I cant sync with the server

erick.mayer · August 22, 2013

Hello. I need help. My library does not sync anymore with the server. There is a green arrow and a red exclamation sign. Trying to solve it, I re-installed zotero, the connector to words and even firefox. Still nothing. When I try to report the error, it shows the following text. Please, let me know what else should I do. Thank you.

Direct3D 9 DeviceManager Initialized Successfully.
Driver: igdumdx32.dll
Description: Intel(R) HD Graphics
Version: 8.15.10.2119

repo.zotero.org:443 uses an invalid security certificate.

The certificate is not trusted because the issuer certificate is not trusted.

(Error code: sec_error_untrusted_issuer)

sync.zotero.org:443 uses an invalid security certificate.

The certificate is not trusted because the issuer certificate is not trusted.

(Error code: sec_error_untrusted_issuer)

[JavaScript Error: "Error connecting to server. Check your Internet connection." {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/sync.js" line: 645}]

sync.zotero.org:443 uses an invalid security certificate.

The certificate is not trusted because the issuer certificate is not trusted.

(Error code: sec_error_untrusted_issuer)

[JavaScript Error: "Error connecting to server. Check your Internet connection." {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/sync.js" line: 645}]

aurimas · August 22, 2013

See this thread: https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/28752/zotero-standalone-will-not-sync/ and also more info here: https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/28756/ssl-certificate-error-connecting-to-synczoteroorg/

Edit: this is linked from the second thread, but just to make sure you see it, try the steps here: http://www.zotero.org/support/kb/ssl_certificate_error

dstillman · August 22, 2013

The certificate is not trusted because the issuer certificate is not trusted.

Just to summarize, something is interfering with your connection to the Zotero servers. Most likely this is either (bad) security software or malware on your system. It would also happen if someone else was intercepting your Internet traffic, but that's somewhat less likely. If you can't figure out what's causing this, see my post about checking the certificate.

erick.mayer · August 22, 2013

Thank you both. It was a parental control that I installed. I did not know this could block something I did not want it to block. Anyway, thank you!

dstillman · August 22, 2013

If you wanted to keep using that software, you could run Zotero for Firefox (which by default will use the same data directory) instead. In technical terms, the issue is that the security software likely added a custom root SSL certificate to your browsers (which is why you can presumably connect to https://sync.zotero.org/ from Firefox without an error), but since Zotero Standalone has its own certificate store, as far as it's concerned it's just connecting to something that's pretending to be zotero.org.

(There's a way to whitelist a certificate in Standalone, but I don't think that would help here, since you're not actually overriding anything due to the custom root certificate.)