Cannot install Microsoft Word Add-in

pjlyons
Hello,
When I try to link Zotero to Word by installing the Microsoft Word Add-in, I get this message:

"Zotero Word for Windows Integration. Installation could not be completed because an error occurred. Please ensure that Microsoft Word is closed, and then restart Zotero."

I have ensured Microsoft Word is closed. I have re-installed Zotero. Still no luck.

I can import items into my Zotero library but it is not connecting in anyway to Word.
I am using the Zotero standalone through Chrome trying to install the add-in for Word 2016, Windows 10.
  • adomasven
    See https://www.zotero.org/support/windows_word_plugin_manual_installation_instructions
  • carolyn wolf-gould
    I'm having the same problem and when I click on the above link, I can't open it.
  • adamsmith
    The link is definitely right. Try in a different browser.
  • carolyn wolf-gould
    I can't open the link. Very frustrating!

  • carolyn wolf-gould
    I tried installing chrome and can't get it to work there either.
  • adamsmith
    which browser? Can you open other documentation links such as https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data

    Have you tried copying the link to the URL bar instead of clicking it?
  • carolyn wolf-gould
    Hi Adam, Yes I tried this and just spent an hour with apple support trying to figure out the instructions. I downloaded Chrome and Firefox and couldn't get it to work with either. Is there a support person I can call?
  • adamsmith
    no, Zotero doesn't do phone support (it's free software with a small development team and a significant share of support is done by volunteers such as myself).

    But I'm not quite sure where we are with your problem at this point -- you are now able to look at the page above or not?
  • carolyn wolf-gould
    could I call you to walk through it?
  • dstillman
    As adamsmith said, there's no phone support.

    People will help you here, but you'll need to take the time to explain exactly what's happening. Please read through this page to understand how to report problems in a way that lets people help you.
  • carolyn wolf-gould
    Thanks,

    When I go to the first link Adam posted above, I follow it to the pug in. But when I attempt to install the plug in, I get this message: "Safari can’t open the file “Zotero-MacWord-Plugin-3.5.14.xpi” because no available application can open it."
  • carolyn wolf-gould
    I just went to Firefox and was able to down load and install the plug in. But the Zotero Z still doesn't show up in my word documents.
  • adamsmith
    edited March 9, 2017
    OK, instead of following steps 1-3 (note that step one says to skip when you're using Zotero Standalone, which is why you ran into trouble downloading it), just download Zotero.dotm from
    https://github.com/zotero/zotero-word-for-mac-integration/raw/master/install/Zotero.dotm (right-click --> Save link as)

    Then try to follow steps 4-6 very closely, placing the dotm file in the Word Startup folder. If you run into trouble, come back here and report precisely what's not working, as you did in your last post.
  • carolyn wolf-gould
    I downloaded Zotero.dotm. Then I tried to find word start up folder. I used Macworld 2016 instructions and got to the preferences in the drop down options. I clicked on file locations and six different files were listed. Startup has next to it a file saying /Users/carolyn wolfgould/Documents and when I click on this it opens my google documents drive. I then hit modify and it opened a blank screen with "choose the location of startup:" on top. Underneath was box with "Documents -- I cloud" in it. This is an empty field. I can click on the side bar to open up desk top, applications, google drive and downloads. But I don't see any path along the line of /libraryGroup/Containers, etc like it says in the instructions.
  • carolyn wolf-gould
    I think I got it to work. I installed the dotm. download in my google drive and now see TWO zoteros in my word document! That's better than none! Not sure why I have two though. . .
  • adamsmith
    Great. And they work the way you expect them to?
    Not sure about the two, either -- but you can likely disable one of them in Word's add-on settings if it bothers you.
  • mema5
    Hi there! I had that problem too on Windows 10 with Zotero 5 and Microsoft Office 365.

    For me: running Zotero as an administrator solved the problem. Hope it can help!
  • dstillman
    @mema5: No, you shouldn't do that. No regular programs should be set to run as Administrator. If it won't install, you should follow the manual installation steps, as noted above.
  • ANGELDAVID
    edited October 11, 2020
    [Edit: Don't follow these instructions. See below. — D.S.]
    Well, the pasted link gave me the apt instructions to plug-in Zotero as add in:
    https://library.concordia.ca/help/citing/zotero/zotero_install_office_365.pdf
    So excited to use Zotero in 365 Office!!
    (Please note that the zotero.dotm file was looking like a word file!! And when I copy pasted it into the STARTUP folder, I could not see it; but it was copied) - Just in case you get stuck!! Besto!!
  • dstillman
    edited October 11, 2020
    @ANGELDAVID: No, the Word plugin is installed automatically, and if that fails for you, you should follow the official manual installation instructions we provide. The PDF you linked to is technically correct but 1) implies that manual installation is always necessary and 2) is written in a confusing way that could very easily cause someone to set the Startup folder to an invalid location that will prevent any Word plugins from working in the future. We see people do that regularly, and it's likely because of instructions like this. There's no reason to follow unofficial instructions for this.
  • ANGELDAVID
    edited October 12, 2020
    No issues!! I spent hours trying to find a solution. I couldn't find a solution even from this forum. Carolyn wolf-gould had mentioned about the zotero.dotm file but I could not understand much... I am no techie myself... However the suggestions from the link I had pasted helped me to resolve my issue!! I could follow the instructions and was able to plug-in zotero as one of the tabs in 365 Office word. It is okay, if you had striked out my suggestion to prevent causing confusion to others!!

    I checked out the link you had pasted - it is cool... However, it is not showing up and did not show up through the search engine!! It was ultimately another site that was helpful to me. I am glad and grateful.
  • dstillman
    I spent hours trying to find a solution. I couldn't find a solution even from this forum.
    Literally the first response in this thread is a link to the official manual installation instructions, which are just a clearer, less error-prone way of explaining the exact same steps that are in the PDF you linked to. There's absolutely no new information in the PDF — it's just a way of presenting the same steps that makes a mistake more likely.

    But if you're ever having trouble with Zotero, just start a new thread here and we'll help you. There's no reason to struggle through things on your own. You need to read the information we provide, though — in this case the response would've been the same link to the same instructions that Adomas provided above. I assure you that if you had followed them, it would've fixed the problem in the exact same way.
  • ANGELDAVID
    Oh my! What is wrong if people find other ways of resolving an issue!! There is no one single answer to a problem... People can always find and use whatever is convenient for them and share their experience... why so much restrictions??!! I have no more time to waste with people like this. Good bye!
  • dstillman
    I explained what's wrong with it: because the PDF is written in a dangerously confusing way, and we frequently have to help people who've erroneously changed their Word Startup folder to be within the Zotero program files, which permanently breaks Zotero's Word plugin and prevents any other Word plugins from loading. I'm glad you didn't make that mistake, and I understand you were trying to be helpful to others in posting it, but we help dozens of people a day here and know the things that trip them up, and this is one of the most common sources of confusion. If you can't accept that, don't post here.
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