Bibliography adding field codes that doesn't exist

Hi,

I having a lot of trouble with Zotero. After manually editing the field codes, I'm unable to make get Zotero to update and refresh to the current field codes..I adds references from the past that have now been deleted. How can I fix this?

Trying reinstalling, its not helping..
  • I'm not really following this. What do you mean by "manually editing the field codes"? Do you just mean manually editing citations in the document?

    If you edit a citation in the document, Zotero will prompt you whether you want to keep your changes, and if you say yes, it won't update the citation anymore. To undo that, you can click the citation, click Add/Edit Citation, and tell it to revert the citation when prompted, or you can delete the citation and reinsert it into your document.
  • Hi! that prompt is the exact problem in my case-- "whether you want to keep your changes, and if you say yes, it won't update the citation anymore. " for me, after this prompt irrespective of clicking yes or no it doesn't update to the recent changes.

    My problem right now is similar to this thread : https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/72581/modify-citation-zotero-updates-despite-my-clicking-yes

    Only he found a fix by reinstalling, I haven't yet :(

    I basically just want to remove a few duplicates. I have gone ahead and edited and removed a few duplicate field codes but it doesn't update and rearrange the bibliography. For example. If 40, 41, 42 are referenced to the same doc, and 41 and 42 are duplicates-- I have removed and edited the field codes of 41 and 42 to correspond to 40. However, when I refresh and add bibliography, it still shows the references 41, 42 which don't exist anymore.


    This is a really important document and time sensitive. I appreciate your inputs very much. I'm greatly in debt for your help now.
  • Could you clarify how you use the word "field codes"? What exactly are you doing when you say "I have removed and edited the field codes"?

  • Hi, I mean the numerical number "41", "42" which are linked to one specific paper. In the example above, I delete the citations "41" "42" at all locations, with the intention that clicking refresh would rearrange to the current status.

    However, it puts back the same biblio even thought the citations "41", "42" don't exist anymore.

    Zotero version: 5.0.97-beta.
  • Mac OS Big Sur 11.2.3
    Word 16.48

    Thanks!
  • edited April 15, 2021
    OK. Try showing field codes as described here (alt+fn+f9 on Word for Windows and I think Option-Fn-F9 on Mac) https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/word_field_codes
    I'd suspect you'd see field codes where the numbers were. Delete those.
  • Apologies, my field codes I just mean the numerical that shows up with a grey text background which is linked to a specific references. Probably using the word "field codes" incorrectly.


    Also, "Field codes instead of values" this is already unchecked, from this link : https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/word_field_codes
  • No, I'm saying to check to make sure you actually _see_ the field codes because you can have field codes that don't show up in the document otherwise and that's likely the problem here.
  • Hi Adam, deleting from the code is going to be very tedious, I have about 300 citations and its refreshing after each change for a very LONG time. (despite having the automatic update unchecked )

    I still have the issues-- "whether you want to keep your changes, and if you say yes, it won't update the citation anymore. " for me, after this prompt irrespective of clicking yes or no it doesn't update to the recent changes and puts back the original on the bibliography.

    Please advise is greatly appreciated!
  • I'm confused. I don't say anything about deleting from the code.

    You write
    However, it puts back the same biblio even thought the citations "41", "42" don't exist anymore.
    The typical solution for this is to look for hidden versions of the citations, i.e. ones where only the field code exists, and then manually delete the field code. I don't understand why that'd take long? Zotero would also not refresh since the process doesn't involve any interaction with the Zotero add-on.

  • The typical solution for this is to look for hidden versions of the citations, i.e. ones where only the field code exists, and then manually delete the field code---

    I'm not sure how to look for the hidden versions of the citations in word. Its nearly impossible since I have many such redundancies..
  • I don't see much of an alternative, I'm afraid.

    You could try clicking on "No" repeatedly with that error message and that might help, but identifying empty field codes would really be the way to go.

    And so for example if you have 41 and 42 in the bibliography and not in the text, you'd take the section from reference 40 to 43, show field codes to visible, and then delete any of them that show up between 40 and 43, etc.
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