zotero won't open at all

mkupfer
I have an iMac, latest os. I kept getting the javascript error message that there is an error starting Zotero. Nothing opens; little yellow triangle over the zotero logo on the bottom left corner of the firefox screen. So I thought to uninstall Zotero and then reinstall it so that I would then load into it a backed up copy of my library/ data on my Macbook. But Zotero still won't open. So I went through the advanced trouble shooting pages and found the material on how to retrieve error messages from the Console. Here they are. Please, please help me get zotero back on my iMac.

Error: Warning: unrecognized command line flag -foreground

Source File: file:///Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/components/nsBrowserContentHandler.js
Line: 706

Error: [Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE) [nsILocalFile.persistentDescriptor]" nsresult: "0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/zotero.js :: getZoteroDirectory :: line 310" data: no]
Source File: file:///Users/mkupfer/Library/Application%20Support/Firefox/Profiles/h4x6b6ok.default/extensions/zotero@chnm.gmu.edu/components/zotero-service.js
Line: 136

Error: uncaught exception: [Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80570016 (NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE) [nsIJSCID.getService]" nsresult: "0x80570016 (NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero/content/include.js :: <TOP_LEVEL> :: line 4" data: no]

Error: Zotero is undefined
Source File: chrome://zotero/content/browser.js
Line: 758

Error: Zotero is undefined
Source File: chrome://zotero/content/overlay.xul
Line: 421

Error: [Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE) [nsILocalFile.persistentDescriptor]" nsresult: "0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/zotero.js :: getZoteroDirectory :: line 310" data: no]
Source File: file:///Users/mkupfer/Library/Application%20Support/Firefox/Profiles/h4x6b6ok.default/extensions/zotero@chnm.gmu.edu/components/zotero-service.js
Line: 136

Error: uncaught exception: [Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80570016 (NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE) [nsIJSCID.getService]" nsresult: "0x80570016 (NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero/content/include.js :: <TOP_LEVEL> :: line 4" data: no]

Error: Zotero is undefined
Source File: chrome://zotero/content/itemPane.js
Line: 51

Error: [Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE) [nsILocalFile.persistentDescriptor]" nsresult: "0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/zotero.js :: getZoteroDirectory :: line 310" data: no]
Source File: file:///Users/mkupfer/Library/Application%20Support/Firefox/Profiles/h4x6b6ok.default/extensions/zotero@chnm.gmu.edu/components/zotero-service.js
Line: 136

Error: uncaught exception: [Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80570016 (NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE) [nsIJSCID.getService]" nsresult: "0x80570016 (NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero/content/include.js :: <TOP_LEVEL> :: line 4" data: no]

Error: Zotero is undefined
Source File: chrome://zotero/content/browser.js
Line: 758

Error: Zotero is undefined
Source File: chrome://zotero/content/overlay.xul
Line: 421

Error: [Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE) [nsILocalFile.persistentDescriptor]" nsresult: "0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/zotero.js :: getZoteroDirectory :: line 310" data: no]
Source File: file:///Users/mkupfer/Library/Application%20Support/Firefox/Profiles/h4x6b6ok.default/extensions/zotero@chnm.gmu.edu/components/zotero-service.js
Line: 136
Error: uncaught exception: [Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80570016 (NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE) [nsIJSCID.getService]" nsresult: "0x80570016 (NS_ERROR_XPC_GS_RETURNED_FAILURE)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://zotero/content/include.js :: <TOP_LEVEL> :: line 4" data: no]

Error: Zotero is undefined
Source File: chrome://zotero/content/itemPane.js
Line: 51
  • dstillman
    edited August 21, 2008
    First, for posterity: Go to about:config in the Firefox address bar, find the extensions.zotero.dataDir pref, control-click on it and select Copy Value (assuming it has a value), and paste it here.

    Then, to fix, go to Tools->Add-ons, control-click on Zotero, click Preferences, go to the Advanced pane, and reset the custom data directory location to wherever you had previously selected (or wherever your data is). You may need to set it back to the default location first and restart Zotero (which will likely give you an empty library if you haven't been storing your data in the default location) and then reset it to your custom location. When you restart Firefox you should see all your data again.
  • mkupfer
    Thanks, Dan.
    I was able to fix the problem and find my data. But in about:config, the extensions.zotero.dataDir had no value, and therefore there was nothing to paste in for posterity.
  • rossm
    I believe I am experiencing a problem similar to this (in WinXP).

    I am getting the simple error message "There was an error starting zotero"
    Having followed general forum advice to disable all other firefox extensions and restarting, it changes nothing.

    I checked my 'extensions.zotero.dataDir pref' and the value field was blank.
    Unlike in the solution above however, Zotero options doesnt appear to be working either so I cant just change the data directory location that way to fix it.

    Error console output:

    Error: Components.classes['@zotero.org/Zotero;1'] is undefined
    Source File: chrome://zotero/content/include.js
    Line: 1

    Error: Zotero is undefined
    Source File: chrome://zotero/content/browser.js
    Line: 748

    Error: Zotero is undefined
    Source File: chrome://zotero/content/overlay.xul
    Line: 421

    Error: Components.classes['@zotero.org/Zotero;1'] is undefined
    Source File: chrome://zotero/content/include.js
    Line: 1

    Error: Zotero is undefined
    Source File: chrome://zotero/content/itemPane.js
    Line: 51


    HELP!
  • dstillman
    rossm: Delete compreg.dat and xpti.dat from your Firefox profile and restart Firefox. If you still get the error, check the Error Console. The error message will hopefully be a bit more informative on the first start after deleting those files.

    If you were previously using a custom data directory setting, you should also disable extensions.zotero.useDataDir in about:config if it's enabled.
  • rossm
    Thanks, its working now :D
  • Silverfin
    I am also having trouble opening Zotero. I am using Linux Ubuntu on an Eee pc, and have not upgraded to the most recent version of Zotero (as I don't like trusting my thesis to beta software!)

    There are no error messages, it simply does not respond to the keyboard shortcut, and it also has suddenly stopped appearing in the Tools menu. However, I can still open Zotero _preferences_ through the Firefox add-ons menu. My data still appears to be exactly where I left it. (I have it in the default place within .mozilla, but I keep .mozilla in an unusual location. This has never caused a problem before.)

    I have tried using the Firefox add-ons menu to disable Zotero, but it ignores this command. I am wary of trying to uninstall it completely because of all my data. (I have a recent back-up, but still...)

    Thanks!
    Silverfin
  • andycullison
    I run Ubuntu 9.04. I had the "There was an error starting Zotero" message that a lot of people are having.

    One of the common suggestions was to reset the data location in preferences. This did not work for me.

    I decided to run firefox as root "sudo firefox" in the command line. Zotero worked just fine when firefox is running as root.

    This means that somehow permissions are taken away somewhere in the firefox folder.
  • dstillman
    This means that somehow permissions are taken away somewhere in the firefox folder.
    You'll want to figure out the actual problem, because running Firefox as root is definitely not a good idea.
  • dstillman
    Silverfin: Your post was a while ago, but if you're still having trouble and still following this thread, see http://www.zotero.org/support/kb/no_status_bar_icon
This discussion has been closed.