Safari - cannot open Zotero

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  • fbennett
    edited February 2, 2013
    Bingo! (as far as the library is concerned)
  • aurimas
    Now that you found the correct directory, did you also follow the original instructions from Dan?
    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.)
  • aurimas
    @adamsmith @fbennett etc.
    Does the directory structure look right in that screenshot? I don't own a Mac, but I'm particularly surprised to see that the zotero folder under Profiles/{...}/ is named zotero.sqlite
  • fbennett
    Good point. I don't use a Mac, but according to the support pages the default directory name under OSX would indeed be "zotero", without the extension.

    http://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data
  • Finholt
    I have followed all the instructions, but I still can't open it! What is going on???
  • Finholt
    Error message:
    ({})[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]
  • aurimas
    edited February 3, 2013
    OK, I hope I don't get in trouble for this, but try the following.
    1. Close Zotero Standalone

    2. Go to /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Zotero/Profiles/<randomstring>/

    3. Copy the zotero.sqlite folder to your desktop (IMPORTANT!! this will make a backup of your database)

    4. Go back up to /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/

    5. Delete Zotero folder (move it to trash just in case)

    6. Open Zotero Standalone. It should appear as if you're opening Zotero for the first time.

    7. Close Zotero

    8. Go back to /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Zotero/Profiles/<randomstring>/

    9. What is the name of the zotero folder that is in that directory??? Is it zotero or zotero.sqlite

    10. Go into that folder.

    11. Delete the storage folder

    12. from the folder that you copied to the desktop, copy over and overwrite the zotero.sqlite file. Also copy over the storage folder

    13. Start Zotero Standalone

    Let us know if this fails, and which step failed.
  • Finholt
    Re question in number 9: The name is 'Zotero'

    I followed the instructions and when I tried to open Zotero standalone I get this alert: The Zotero database cannot be opened. Make sure you have read and write permissions for all files in the Zotero data directory.

    I checked the permissions and they are all correct...
  • aurimas
    Were you able to start Zotero Standalone at step 6 without errors?

    Could you post a screenshot of the file permissions for the zotero.sqlite file located in /Users//Library/Application Support/Zotero/Profiles//zotero/ directory?
  • Finholt
    Yes, step 6 went fine.
    I actually reinstalled the application and followed the instructions one more time, but I stopped on number 6. Here's the screenshot:

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/nywzez3r204p20a/Screen%20Shot%202013-02-03%20at%2010.26.24%20AM.png
  • Gracile
    You're on the right way. It seems you've completed the step 11. What's your problem now?
  • Finholt
    Do I have to do number 12?
  • Finholt
    That is, I had not made a library so I don't think there is any infor there that I need...
  • Gracile
    Do I have to do number 12?
    Yes.
    I had not made a library so I don't think there is any infor there that I need...
    I don't understand. What's "there"?
  • Finholt
    I did number 12, and when I try to open Zotero again, I get this message:
    The Zotero database cannot be opened. Make sure you have read and write permissions for all files in the Zotero data directory.

    HEre's the screenshot after I did 12:
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/kj3fu2rkhlwxx20/Screen%20Shot%202013-02-03%20at%2011.21.34%20AM.png
  • Gracile
    Ok. You did #12 wrongly and will have to restart from step 1 (or directly from step 5 if and only if you've kept on your desktop the backup created previously at step 3)

    step 12 is "from the folder that you copied to the desktop, copy over and overwrite the zotero.sqlite file. Also copy over the storage folder"

    It's the content of the zotero.sqlite folder you've copied on your desktop (at step 3) that you've to copy in zotero folder (step 10). What's you've done wrongly here is to copy directly the folder rather than its content.

    At the end, the structure should be:
    zotero [a folder]
    |_locate [a folder]
    |_storage [a folder]
    |_styles [a folder]
    |_translator [a folder]
    |_zotero.sqlite [__not__ a folder but a file]

    and probably other __files__ 'pdfinfo-Macintel', 'pdfinfo-Macintel.version', 'pdftotext-Macintel', 'pdftotext-Macintel.version', 'zotero.sqlite.bak' and ''zotero.sqlite.1.bak'
  • Finholt
    Awesome! It worked!!! I did exactly what you said and now I can open the Z standalone. Should I delete the pipes folder, or just leave it?

    THank you so much!
  • Gracile
    Great.
    I'm not sure for the pipes folder. Keep it for now and wait for others' instructions.
  • aurimas
    The pipes folder can stay. Just to be sure, can you see your old library now?

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