Word 2010 plugin installed but not reacting

Lokdal
Hi all!
I am using Chrome (26.0.1410.64 m, latest version), the Zotero Connector (3.0.8.1, latest version), Zotero Standalone (4.0.8, latest version) and Microsoft Word Professional 2010 (32-bit).

I've just installed Zotero and added a few sources.
I have Zotero Standalone and Chrome opened.
When I open Word, I see the Add-ins tab along with the Zotero icons.
However, clicking on any of the icons gives me a brief loading mouse pointer, then nothing.

I understand I should be getting a pop-up, but I am not. Any ideas?
  • adamsmith
    what happens if you click on the "insert bibliography" button?
  • Lokdal
    The same thing as when I click Insert Citation : my word screen flickers, the mouse pointer shows as if it was loading something very briefly, then nothing. I also find my Word window to become de-activated (it is not the selected program anymore, as if I had clicked outside the window).
    I get no error messages, no system sound.
  • adamsmith
    Could you look around your windows? There might be a hidden Zotero/Firefox window somewhere in the background - the most likely place would be another window grouped with Zotero Standalone.
  • Lokdal
    If I click when Zotero Standalone is not launched, I get this error message :
    "Word could not communicate with Zotero. Please ensure Firefox is running and try again."
    Firefox is not installed on my computer, does that change a thing?
  • Lokdal
    Little precision :
    The window only changes focus when I click on Insert Citation. It doesn't when I click on "Insert Bibliography".
    Also, I have double checked I have no window poping-up by setting Windows taskbar to show windows ungrouped. I can confirm no window is opening.
  • adamsmith
    no, that's just an error message that hasn't been updated. You don't need Firefox.
    See my question above, though - it looks like the buttons are reacting and doing something different when Zotero is open, there is a very good chance that the insert citation window is just not focusing and you have to look for it.
  • adamsmith
    OK, we've never seen that.
    See if you can provide an error report ID from Zotero:
    http://www.zotero.org/support/reporting_bugs#provide_a_report_id
  • Lokdal
    Oh God. I fixed it.
    You need to run Zotero and Word as administrators...
    Seriously? Running Word as admin (meaning exposing yourself to macro threats)?
  • adamsmith
    no, that obviously isn't right. You shouldn't run _any_ software on Windows as an administrator and Zotero doesn't require that. But this should give someone more Windows-savvy than me enough to tell you how to fix that.
  • Lokdal
    Hahaha I should be more patient :
    Both as non-admin : Works well!
    Only Zotero as admin : No response (my initial problem)
    Only Word as admin (which would be silly) : Could not find a running Word instance.
    Both as admin : Works well.
  • Lokdal
    Thanks for your (very) quick support!

    I had infered that Zotero would need admin privileges, my bad! Maybe that should be on the FAQ? In case other smart-a$$es like me think they know their stuff ;)
  • adamsmith
    I'm happy to put this somewhere in the documentation - where did you look for it?
  • Lokdal
    I looked here :
    https://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_troubleshooting

    I know you guys started as a Firefox extension and that everything was written for Firefox. However, I had the feeling that some help pages simply hadn't been updated in a while, and it dissuaded me from looking there.
    If these pages included a section for Standalone version (or if the Standalone version had its pages), it would both help organise the site and make the Standalone users feel like they're using the full version of the product.
    I'm the open source kind of guy, and I can't develop such sweet programs. But it I can help with documentation, I'd be glad to help!
  • adamsmith
    We're very happy for people to help with documentation
    https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/documentation
    I don't think we want to duplicate any of the docuwiki structure for Standalone - 90% of instructions are exactly the same and it'd be a mess to deal with all of this in duplicate - but you should feel free to replace "Firefox" by "Firefox or Zotero Standalone" or so wherever appropriate and to add instructions where they're different for Standalone. See here for a little example of how that could look:
    http://www.zotero.org/support/styles#zotero_style_repository
  • Lokdal
    That sounds wise! I will make modifications as I consult the pages.
    I suspect you guys filter the changes, so if you don't (or do!) like my style, feel free to comment!
    And thanks again!
  • adamsmith
    we actually don't filter changes, they go live immediately. If you make major edits to a page, feel free to start a new thread and ask for feedback.
    (If you're motivated, we also don't have any of the Zotero 4.0 features properly documented - see here
    http://zoteromusings.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/whats-new-in-zotero-part-1/
    http://zoteromusings.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/whats-new-in-zotero-4-0-part-2/
    for summaries.)
  • adamsmith
    added the note about accounts here:
    http://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_troubleshooting#communication_error_or_non-responsive_plugin_buttons
  • paola gentile
    I'm sorry but I'm having the same problem. I have installed the latest version of Zotero. I also have word 2010 and the tab is visible, but when I click on the citation button I get this error message :
    "Word could not communicate with Zotero. Please ensure Firefox is running and try again." What should I do?

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