Zotero Desktop Mac OS does not launch

cgirling
When I try to launch Zotero desktop I get this error message:
Error: Could not open connection to /Users/cynthia/Zotero/zotero.sqlite: 2152857611
openConnection/</<@resource://gre/modules/Sqlite.jsm:945:21
From previous event:
Zotero.DBConnection.prototype._getConnectionAsync@chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/db.js:1119:30

I am running MacOS High Sierra 10.13.6

My Zotero account web-based is working.
  • dstillman
    Have you tried restarting your computer?
  • cgirling
    yes
  • dstillman
    What are the names, dates, and sizes of all zotero.sqlite* files within your data directory?

    Are you running any unusual security software? It's odd to get this error when you have your data directory in the default location — it's more common when the data directory is on an external drive or in a cloud storage folder.
  • dstillman
    Also, what happened before this occurred? When was the last time you used Zotero on this computer? Did your computer or Zotero crash before this happened?
  • cgirling
    What are the names, dates, and sizes of all zotero.sqlite* files within your data directory?
    Where can I find this?

    I run Cicco AnyConnect and have one so for years.

    I opened Zotero desktop last week several times.

    Nothing at all unusual happened. I just re-started my computer. Zotero has never crashed on me.
  • dstillman
    It's the path referenced in the error message.

    https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data
  • cgirling
    For MacOS is says to do this-
    The /Users//Library folder is hidden by default. To access it, click on your desktop, hold down the Option key, and click the Finder's Go menu, and then select Library from the menu.

    When I do that there is no Zotero folder in the library, but there is a folder named Zotero elsewhere on the HD with the following items in it-
    Folders: Locate, Pipes, Storage, Styles, Translators.
    and Files: zotero.sqlite, zotero.sqlite-journal, zoero.sqlite.1.bak, zotero.sqlite.bak

    Should I put this in the Libarary?

  • dstillman
    edited July 14, 2020
    You're looking at the instructions for Zotero 4. The Zotero 5 instructions are at the top of the page. And it's the path in the error message you posted yourself at the top of this thread.
    Should I put this in the Libarary?
    No, absolutely not. Again, we need the names, dates, and sizes of all zotero.sqlite* files within your data directory.
  • cgirling
    I do not have enough computer knowledge to find this information-
    we need the names, dates, and sizes of all zotero.sqlite* files within your data directory.

    I propose that I uninstall Zotero and reinstall the desktop version. How do I safely uninstall it?
  • dstillman
    edited July 15, 2020
    No, don't do anything we don't recommend. Reinstalling won't help.
    I do not have enough computer knowledge to find this information
    You can view this info by selecting a file in Finder and going to File → Get Info, or you can just go to View → "as List".

    But this error likely means that your database is corrupted, so you should just make a backup of all the zotero.sqlite* files in that directory, delete zotero.sqlite and zotero.sqlite-journal, and rename zotero.sqlite.bak to zotero.sqlite. Then try starting Zotero again.
  • cgirling
    Thank-you. That worked.
  • cgirling
    As soon as I launched it, it created a new zotero.sqlite-journal.

    Is there any chance that these issues are because I am auto-syncing and I am sharing on-line a library created by someone else? (never had problems until after I started sharing this other group library)
  • dstillman
    Creating a zotero.sqlite-journal file is normal.

    Are you actually experiencing a problem still?
  • cgirling
    I have quit and relaunched a couple of times and it seems to be working. Thanks.
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