Zotero experienced an error updating your document

Hi,
here a few info:
- no possibility of using zotero in Word 2013
- I have been using zotero since 2013 and inserted many citations in Word 2013
- did not use zotero firefox with Word 2013 for some time
- installed latest firefox browser and/or Standalone zotero (all latest official versions) for Word 2013
- tried deleting zotero templates in STARTUP directory in Word and reinstalling Word add-ins from Tools/Preferences/Cite in the standalone version of zotero
- following message in Word 2013 (Windows 8.1) after adding a zotero citation in a new or an old Word document:


"Zotero experienced an error updating your document.

Word has encountered a problem. [setText:field.cpp] 'Word has
encountered a problem. [setText:field.cpp] ' when calling method:
[zoteroIntegrationField::setText]"

- managed to insert none or one or two citations in Word (after deleting files in STARTUP and reinstalling Word add-ins via CITE), but when inserting bibliography the same message appears


«1
  • This is probably a problem with a single corrupted citation in your document. Do you get the same error in a new document? If not, try to figure out which citation is broken, delete it, and insert it again (e.g., split the document in half and find which half has the error, repeat until you find it).
  • I get the error in the new and the old Word document. I could not find that some citation is broken in the new document since I cannot insert any citation. It seems I need to have some text to insert only one citation after re-installing Add-ins in Word from standalone version. Do we have some problem with the 64-bit version?
  • I am running 64-bit windows 8.1 and assume that Word 2013 is automatically installed as 64 bit...I really need a help. I have a document with 400 pages and many zotero citations and now cannot run zotero in a new document. Did not run zotero for some time (it worked with old firefox)...with standalone zotero also does not work.
  • I am running the 32-bit Word 2013 from Microsoft Office 2013 (Home and Student),
    whereas firefox/zotero is 64-bit. Is this a problem? Any solution?
  • Zotero Standalone installs as 32 bit, so that is not the problem. What version number is Zotero?
  • Zotero Standalone, I just downloaded it today. Version number (from zotero software) 4.0.29.10
  • the same error in Word 2013 is with zotero via firefox
  • edited January 21, 2017
    Just submitted Zotero Error Report ID 790062896 (from Zotero Standalone)
    Any idea?

    [JavaScript Error: .... Toolkit.Telemetry ERROR TelemetryStorage::loadAbortedSessionPing - error removing ping: PingReadError JS Stack trace: PingReadError@TelemetryStorage.jsm:80:15 <
    ...

    [JavaScript Error: "NS_ERROR_FAILURE: Component returned failure code: 0x80004005 (NS_ERROR_FAILURE) [nsILocalFile.initWithPath]" {file: "chrome://zotero/content/zoteroPane.js" line: 3664}]
    Application Detector (1.0.1.1, plugin), Shockwave Flash (24.0.0.194, plugin)
  • is this a 64-bit type problem? Is it possible that zotero standalone is 64-bit? I run 32-bit Word 2013 on 64-bit Windows 8.1. It worked before...
  • this may sound like an odd question (as it has nothing to do with Word) but bear with me: When you click on one of the links under "About Zotero" in the gears menu -- does the corresponding webpage open?
  • 1) yes all links listed in the menu "About zotero" work fine... everything is fine when zotero standalone is opened (database looks fine) and I click under the "About Zotero" - it works fine ... there is an additional option "Report Errors to Zotero" in the same pop-up menu in zotero. In the previous post I copied the long text about the system and java. I deinstalled Crome and the the problem in Word is still present...

    2) in the header of the message from Word 2013 (32-bit) (listed in the post at the top) after inserting any citation in Word is stated "C\Program Files (x86)\Zotero Standalone\zotero.exe"

    This tells me that zotero standalone is 64-bit (the same as firefox), whereas Word 2013 is 32-bit. Perhaps this could be some clue?

  • edited January 17, 2017
    I found one error in zotero standalone: When I click Tools/Create Timeline
    I get the following windows message in the "My Library - Zotero Timeline" application:
    in the header of the window: [JavaScript Application]
    text of the window: "Caught exception: TypeError: v1 is null"

    I never used that menu option before.

    I always used zotero in Word via firefox (never standalone), but the message in Word 2013 when inserting citation is the same for firefox and for zotero standalone (listed in the post at the top)...

  • do you have Zotero installed in Firefox too?

    (and Zotero Standalone is 32-bit; 32-bit apps are in Program Files (x86), 64-bit apps in just Program Files
  • I am using Java 8 Update 91 (8.0.910.14) installed 5/7/2016
  • none of this has anything to do with java (java and javascript have no relationship) nor with the Chrome browser (chrome:// is a mozilla protocol used by Zotero unrelated to the browser)
  • edited January 17, 2017
    >do you have Zotero installed in Firefox too?
    yes. now removed two zotero files from STARTUP directory and re-installed zotero Add-ins for Word from Firefox

    I can now insert only one citation in Word and after trying to insert a second citation in Word (or the same citation that already worked) or creating a bibliography list, I get the same message listed in the first post.

  • edited January 17, 2017
    I really need your help, because I need to finish a Word document with 400 pages with many zotero citations. Did not use zotero for some time and now with the new zotero/firefox installation it does not work (the old or a new Word document).
  • Please, we are trying to help, but we do need you to be a little patient. Right now, you can be most helpful for us in troubleshooting by answering our questions as precisely as possible (and please given us specifically the information we ask for) and not trying lots of extra steps on your own--that seems to be creating more problems.

    What citation style are you using? Do you have the same problem if you switch to a different style?
  • does it matter whether you have Standalone open or closed when you try to cite an item?
  • edited January 18, 2017
    I have Standalone closed and working with zotero via firefox. With the new style (American Political Science Association) I managed to insert a number of citations in Word 2013 and it works! However, I cannot create bibliography (same error - see the first post). In one case I managed to get also the bibliography, but I cannot repeat it with any of the citations I have used. Other citation styles did not work at all (American Geophysical Union, American Medical Society). Now I inserted 7 citations with that working style and managed to get the bibliography. In the second attempt, did not get any bibliography, but I can insert citations with that particular style ... no change if I open Standalone in addition to open firefox...
  • edited January 18, 2017
    I really need your help, because I have a Word document of 400 pages to finish with many citations. I did not use zotero for some time and now with the new zotero installation run into problems. Any help is welcome.
  • We honestly don't know what's causing this. Something is preventing Zotero from making basic operations in the Word document (you're saying this happens in an empty document, too, right?). You could check on security software that may be interfering.

    As an emergency solution, you could see if you can create the bibliography on someone else's computer. They would need Zotero installed, but don't need to have access to your library.
  • edited January 18, 2017
    Yes, the problem is with zotero in the old and the new Word document. I did not install any additional security/antivirus software. I tried to use Word option File/Options/Trust Center and played with "Disable all macros with notification",
    but it did not help...I do not have a possibility to use someone else's computer.
    If I reinstall Word2013 I will not be able to install it again, because it is based on Windows 8.1.
  • you may not have installed something new, but existing software may have changed its policies. Certainly worth trying.
  • Word 2013 uses the latest updates from Office 365 and everything works fine. I did not run into any problem with the system. Tried to remove some software that was recently installed, but no results with zotero.
  • edited January 18, 2017
    on the zotero website is written:
    "The word processor plugins are distributed as Firefox extensions, which provide word processor integration to Zotero and install the necessary components into the word processors. After you have installed a plugin from this page, Firefox will prompt you to install later versions automatically the same way that it does for the Zotero Firefox extension."

    I remember in former times the zotero Word integration was automatically installed when I installed Word plugin extension in firefox. However, this is not the case now and I needed in addition to install it from Cite (button "Reinstall MS Word Add-in") in the extension in firefox.

    This tells me that integration in Word is not installed correctly somehow by installing Word extension in firefox?
  • I do have MathType installed in Word 2013 (as Add-ins) and it works fine...this means that most likely Word works fine and the problem is in zotero Add-in in Word since I needed to do Cite (button "Reinstall MS Word Add-in") in the extension in firefox (see the previous post)
  • different add-ins do different things and rely on different functions. That one works has very little to say. We do have countless users using Word 2013 successful with Zotero, so this is something relatively specific to your set-up and it's pretty hard to pin down. Disabling other Word add-ins would certainly also be something to try as, I will repeat, would be looking more closely at all security software on your computer, which may be interfering with Zotero's ability to communicate properly with Word. Do not limit yourself to software you have installed recently. It is not uncommon for security suites to change their policies.
  • I know, zotero is/was running perfectly. I have been using zotero since 2008... Tried to remove antivirus, some add-ins in Word, some options in Word... Perhaps something is wrong with the normal.dot?

  • Created a report from Zotero in firefox 295802150
    I can create timeline in zotero (firefox) and all options work...
    reinstalled some new styles...can insert citations with some particular styles,
    but insertion of bibliography in Word does not work...the same message from the first post...
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