Zotero and Word integration error with Word 2007

Liisa
Report ID: 1220892703

I've spent hours trying to fix this by following the tips written to similar error posts but still with no luck.

I don't have any problems on my home PC or on my Mac laptop, but the Word plugin doesn't work on my work PC.
Here I have Firefox 3.6 (can't be updated say the IT admins), Zotero 2.1.10, Win XP and Microsoft Word 2007. Every time I click one of the Zotero icons in Word an error message with title "Firefox could not load Zotero integration error" appears stating:

"Firefox could not load the component required to communicate with your word processor. Please ensure that the appropriate Firefox extension is installed and try again."

In the forums there are multiple posts concerning this error message with OpenOffice and Mac but I haven't found one related to PC world. I hope someone could point a solution to this problem. I'd really need to be able to use Zotero properly also in my number 1 research place.
  • Liisa
    So, after the error the Zotero Error Report tool gives error message:

    [JavaScript Error: "Components.classes[componentClass] is undefined" {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/integration.js" line: 462}]

    (Also the error ID 1653723703)
  • Liisa
    I tried to install Zotero 3 beta but the problem is still there.
  • adamsmith
    One possibility would be security software of Firefox add-ons interfering. What's installed in that respect?
  • Liisa
    Shouldn't be that while I have the same add-ons also on my other computers. But I have: Adblock, Java Console, Java Quick Starter, .NET Framework Assistant and Xmarks, among others that aren't related to security.

    I will get Win7 installed on my computer soon. Hopefully that would solve the problem. I also noticed that with Zotero Standalone citing from Word works. So that is my plan B. Still it would be best if it works also without opening the Standalone.
  • Simon
    Especially if everything works from Standalone, it seems likely that something is disabled or corrupted. Make sure Zotero WinWord Integration is enabled. If it is, try removing it and reinstalling it.
  • Liisa
    Thanks Simon, but I've tried that multiple times - doesn't help. :(
  • Liisa
    Now my OS is upgraded to Win 7 but the problem still exists. Any ideas what could cause this?
  • Simon
    Try creating a new Firefox profile, install Zotero and Zotero Word for Windows integration there, and see if it works.
  • Liisa
    Simon: Thanks for a try. I did that, but still the same error.
    I wonder to what does that error message refer? I guess it's nothing I can try to fix?

    [JavaScript Error: "Components.classes[componentClass] is undefined" {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/integration.js" line: 252}]

    Newest Report ID: 557777220
  • Liisa
    So the problem refers to this?

    function _callIntegration(agent, command, docId) {
    // Try to load the appropriate Zotero component; otherwise display an error using the alert
    // service
    try {
    var componentClass = "@zotero.org/Zotero/integration/application?agent="+agent+";1";
    Zotero.debug("Integration: Instantiating "+componentClass+" for command "+command+(docId ? " with doc "+docId : ""));
    var application = Components.classes[componentClass]
    .getService(Components.interfaces.zoteroIntegrationApplication);
  • Simon
    The problem refers to a binary XPCOM component (zoteroWinWordIntegration.dll) not getting registered. That piece of code is the first code to try to call into the binary component. Since component registration is handled by Firefox, all of this is opaque to us and we don't know why the component isn't getting registered. You could try generating a new report ID immediately after restarting Firefox, before opening any websites, which might help us, although most of the component registration errors we see are harmless.

    Your best bet is probably to upgrade Firefox. You're running Firefox 3.6.12, which is insecure and might have bugs that have since been fixed. Upgrading to Firefox 9 is most likely to help, since component registration has been overhauled entirely, but even upgrading to Firefox 3.6.25 might do it.
  • Liisa
    Now the PC support finally agreed to upgrade my Firefox - but guess what: that didn't help. Now I have FF 8.0.

    That hint about restarting Firefox with tabs closed was a good one. The problem is still there but at least I got more error messages.
    The new ID is 1415578913.

    Now the Report errors tool says:

    Failed to load native module at path 'U:\Firefox\extensions\zoteroWinWordIntegration@zotero.org\components-8.0\zoteroWinWordIntegration.dll': (80004003) error 5

    Failed to load native module at path 'U:\Firefox\extensions\zoteroWinWordIntegration@zotero.org\components-7.0\zoteroWinWordIntegration.dll': (80004003) error 5

    Failed to load native module at path 'U:\Firefox\extensions\zoteroWinWordIntegration@zotero.org\components-6.0\zoteroWinWordIntegration.dll': (80004003) error 5

    Failed to load native module at path 'U:\Firefox\extensions\zoteroWinWordIntegration@zotero.org\components-5.0\zoteroWinWordIntegration.dll': (80004003) error 5


    I checked that these paths exist so what is this about?
  • Simon
    edited January 23, 2012
    Error 5 is ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED. It seems like either your user account doesn't have permission to read the dll or some kind of security software is preventing Zotero from loading them.

    In the former case, you could try navigating to U:\Firefox\extensions\zoteroWinWordIntegration@zotero.org\components-8.0 (if you have Firefox 8, the others don't matter), right-clicking zoteroWinWordIntegration.dll, clicking the Security tab, and ensuring that you have "Read & execute" privileges. If you don't, you may or may not be able to grant yourself these privileges by clicking the Edit button in that box.

    If you have read and execute privileges, it really seems like some kind of security software is interfering. We'd be interested in knowing what security software is installed, and whether disabling it helps.
  • Liisa
    Thanks Simon!
    I don't actually know what happened but now it finally works! (- Almost, I'll explain that later.)

    I didn't have the R&E privileges but I was able to add them. After that Zotero&Word -connection still didn't work, I got the same error. I also reopened FF and Word, still no luck. Then I thought I'd try again checking the error messages by opening FF without any open tabs. I didn't manage to get the right error messages at all but after a while of closing and opening again FF and Word, and actually probably after also reinstalling the Word Add-in, it really started to work.

    I couldn't believe my eyes finally getting the Zotero Add/Edit Citation open in Word. Great! So probably it was about the file permissions and after that reinstalling the Add-in.(?)

    --
    And the another issue: After getting Zotero to work in a new document, I tried to add a citation to my old document. That still doesn't work... Now I get error message: "Zotero experienced an error updating your document." The report errors console specifies: "Zotero WinWord Integration: getDocument() could not find document in ROT"
    I wonder what is that ROT? Some more googling and problem solving ahead...
  • Liisa
    Now (and hopefully forever) it works totally. :) I found a one problematic citation from the old document and after deleting and regenerating that citation I got rid of the last error message.

    Thank you Simon for your patience helping me with this!

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