Zotero Standalone not Loading

HedgieLib
I'm primarily a Chrome user so I'm reliant on the Standalone. Yesterday when I went to grab something, Zotero Standalone would only partially load. I get a blank empty box. Screenshot here:

https://twitter.com/hedgielib/statuses/466341648994414593

I've got 4.0.20

It was asked on Twitter if I'm using Dropbox to store my library, I'm not. There doesn't seem to be an issue with the Chrome plug-in. I've tried reinstalling Zotero and rebooting the machine--that only prompted a Java update.

Ideas?
  • HedgieLib
    Earlier "report an error" was grayed out, now the box will load but won't let me put in the details. Submitted anyway, Report ID: 1336543884
  • adamsmith
    provide an error report ID from Zotero Standalone:
    https://www.zotero.org/support/reporting_bugs#provide_a_report_id
  • HedgieLib
    Report ID: 1336543884 is from Zotero Standalone.
  • HedgieLib
    The error report may be coming through blank--this is what I'm seeing when I try to report from Standalone

    https://twitter.com/hedgielib/status/466607567519891456
  • adamsmith
    Odd. This looks like it maybe a display problem, so maybe Dan does get something from the error report. You don't have any add-ons installed in Zotero, do you?
  • HedgieLib
    Laundry list of plugins, none of which I remember consciously adding...let's see:

    Enabled

    Adobe Acrobat 10.1.9.22
    AdobeAAMDectect 1.0.0.0
    Java Deployment Toolkit 7.0.550.14
    Java(TM) Platform SE 7 U55
    McAfee Security Sacanner 3.8.141.0
    Shockwave Flash 13.0.0.214
    Silverlight Plug-in 5.1.30214.0

    Inactive:
    Citrix
    Citrix Online Web Deployment
    Citrix URL REdiction
    Google Talk Plug In
    Google Talk Plugin Video
    Google Update
    Microsoft Lync Web App
    Real Downloader Plugin [2 versions]
    realNetworks Real Downloader Chrome/HTML/PepperFlash [3 plugins[
    Realplayer G2Live Connect
  • adamsmith
    the plugins are standard browser plugins, because Zotero is based on mozilla/Firefox. I don't think any of these should matter, but try disabling McAfee and restart. Beyond that, we'll have to wait for Dan.
  • HedgieLib
    Ah that makes more sense, wasn't thinking of it in terms of what browser plugs in I'd have. No luck with McAfee but appreciate your looking at it!
  • aurimas
    While we're waiting for Dan to respond, if you can access the following...

    1) check your Zotero data directory settings. What does it say under Preferences -> Advanced -> Files and Folders -> Dagta Directory Location?

    2) try checking your database integrity. Preferences -> Advanced -> Files and Folders -> Check Database integrity.

    (I would expect an error to be displayed in the center pane for either of those though)
  • HedgieLib
    1) C:\Users\My Name\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\a...(won't let me see further)

    Should I try to move it?

    2) Clicking on CDI --nothing happens.
  • aurimas
    Should I try to move it?
    No, don't. But it's set to Custom then and I assume set to share the data directory with Zotero in Firefox (you would have gotten a prompt about this when opening Zotero Standalone for the first time).

    Does Zotero work in Firefox?
  • adamsmith
    1) that looks good, but also suggests you have Zotero for Firefox installed on your computer. Could you try if that still works (close Standalone, open Firefox, see if you can open the Zotero panel by clicking the Zotero icon either at the bottom left (Firefox <=28) or in the toolbar at the top right (Firefox 29)
  • aurimas
    edited May 14, 2014
    Oh, and you would need to close Zotero Standalone before checking Zotero in Firefox.

    Edit: as adamsmith says
  • HedgieLib
    I can save things to Zotero from Firefox. I'm running Firefox 29.01 but I'm not seeing a Zotero icon anywhere on the page. Top right only has bookmarks, downloads, home, and the menu page. If I go to Add-ons from there, I can get to Preferences, was that what you meant?
  • aurimas
    The icon might be hidden on your browser. You could add it via Firefox Menu -> Customize. Otherwise, you can just press Ctrl+Shift+Z
  • HedgieLib
    Ah, yes, that's loading/syncing fine.
  • adamsmith
    great - you can use that just like Standalone until we have this figured out.
  • aurimas
    Could you confirm that Preferences -> Advanced -> Files and Folders -> Show Data Directory for both Zotero Standalone _and_ Zotero in Firefox open the same directory?

    If so, try re-installing Zotero Standalone.
  • HedgieLib
    Ah ha!! Zotero in Firefox points to Profile Directory rather than a custom.

    I changed Zotero standalone back to Profile directory, restarted and I have a library! HOORAY!

    Thank you both so much. Any ideas why it would have re-pathed itself to a different customer directory?
  • aurimas
    edited May 14, 2014
    I changed Zotero standalone back to Profile directory, restarted and I have a library! HOORAY!
    No no, you don't want that (hence me specifically asking what "Show Data Directory" opens up). You want both Firefox and Standalone pointing to the same directory on your system, not their individual profile directories.

    See https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/sharing_data_directory#sharing_the_data_directory_manually (read the whole page if you're interested in the details)
  • dstillman
    Yeah, switch Standalone back to the Firefox directory. If you then get a blank window again, see Reporting Startup Errors.

    (Also, once you've switched it back to the Firefox directory, you should delete the data directory it created in the Standalone profile directory, since that's just a duplicated copy of your library and will cause confusion later. When you set it to use the Standalone profile directory, it created an empty library and pulled down your data from the server, but you don't want to use separate data directories on the same system.)
  • HedgieLib
    Hmm...Standalone has already re-pathed. Instead of

    C:\Users\My Name\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\a

    now it's pointing to

    C:\Users\My Name\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\4....

    So that's updated.

    When I choose "Show Data Directory" from Firefox it's taking me to what appears to be the same place

    Is there something else I should change?
  • dstillman
    Standalone has already re-pathed. Instead of

    C:\Users\My Name\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\a

    now it's pointing to

    C:\Users\My Name\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\4....
    Is that top one a typo? With Standalone set to its own profile directory, that top one would be "...\AppData\Roaming\Zotero\Zotero\Profiles\<randomstring>\zotero". If you actually have two different Firefox profiles, which your paths above suggest, then things are even more convoluted.
  • HedgieLib
    No, the top one (Random String a) was what I was seeing earlier today when aurimas asked me about it initially. When I went a few minutes ago to see if they were pathing to the same place, Firefox was telling me that it was using the Profile Directory. (It still is, though data Directory points me to the one where random string begins with 4).

    I picked Use Profile Directory on Standalone, it required a restart, and after that when I went back to preferences it was pointing to random string that starts with 4 also. And also my library had reappeared.

    Random string beginning with a is currently nowhere to be found, only 4 is under Profiles.
  • dstillman
    I picked Use Profile Directory on Standalone, it required a restart, and after that when I went back to preferences it was pointing to random string that starts with 4 also. And also my library had reappeared.
    Ah, OK. It seems the way we show this situation — telling Standalone to use the profile directory, but also telling it to share with Firefox — could be clarified a bit.

    For what it's worth, based on your sync history, it does look like your Zotero did a full download of your data about an hour ago, which would be consistent with your choosing an empty data directory. But if both Standalone and Firefox are pointing to the same directory now, and you're not able to view your Zotero library in both simultaneously, and clicking the Zotero icon in Firefox with Standalone brings Standalone to the front, then everything is working properly.

    You can and should also delete any other data directories you see (e.g., in the Standalone profile directory). (Don't delete the Standalone profile directory — just the data directory with 'zotero.sqlite'/'storage' within it.)
  • HedgieLib
    Yes, it's bringing Standalone to the front and I was able to get a website captured for a research project.

    I really appreciate your patience and explanations and staying with me!
  • aurimas
    edited May 14, 2014
    I picked Use Profile Directory on Standalone, it required a restart, and after that when I went back to preferences it was pointing to random string that starts with 4 also. And also my library had reappeared.
    Ah, OK. It seems the way we show this situation — telling Standalone to use the profile directory, but also telling it to share with Firefox — could be clarified a bit.
    You mean this happens because, when starting Zotero Standalone in a clean data directory (i.e. empty library), it asks if you want to share data directories and the user clicks Yes? (I can reproduce that, but, otherwise, I'm a bit confused)
  • dstillman
    I don't actually know the specifics here — the existing-data-directory-detection stuff is Simon's code. It just seems from HedgieLib's description that the way we present things may not be ideal, if you can tell Standalone to use the profile directory and then restart and have it be set to "Custom". (I haven't tried to reproduce that.)
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