Zotero WinWord Integration

jordanadesigns
When starting firefox, I get the following error message: Installation could not be completed because an error occurred. Please ensure that Microsoft Word is closed, and then restart Firefox.

Followed instructions for about:config. No items were found that needed to be deleted.

Error console reads: Error: [Exception... "'Could not remove C:\Users\Jordana Bradley\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP\Zotero.dot' when calling method: [nsITimerCallback::notify]" nsresult: "0x8057001e (NS_ERROR_XPC_JS_THREW_STRING)" location: "<unknown>" data: no]

Please help.
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  • adamsmith
    Check if you have write permission for the Word Startup folder (i.e the folder listed in the error message).
  • jordanadesigns
    What does that mean? How do I check for write permission? Thanks...
  • adamsmith
    I think you right click on the folder. If that's not it, google it for your operating system.
  • jordanadesigns
    I still don't know what you mean or what to do to fix this. I have windows vista and the latest version of firefox. Every time I update firefox I get the same error message.
  • adamsmith
    edited November 16, 2011
    your operating system allows you to set permissions for what any given user can do with any given file and/or folder.
    Said permissions need to be set to "read and write" for your regular account name (I assume Jordana Bradley) for the folder specified in the error message. How exactly you do that in Windows Vista I don't know - I figure right-clicking on the folder would do it, if it's not, try to google it.
  • jordanadesigns
    Can you walk me through steps to set permissions? What folder do I click? What do I google?

    The last time I got this error message I did something different to fix it nothing to do with permissions.
  • adamsmith
    I don't have Windows, that's why I can't walk you through it.
    The folder to try to click on is
    C:\Users\Jordana Bradley\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP\
    google something like:
    [set permission for folder Windows Vista]

    Can't guarantee that this is the problem, but that's what it sounds like.
  • jordanadesigns
    I still get the error message: Installation could not be completed because an error occurred. Please ensure that Microsoft Word is closed, and then restart Firefox.
  • ztycx
    edited February 16, 2012
    any solution? i'm suffering the same problem as jordanadesigns. zotero still works fine but it's very annoying to have error prompt every time i start a new window in firefox.

    win7 home premium sp1
    firefox 10.1

    btw, i've checked up the permission of the directory containing "zotero.dot". my account has full control to the directory. when i deleted zotero.dot and restarted firefox, a new zotero.dot file was created but the same error prompt (winword integration could not be completed because an error occurs...) jumped out too.
  • Simon
    Provide a report ID after re-triggering the error.
  • ztycx
    report ID: 597575356
  • dstillman
    If you've already checked permissions on that directory, this could be caused by security software on your system preventing Firefox from accessing the rest of the system.
  • ztycx
    i use avira free antivirus only. checked the event log. nothing is found to be related with zotero. i was used to have no problem at all. this error happened after i upgraded firefox to ver 9, i think. could it be related?
  • dstillman
    Try disabling it, as well as your other Firefox extensions.
  • ztycx
    i did. that's why i only reported it now. i was used to disable the winword integration plugin. but recently i'm writing paper. zotero toolbar in MS Word won't work if leaving the plugin disabled. the error msg is "zotero could not load the component required to communicate with your word processor..."
  • dstillman
    edited February 17, 2012
    I mean disabling the antivirus software. Something is preventing Firefox/Zotero's access to the Zotero.dot file.
  • ztycx
    tested. not becoz of my antivirus.
  • dstillman
    Unless Simon has any ideas, I'm afraid you're on your own to figure this out. If Firefox can't access that file to remove it, it's not something we can fix.
  • dstillman
    But just to be clear, here, Word is closed when you're receiving that error message? Nobody has actually confirmed that above.
  • ztycx
    yes. confirmed. checked through task manager. none of ms office programs was running
  • dstillman
    There are probably Windows utilities to determine if a particular program is holding a lock on that file.
  • ztycx
    i have a utility tool called "unlocker" to do the task. no locking handle was found. is it possible that it relates to firefox program itself?
  • ztycx
    as it happened after upgrading from ver8 to ver9.
  • dstillman
    Simon would have to comment on that, since he wrote the code involved.
  • ztycx
    thanks Simon
  • Simon
    edited February 17, 2012
    This code hasn't changed in something like 3 years, and we get relatively few reports of this issue, so it sounds like something has changed on your system.

    Close Firefox, move Zotero.dot out of C:\Users\TY\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP\, open Firefox again and, if you get an error, generate a new error report.
  • ztycx
    ok. did as instructed. the same error jumped out. report id: 238420480.
  • ztycx
    restored firefox back to ver.8 but the error still persisted. i recalled that i tried zotero standalone for a while around the time when the error first showed up. is that possible because of interference from standalone?
  • ztycx
    just installed standalone. it is able to install winword plugin without any error.
  • Simon
    edited February 19, 2012
    If Standalone can install the Word plugin but Firefox can't, then I'm nearly certain that security software is interfering, since the code is identical.

    You can try setting extensions.zotero.winWordIntegration.installed to true in about:config to disable the warning, at least until the next version of Zotero Word for Windows Integration. But it would be better to figure out why your security software is interfering.

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