Can't add the first name "Rebecca" to a citation??

Hi!

Using microsoft word, with Zotero extension. Every time I try to add a particular citation, I get error message "Zotero experienced an error updating your document". I remade the citation, and added all the information. The only time it does not work is when I add "Rebecca" (first name) -- It does work when it is "Rebecc". Other first names also work! It does not work when I have "Rebecca" and then alter the last name. What does Zotero have against the name "Rebecca"?? The full name of the author shows up in suggestions, is there a way to reset this? Thanks!!
  • If you’re changes in Zotero aren’t being reflected in your document, it’s likely they the citation in the document is to another item in your library (e.g., a duplicate), an item in another group library, or disconnected from your library (e.g., to an item you deleted). Delete the citation, then re-insert it into your document, being sure to select the item from the “My Library” section of the search results, not the “Cited” section.
  • Hi thanks for the comment! I have tried that but it still did not work. I have been using a citation I created manually in my library, so it should not be connected to anything. Changes in Zotero are reflected in the document. But when I change the citation to the first name "Rebecca" and refresh, the same error message comes up, and the citation is removed from the document. If I delete the citation and add it again, the error message comes up as well (if the first name is "Rebecca").
  • This is the first time you’ve mentioned an error message. What is the message ?
  • "Using microsoft word, with Zotero extension. Every time I try to add a particular citation, I get error message "Zotero experienced an error updating your document"."
  • It doesn’t have anything to do with “Rebecca”. Follow these steps to find the corrupt citation in your document and fix it https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/debugging_broken_documents
  • Solved! Thanks!! Once I opted out of "Automatically update citations" it started working.
  • edited April 16, 2020
    That sounds like a misunderstanding. See Faster Citing in Large Documents to understand what that feature does. That's not mentioned on the debugging page because it's not a troubleshooting step and wouldn't fix an error. It simply leaves inserted citations in a temporary state with a dashed underline until you click Refresh, so it might temporarily avoid an error, but you'll likely just get the same error later when you refresh.

    If you're saying you get an error if you change the name in Zotero itself (not the document) to "Rebecca" and click Refresh in Word, we'd want to see a Debug ID for that. (If that's really happening, it's probably some sort of conflict with another item in the document, and inserting the citation would almost certainly work in a new document. Zotero is decidedly neutral on Rebeccas.)
  • Ok! I was going off of this: "On rare occasions, Track Changes may cause Zotero to think a citation is corrupted. If you had Track Changes enabled previously, try accepting all changes to see if that resolves the issue." I realize now track changes is not the same thing haha.

    Yes -- When I change the name in Zotero it stops working. (I do not edit the citation in the document). I can give more detailed examples. In each of these I created a new document. The entry in Zotero is the same (I am not creating a new one). This issue first came up in a document I just started, so it was the only source in the document. Originally this issue came up from a Zotero entry that I had retrieved through the browser extension. However, I tried retrieving the entry from different websites, and the issue persisted. So I double checked that I permanently deleted all previous Zotero entries of this source, and created a new entry through the Zotero application from "New Item". This new entry is the entry I am using in these examples.

    Example 1: (Microsoft word, Chicago full note - footnotes, no bib)
    Zotero Citation does not have full first name (just "R"). With "Automatically update citations" ON, citation can be added without error message. After going into Zotero, editing the name to "Rebecca", and then refreshing in the document, there is an error message. "Zotero experienced an error updating your document. Would you like to view troubleshooting instructions?" The number of the citation is still there. But the source is deleted. It is a "complete" footnote, just without a source.

    Example 2: (Microsoft word, Chicago full note - footnotes, no bib)
    Zotero citation does not have full first name (just "R"). With "Automatically update citations" OFF, the citation can be added. After adding the citation, name in Zotero updated to "Rebecca". Document refreshed, no error message. Citation reflects changes made in Zotero. Additional citations (with full first name "Rebecca") can be added with no issue. Document can be refreshed with no issue. Document preferences can be opened and closed multiple times without issue.

    Example 3: (Microsoft word, Chicago full note - footnotes, no bib)
    Zotero citation has full first name ("Rebecca"). With "Automatically update citations" OFF the citation can be added. After adding the citation, "Automatically update citations" turned back on. Citation remains, and there is no error message. I can also add another instance of this citation with no error. However, when document preferences is opened, and then closed, the error message appears again. (Error message from E1). And then, only the first instance of the citation is removed (As with E1, footnote with no source). But! The second citation remains. (In this case, the second citation is just the last name, because it is Chicago style). In another try where this was the only footnote and source in the document, when the Document Preferences is opened, the source is deleted (footnote remains).

    Should I report a debug ID?
  • Wow. OK, yes, we would want a Debug ID for that. We'd also want the URL you saved the item from so we can try to reproduce this.
  • Hi,
    The same problem has appeared for me today - when I try to cite any item in my library where the author's first name is Rebecca, I get this message: Zotero experienced an error updating your document.

    I'm using Zotero standalone with MS Word 2016.
  • @ss23g12: As above, we'd want a Debug ID for trying to insert a citation and getting this error.
  • Hi, thanks for your reply. I've got a debug ID for trying to insert a citation: D371880040
  • Word experienced an error trying to open the file.
    Try these suggestions.
    * Check the file permissions for the document or drive.
    * Make sure there is sufficient free memory and disk space.
    * Open the file with the Text Recovery converter. [setText:\vboxsvr\adomas\zotero\word-for-windows-integration\build\zoterowinwordintegration\field.cpp]
    Do you have some sort of security software on this computer? From the looks of it, something may be blocking the temporary file that gets created when Zotero inserts a citation into the document.
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