Zotero frozen

After several years of no problems, since a few days ago when I clicked on Zotero to open it, every time I see a UAC message "Do you want to allow the following program to make changes...? and I answer yes, and Zotero opens. Then there is no response when I attempt to insert a citation from Zotero into a Word document. Also Zotero won't accept a file i drag to it - I see a circle with a diagonal line across it. Thanks for advice.
  • edited November 11, 2015
    any chance you're running Zotero on a different account or installed it on a different account than you're currently using? It's very odd UAC would act up when using it and the other things you're observing also would suggest something along these lines.

    edit: by account I mean Windows account, not Zotero account.
  • Thanks for responding. I've made no changes of any kind, other than that I had been adding documents. I just noticed an error message indicator (upper right corner yellow triangle) that tells me the group has reached its Zotero File Storage quota. I deleted half the files I had in the group (and no one else is entering anything into it) refreshed, closed computer and re-opened and still get same UAC and error messages.If relevant, I have received these two error messages as well:
    11-10-15 1756022853

    11/11/15 1311144940
  • My profile indicates I have 153 MB in storage with a capacity of 300 MB. When I attempt to open a document I receive messages that there is "incompatibility with your system configuration" or "the attached file could not be found."
  • It looks like I have deleted everything - 3 years of folders - in my effort to follow trouble-shooting guidance on the web. How do I start over again, hopefully sidestepping whatever problem I had?
  • it's actually pretty hard to lose all your data. Usually it's still on your hard disk (and potentially online). What did you do and what are you currently seeing when you're starting Zotero?
  • Well you are right. I deleted everything (I thought) from my computer that had anything to do with Zotero and uploaded it afresh. Voila, there are all my files again, still inaccessible for incorporating as references in a Word document. When I click the Zotero icon to open it I still get the question about do I want to allow a change. I still have a yellow triangle in the upper right corner with an error message about reaching the file storage quota.
  • @Dan -- could you see if there's anything obvious in the error reports? Any ideas?
  • Nothing in the report, and I don't know what would cause the UAC warning — certainly that's not a normal thing that Zotero users report, so this is something specific to BSelove's computer.
  • Thanks for weighing in. Do you have any suggestions as to where I should look for a red flag?
  • you're only using the Standalone version or also Zotero for Firefox?

    It sounds like you have tried re-installing Zotero? (don't try it multiple times -- if it doesn't work once, it won't).

    Maybe try temporarily disabling security software, see if that's interfering?

    As for the inability to add files to Zotero (which, apart from UAC, is the most unambiguous sign that something is fundamentally wrong), could you try clicking on My Library (make sure you're not in a group) and click on "Store Copy of File" under the green plus sign, select a file and tell us what happens.
  • I am using Zotero Standalone. Following your directions, I selected the top file titled InstallTime20151029151421. Selecting it put it in the library along with PDFs in that section of My Library. The date on it looks like maybe the time when things went haywire (11/7/2015, 9:30:56 AM.) Nothing else happened.I closed Zotero and after a brief blinking appearance of what was there before, a message popped up: "
    An error has occurred. Please restart Zotero. You can report this error by selecting "Report Errors..." from the Actions (gear) menu."

    I did that. The error number is 91701597. I restarted Zotero, got a black screen except for the message "Press enter (and a few more words - sorry I got impulsive here) and now it looks like I am back to the same frozen Zotero.
  • Sorry - blank screen, not black screen.
  • OK, remember we can't see your screen and we've never seen what you're seeing now, so it's important to be precise about language. When you say "frozen Zotero" -- you're just referring to the fact that you can't insert a citation in Word? Typically "frozen" refers to an entirely non-responsive program, with no button doing anything, which doesn't sound like is the case for you.

    The file that you added to Zotero using "Store Copy" -- that's still there? And the date for that you're referring to: what date is that? Date Accessed? Date Modified? Or where are you seeing a date?

    Did you test with security software disabled?

    The other thing to check would be, given how weird your computer's behavior is, a thorough system check with a virus scanner.
  • Hello again. Adamsmith. First question, (I did not know "frozen" is a semi-technical word) in addition to being unable to insert a citation in Word, I can't upload a PDF into Zotero, I can't print a bibliography or change the citation format. Nothing happens when I attempt those activities.
  • Second, in response to your Q about the file that i "added" - I followed these instructions "... could you try clicking on My Library (make sure you're not in a group) and click on "Store Copy of File" under the green plus sign, select a file and tell us what happens." This is what happened: I selected the top file titled InstallTime20151029151421. Selecting it put it in the library along with PDFs in that section of My Library. The date on it looks like maybe the time when things went haywire (11/7/2015, 9:30:56 AM.) Nothing else happened. Third I did check with a virus scanner which turned up nothing. However my computer is very sluggish so I am suspicious.
  • How do I send a screenshot? Thanks again.
  • Screenshot: upload to free image hosting site (Dropbox, imgur) link from here.

    My best bet at this point would be if you have any access to some type of expert who could check over your computer -- if you're seeing general issues with performance (which needn't be a virus, though it could be), it would be very helpful to exclude the possibility that Zotero's behavior is just a reflection of larger underlying problems. I'm not saying this is definitely the case, but several issues, in particular the UAC acting up, are quite odd.

    As for the file you added -- I read that description above, but still don't know which date you're referring to nor whether you're still seeing that file in Zotero now.
  • Thanks again. I will have it checked out tomorrow and let you know what happens.
  • Hi All. Our tech person disabled the UAC announce and I am back in business as far as I can tell in a short time of playing around. He thought maybe a Zotero upgrade kicked it into high gear. At any rate i am very grateful for the responsiveness of folks on this forum. Thanks very much.
  • excellent, that's good to hear.
  • Hi again,
    I just noticed the yellow warning triangle in the upper right corner again, with the error message that says "The Group has reached its Zotero file storage quota. Some files were not uploaded. Other Zotero data will continue to sync with the server."

    What are the implications of this? Thank you.
  • Yes, I wouldn't have expected this to go away, it's unrelated to your other problems.

    This means that one of the groups you are a member of (does it not say its name?) does not have any storage space left. Storage for groups depends on the group owner, so this may not actually something that you can affect directly.

    What this means is that no new files will sync to the group. Data will continue to sync and (unless you're the group's owner and generally out of storage) so will your personal files.
  • I checked my profile and it says I have 300 MB storage in this group (referring to one I named U54) and am using 153MB. I am the U54 group's owner. One other person has access to the files and she hasn't added anything. Does 152 used by two people =300+? Thanks.
  • no, 153MB is 153MB no matter how many people use it. But the 300 MB is for all your libraries (i.e. your personal library and any groups you own). So when you go to https://www.zotero.org/settings/storage , do you see 147MB free or what does that say?
  • It says my current usage is 151 MB. I don't see something about what is free.
  • right, it wouldn't say 147MB, it would say something like 51% used on the red bar at the bottom. And that's the group the error message refers to? And it's the only one you're a member of?
    Alternatively, could you have one very, very large file, e.g. the one you added when we were testing out things above? If so, delete that in Zotero, then empty the Zotero trash.

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