Can't Save PDF or Capture Metadata

btannehi
I cannot save or extract metadata from PDFs opened in Firefox. It tells me that I have to "install the pdf tools in the Search pane of the Zotero preferences."

Unfortunately... nowhere can I find a definition, label, or image of what the search pane or Zotero preferences look like.
  • adamsmith
    First off... I hate you, whoever created this software, but I have no choice but to because our team lead insists on it.
    stopped reading right there. Good luck getting help&have a great weekend.
  • RintzeRintze
    https://www.zotero.org/support/forum_guidelines#etiquette

    Seems easy enough to help you out with your particular question, but you'd have to ask nicely.
  • dstillman
    The original message, for posterity:
    First off... I hate you, whoever created this software, but I have no choice but to because our team lead insists on it.

    Second, your trouble shooting sections were terrible. They don't show anything remotely like the Firefox environment I am working in (you know, the one your software was designed to work in and advertised for).

    I cannot save or extract metadata from PDFs opened in Firefox. It tells me that I have to "install the pdf tools in the Search pane of the Zotero preferences."

    Unfortunately... nowhere can I find a definition, label, or image of what the search pane or Zotero preferences look like. It's basically a random click-a-thon to find it...
  • adamsmith
    Good enough for me:
    Doc&screenshot on preferences:
    https://www.zotero.org/support/preferences (which e.g. comes up first result with a google search for "search pane zotero preferences")
    The message should typically have included a button that opened the preferences for you automatically, though it's of course possible that didn't work (but you don't give any indication on that).
  • RintzeRintze
    An alternative approach is to save PDFs to your hard drive, drag them into Zotero, and then retrieve metadata for them from within Zotero. See https://www.zotero.org/support/getting_stuff_into_your_library#adding_pdfs_and_other_files for some documentation on this feature.
  • dstillman
    btannehi is mistaken when they say they can't save. They're referring to the Firefox Save dialog, which shows up when the Firefox PDF viewer isn't enabled and you click on a PDF and which Zotero customizes — "Save to Zotero" is always enabled there.

    The PDF tools message they're referring to is when the "Retrieve Metadata for PDF" option is checked and the PDF tools aren't installed, but that doesn't prevent saving. If btannehi saved and then clicked on the PDF and clicked "Index" in the right-hand pane, they'd get the dialog adamsmith is referring to with the button to open the Search preferences.
  • dstillman
    (That said, we're looking at ways to bundle/install the PDF tools automatically in the near future to avoid the manual installation step.)

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