Report ID: 1950297931 File sync error

marcia.macdonald
edited October 25, 2017
Report ID: 1950297931

I am trying to sync file attachments (all pdf's) between my local group library and an online group library. About half of the attachments have successfully synced, but the remainder repeatedly result in a file sync error and do not upload from my local group library into the online group library.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Start Zotero.
2. Click on the green circular sync arrow in the upper right.

Zotero displays a red exclamation mark beside the sync error:
"An error occurred during syncing: A file sync error occurred. Please try syncing again."

Trying again usually results in the same issue, though sometimes it results in the following error:
"SSL certificate error connecting to zoterofilestorage.s3.amazonaws.com"

Resetting the file sync history and restarting the computer/Zotero does not help.

I have talked to my network administrator and they have already apparently whitelisted the following:
api.zotero.org
stream.zotero.org
repo.zotero.org
zoterofilestorage.s3.amazonaws.com

I haven't yet found an existing discussion that seems appropriate, so I'm starting a new thread for this issue. I apologize if this has already been addressed elsewhere.

*EDITED to add that I've checked the certificate for https://s3.amazonaws.com/zoterofilestorage/test and it appears that my institution is still intercepting my connections. I'm also not allowed to use Firefox so can't use that solution. I'm talking to my IT folk to look for other solutions. It's not clear why some of the files synced successfully, though.

Thanks,
Marcia


version => 5.0.23, platform => Win32, oscpu => Windows NT 10.0; WOW64, locale => en-US, appName => Zotero, appVersion => 5.0.23, extensions => Zotero LibreOffice Integration (5.0.6.SA.5.0.23, extension), Zotero Word for Windows Integration (5.0.5.SA.5.0.23, extension), ZotFile (5.0.5, extension)
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    See https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/ssl_certificate_error, and specifically the certificate override link if this interception is unavoidable. (It requires a Firefox installation to set up the override, but not for use after that.)
  • marcia.macdonald
    Unfortunately, while I've tried to follow the instructions for security certificate errors and can install Firefox, I can't actually use Firefox to accept any certificates and create an override file.

    While I am able to access zotero.org sites (now whitelisted?) in Firefox, I still get this message in Firefox when I try to access https://s3.amazonaws.com/zoterofilestorage/test or basically any other website:
    "This site uses HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to specify that Firefox may only connect to it securely. As a result, it is not possible to add an exception for this certificate."

    Am I missing something?
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    Ah, yeah, you'd need Firefox configured with the custom root certificate authority that your institution is using. If your IT department is willing to help with that, such that you could browse around without getting certificate errors, you could then copy the specified files to Zotero.

    Otherwise, they'll need to actually stop intercepting those domains, such that you get the original site certificates.

    (And just to explain, the certificate override instructions cover two separate network issues: self-signed certificates for, say, personal WebDAV servers and custom root certificates used by institutions to monitor traffic. It used to be possible in Firefox to individually whitelist the site certificates used in the latter case, but new security measures (HSTS) prevent that, so installing the institution's root certificate in Firefox is the only option now.)

This is an old discussion that has not been active in a long time. Before commenting here, you should strongly consider starting a new discussion instead. If you think the content of this discussion is still relevant, you can link to it from your new discussion.

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