Zotero for Firefox not syncing

d0gg0nit
I recently updated to Firefox v50.0b11. And now my account won't sync. It's forever in sync mode stating "Getting updated data from sync server" for hours at a time.
  • dstillman
    There shouldn't be any connection to upgrading Firefox unless you reset Firefox, in which case you should follow steps to restore rather than syncing. Do you see an empty database on your end?

    In any case, your Zotero is trying to pull down all of your data, which is quite a lot. It's finishing successfully on our end, repeatedly. Note that it may freeze temporarily when it finishes, and if you force-quit it it'll just need to do the same thing again.

    If you're not able to make it work, you can also try upgrading to the 5.0 beta, which has a new sync system that should better handle very large syncs.

    But again, if your database is empty, you should restore your data locally instead of syncing.
  • d0gg0nit
    So I'm using zotero for firefox. That's why I think a firefox update could be part of the problem. Thanks for the link. I'll try that. Also thanks for the info on my account. I am getting this message though when I login online to my zotero account (not sure if this is relevant":

    "Error
    Access denied
    You do not have access to this area."
  • d0gg0nit
    So Zotero for firefox is still not syncing. I've filed a report (1014466082). Not sure what the problem is here.
  • dstillman
    You had a full download complete half an hour ago, though no upload after. Again, if it's freezing temporarily, you'll need to let it complete. (This won't be an issue in the upcoming Zotero 5.0.)
  • d0gg0nit
    The Zotero for Firefox is not giving me any of that status information. So I can't tell from my end if any upload/download is complete. Hmmm.

    How soon till Zotero v5.0. And will Zotero for Firefox also get that upgrade?

    Thanks
  • d0gg0nit
    So this is big a problem. I'm trying to sync but the sync icon tooltip is forever saying "Getting updated data from sync server" for hours at a time. This is even after leaving the sync on overnight. On several occasions I've given the system more than enough time to complete but the sync never completes, and freezes FireFox.

    I've followed the instructions @
    https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/sync_queuing.
    * I've waited for the sync to complete for in excess of 2 hours.
    * The “Last sync” time doesn't display in the sync icon tooltip.
    * I've submitted a report with a report ID
    * This has been occurring for a week now I'm I'm still not having any luck getting it to work. Aaaagh
  • dstillman
    edited December 3, 2016
    Right, but when it freezes Firefox, do you force-quit it or let it go? As I mentioned above, a freeze is expected for a large sync in the current version, and if you stop it then it will just happen again. It's also possible that it's running out of memory during the processing, but it's not clear from your description — as long as it's frozen, it's still working.

    In any case, if you're having trouble I'd recommend just installing the 5.0 beta:

    Firefox version: https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/59829/zotero-5-0-beta/p1

    Standalone: https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/comment/263475/#Comment_263475
  • dstillman
    (And to be clear, the beta has been out for months now and is very close to release, so while you should make a backup of your Zotero data directory first, it should be pretty safe to use. You can switch to the release version when it comes out to avoid getting further beta versions.)
  • d0gg0nit
    So Zotero for Firefox still isn't syncing. I've even tried restoring it from the server but still no luck. Here's the report - Report ID: 138844568
  • dstillman
    You don't seem to have responded to anything in my previous message.
  • d0gg0nit
    edited February 9, 2017
    The beta version for Zotero for firefox no longer appears to be available (You can install the beta into Firefox by clicking here: No longer available — see this post - https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/59829/zotero-5-0-beta/p1). Question: Is Zotero Connector for Firefox merely a plugin to work with Standalone? I need to run a separate instance of Zotero from Standalone (which I also have installed but which doesn't have any problems). Several times I've let Zotero for firefox sync overnight and for several days. And the indicator never changes from "Sync with Zotero Server. Processing updated data from sync server." Even after several days. Could this be a Firefox issue? I've reinstalled Firefox and now when I try to sync it often crashes.

  • dstillman
    In 5.0, Zotero for Firefox is replaced with Zotero Standalone + a lightweight Zotero Connector. That's what you should install:

    https://www.zotero.org/support/5.0
  • d0gg0nit
    For several reasons I need to run separate instances of Zotero. Can Zotero Standalone run and sync 2 separate accounts?
  • adamsmith
    Yes, see https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/comment/269583/
  • d0gg0nit
    Thanks

    I'll try that. It would be nice to have that option baked right into Zotero Standalone.
  • d0gg0nit
    As for Zotero for Firefox not working here's the latest report

    Report ID: 432726169

    I looked through it and there's something about a lack of memory "[ERROR: out of memory]"
  • dstillman
    Zotero 5.0 will be out within days — we can't debug this further in Zotero 4.0.
  • dstillman
    It would be nice to have that option baked right into Zotero Standalone.
    As in Firefox, once you start it with -P the first time there's a checkbox to have it ask which profile you want to use each time you start Zotero.

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