBT's extensive test suite). The developer fixed it within a few hours, but you hadn't yet received the fixed version.
  • Yeah sorry @rossiter_nl, this problem was entirely on me. Zotero could not have anticipated or prevented this (and I totally should have).

    (wild guess based on username: mijn welgemeende excuses. boetekleed begint na vandaag wat sleets te worden, maar dat is welverdiend)
  • Kan gebeuren! Jij ben Vlaams of Nederlands?
  • Hoofdzakelijk Nederlands deze dagen :)
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