Database problem - cannot import certain strings

After a while using Zotero, I started noticing that there were some entries that made it crash, both standalone and Firefox addon.

I started observing that certain papers I would try to import through their DOI numbers would cause a crash, while others not. Could not say why...

Then, I tried to import them by hand. I then realized that when I got to the authors' last names, certain string of characters would cause a crash, while others did not. I cannot for the life of me understand why. However, I did realise that the failing DOI imports seemed to happen for those offending documents.

The problem goes away for a newly created database, even when I import all my old libraries, like described at https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/59294/cannot-export-library-with-all-the-attachments (however, as adamsmith noted, this would break all my previously created documents).

I am starting to suspect that this issue started even earlier, but at the time it seemed to be an issue from updating from 4.0.27 to 4.0.28 (https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/52146/zotero-4028-from-ubuntu-ppa-freezes).

Anyway, the question remains: is my old database salvageable?
  • First thing to try would be to check database integrity from the advanced tab of the Zotero preferences.
  • I am cautiously delighted (if something like that exists!), as the problem seems fixed.

    I indeed checked as adamsmith suggested. An error was found, I uploaded the zotero.sqlite file to the zotero dbfix tool and the repaired database I downloaded does not reproduce the same errors.

    The upload ID is 573f084be0688, for future reference.

    I will keep working with that version and be back with eventual comments. But if it keeps working, thumbs up to the zotero team!!

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