Adobe error message when trying to access some zotero snapshots

Dr Caroline Keen
System
Firefox 6.0.2.
Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
Zotero 2.1.10

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM

When I double click on a zotero THE FOLLOWING ERROR MESSAGE OCCURS:

Adobe Flash Player has stopped a potentially unsafe operation.
The following local application onyour computer or network:
C:\Users\OEM\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\
Firefox\Profiles\...\fb_180x60_190411.swf
is trying to communicate with this Internet-enabled location:
feeds.mycareer.com.au
To let this application communicate with the internet, click Settings. /You must restart the application after changing your settings.
END OF MESSAGE

(I have subsequently found that by right clicking the item in zotero there are two options. 1 loading the web page and 2. loading the snapshot. This error message occurs when loading the snapshot taken, which I assume is kept on the zotero server.

An example link is:

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/website-blacklist-leaked-on-internet-20090319-931c.html

The Zotero snapshot has labelled the file: zotero://attachment/3573/
However when I click on the entry or right click to open the attachment the zotero file won't load without this annoying message which has to be clicked multiple times, often freezing mozilla etc.

Steps that I have taken to resolve issue
asked friend (Who also has W7 64bit Firefox v6.02) to check zotero (same version) url capture and reload, and he had no problem
I have also:
updated all adobe products problem still came up
removed adobe Flashplayer plugin problem still came up
reinstalled adobe Flashplayer plugin problem still came up
adobe flashplayer option selected allow all scripts� problem still came up
installed no scripts add on problem still came up
removed no scripts and problem still came up


Not sure if this is an Adobe issue or a Firefox issue or a zotero issue. I am wondering if it is a setting within my Firefox profile?

any help would be most appreciated as I have wasted weeks of time with these problems.
  • adamsmith
    this doesn't sound like an actual error at all - there was likely a flash ad on the webpage, Zotero downloaded it as part of the snapshot, when it's started (i.e. when you open the snapshot) it tries to talk home and flash player warns you. That sounds to me like everything is doing what it's supposed to do.
    The easiest workaround I can suggest would be to take snapshots not of the actual page, but of the print view of an article, which doesn't have any flash or other applications on it.

    To fix an existing snapshot, open the snapshot on your harddisk by selecting "Show File" from the the menu next to the green arrow pointing to the right (next to the search field). In the folder that opens delete everything with a .swf file ending.
  • Dr Caroline Keen
    Hi Adam thanks so much for your help.
    The snap shot of the print view doesn't make use of Zotero's ability to pull in referencing data.
    My colleague doesn't seem to have the same issues when I do
    If i ask to viewonline it doesn't have a problem loading the images
    I have tried removing the swf files and a bunch of others but it doesn't make any difference

    I have tried changing the settings to do with adobe flashplayer, i.e. ask and allow settings but it doesn't seem to change anything. Still get the annoying error message.

    Any other suggestions most welcome and thanks again.
  • steph4stuart
    Hi
    Just wanted to mention that I'm trying to work around the same problem. It's actually pretty frustrating, even if "everything is doing what it's supposed to do." I keep trying to get back to a page I took a snapshot of, and Adobe blocks it every time.
    According to Adobe documentation, it should be possible to add files or folders to trusted locations (under Advanced>Developer Tools>Trusted Location Settings.) But I don't seem to to be able to find the file where Zotero stores the snapshots... I first found "Documents/Zotero" (Sometimes see this file and sometimes not. Perhaps it's hidden? Perhaps I need to unhide it?) but adding this to trusted locations didn't work. It doesn't seem to be where the snapshots are stored, either.

    Any hints or suggestions?

    Thanks,
    Steph
  • adamsmith
    you can find the snapshot file location using right-click --> "Show File" in Zotero.
  • steph4stuart
    Hi Adam -- Thanks for your help, it is greatly appreciated.

    I've tried adding these folders to the trusted locations list in Adobe flash, but it didn't work. (I.e., I added the folders to the list, but Flash still won't treat Zotero snapshots as trusted items.)

    I did try your other work-around, deleting any .swf files in the folder, but I can't see any in there. The only thing listed in the folder is a single file--no file extension. Mac Lion describes it as a "unix executable file."

    Thanks in advance for all help,
    Steph
  • adamsmith
    snapshot might just not work then. Zotero's snapshot function works for sites that are predominantly html. A site that's e.g. a flash application won't work.
    If you provide a URL I can have a look.
  • steph4stuart
    Ok, thanks for the comment again. The snapshot isn't for a website that's flash only. Here's a link to the actual page: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169534703000612

    I'm not sure why none of the component html or other files are being displayed in the folder that pops up when I choose "Show File"; however, there is only one file in there.

    Thanks again for the help,
    Stephanie
  • adamsmith
    sciencedirect does weird stuff on their site - there is an invisible iframe above the site (or something along those lines).
    This should be fixed with Zotero 3.0, but old snapshots will not work.
  • steph4stuart
    Ok, good to know. I can make new snapshots of these pages.

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