Safari - cannot open Zotero

Finholt
I installed zotero and everyhting was fine as I was making my library. After a break, I get the following message: THere was an error starting Zotero.
I have tried to restart my Mac, I have tried to download it in firefos, and in chrome. Same thing. What do I do? Please give my step by step instructions because I am not skilled on these kinds of things...THanks!
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  • adamsmith
    The problem is that Zotero Standalone doesn't open, correct? See:
    http://www.zotero.org/support/reporting_bugs#reporting_startup_errors
  • Finholt
    THanks, but it still does not work!
  • Finholt
    THat is, I get the same message after pasting that code in, namely" THere was an error starting Zotero
  • adamsmith
    the link is for providing more information, not for fixing it.
    See step 3.:
    3. Zotero should start with a separate Error Console window. For each line in the console, click on the pink background, press Cmd-C (Mac) or Ctrl-C (Win/Linux) to copy the message to the clipboard, and paste the message into your forum post.
  • Finholt
    ({})[Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED) [nsIFile.create]" nsresult: "0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/ipc.js :: <TOP_LEVEL> :: line 36" data: no]

    ({})[Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED) [nsIFile.create]" nsresult: "0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/ipc.js :: <TOP_LEVEL> :: line 36" data: no]

    ({})[Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED) [nsIFile.create]" nsresult: "0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/ipc.js :: <TOP_LEVEL> :: line 36" data: no]

    ({})[Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED) [nsIFile.create]" nsresult: "0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/ipc.js :: <TOP_LEVEL> :: line 36" data: no]
  • Finholt
    I still can't open it, the same error message occurs...What must I do?
  • Finholt
    Can you please help me with this then? Since you did not let me start a new thread I hope you can follow up with me here!
    This is the error message I get:

    ({})[Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED) [nsIFile.create]" nsresult: "0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/ipc.js :: <TOP_LEVEL> :: line 36" data: no]

    ({})[Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED) [nsIFile.create]" nsresult: "0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/ipc.js :: <TOP_LEVEL> :: line 36" data: no]

    ({})[Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED) [nsIFile.create]" nsresult: "0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/ipc.js :: <TOP_LEVEL> :: line 36" data: no]

    ({})[Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED) [nsIFile.create]" nsresult: "0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/ipc.js :: <TOP_LEVEL> :: line 36" data: no]
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited February 1, 2013
    You'd get this if you don't have permissions to modify your Zotero data directory. That's not an issue with Zotero in particular and so is beyond the scope of what we can help you with here, but, basically, you can open that directory, go up one directory (Cmd-up-arrow) so that the 'zotero' directory is selected, go to File -> Get Info, and look at "Sharing & Permissions" (or similar, depending on your version of OS X) at the bottom. Your user should have "Read & Write" privilege, and you'll want to click the gear menu below and choose "Apply to enclosed items...". (You might need to click the Lock icon at the bottom right first before you're able to make changes.)
  • Finholt
    Thanks but I can't even get to the Zotero Data Directory...
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited February 1, 2013
    You can get there through the Finder. If you're using the default data directory location, see the path in the instructions. On Lion or Mountain Lion you need to hold down Option when clicking the Finder's Go menu to see "Library" as an option, and from there you should be able to get to the directory.
  • Finholt
    Great, I did get ot it and changed the setting. But it still does not open! I wonder if it might be connected to the fact that the error log alks about chrome?
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited February 1, 2013
    No, "chrome" there doesn't refer to the browser.

    What did you change, exactly? What was it set to before? Are you getting the same error in the Error Console? If there's a 'pipes' directory within your Zotero data directory, try deleting that.
  • Finholt
    In Sharing and Permission I changed if rom Read only to read and write on both my name and admin.

    I don't think there is a pipes directory...

    On name and extension it says Zotero.app (not sure this is relevant?)
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    No, you're in the wrong place. This doesn't have anything to do with Zotero.app, which should be in your /Applications directory. You shouldn't touch that, and if you've made changes you should delete it and reinstall it from zotero.org.

    We're talking about the Zotero data directory. See the instructions there, which tell you where to find your Zotero data directory. There's no mention of Zotero.app or /Applications on that page.

    If you're having trouble following the instructions there, I'd recommend asking someone to help you in person.
  • Finholt
    Yes, it is the same error...
  • Finholt
    Alright, I follow the instructions (I have reinstalled Zotero), but I cannot find Zotero file in Application Support...
  • adamsmith
    if at all possible at this point it'd probably a good idea to ask someone who can help you in person - needn't be a Zotero user, but someone with some computer (Mac in this case) aptitude
  • Finholt
    I had a friend look at it, he is a programmer, and he could not figure out what the problem is.
    Is there a trick to uninstalling everything? I put the application in trash, emptied trash and installed it again. But I wonder if the uninstall process might require me to do more?
    I really want Zotero standalone to work!
  • adamsmith
    the de-install isn't the problem, I'm sure what you did was fine. The problem are the permissions on the data directory and best as we can tell you haven't touched those yet.
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    Point your friend to this page. He should be able to fix it by following the instructions here.
  • Finholt
    We tried, but it did not work!
  • adamsmith
    I'm not clear on whether you ever found the Zotero data directory - rather than the Zotero app - which files and folders do you see in the data directory?
  • Finholt
    I think you are right, I have not found the Z data directory. It is not under Application Support, I looked other places but I simply cannot find it. Any idea what this might be about?
  • adamsmith
    http://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data
  • Finholt
    I have read that page several time, so has my friend. But the app is simply not to be found.
    I did a search for zotero.sqlite and did not get any hits.
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    Take a screenshot showing it not being there, post it somewhere (e.g., imgur.com, imageshack.us), and provide a link here.

    zotero.sqlite won't show up in a Spotlight search.
  • Finholt
    Does this work?

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/sgw0vf0mrj5s6m1/Screen%20Shot%202013-02-02%20at%205.36.12%20PM.png
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited February 2, 2013
    That's the /Library/Application Support folder at the root of your hard drive. The one the instructions refer to is within your home directory.

    If your friend can't help you with this, you should ask someone else—this should be pretty basic for someone familiar with Macs. I'm afraid we can't help you further here. All the necessary information is on the Zotero Data page.
  • Finholt
    Thanks for al of this. I am not so skilled with these things. But now I did find the directory. The problem was that the library in my home directory was invisible, but I figured out how to make it visible and now I found the Zotero data directory. I followd all the instructions, and deleted the pipes folder. I restarted my computer and I get the same error message!
    If you have any advice that would be great.
  • Finholt
    new screenshot:
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/6onkgz405jq6o5j/Screen%20Shot%202013-02-02%20at%207.24.29%20PM.png

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