unable to use zotero within MS-Word

If i try to insert a citation without zotero standalone desktop open, nothing happens. I can click and click on the icon in the zotero bar within word, but nothing happens. If I try to insert a citation by clicking this button with Z standalone open, a dialogue box with a red X pops up saying, "Zotero experienced an error updating your document." Then, below that "(intermediate value) [command] is not a function"

I can send screenshot if that'd help.

Thanks,
Ken
  • You need to have the Zotero desktop (Standalone) app open for the Word Zotero plugin to work.
  • That's what I wrote (or tried to write): the error appears when I have the desktop app open.
  • edited December 1, 2017
    That error likely means that you have a corrupted citation or bibliography in your document. First try to delete the bibliography (reference list, not citations) and try again. If the error still occurs, follow these steps to find the broken citation and replace it:
    https://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_troubleshooting#debugging_broken_documents
  • I'm not sure that can be the problem, because this was happening with a new document where there were no previous zotero citations. In any case it gets even odder: I wrote that message this morning working from home, but now I'm in office and don't have the problem (new document, insert citation -- no problem), and the zotero database is the same on home and office computers. When I get home tonight I'll restart the computer and see if the problem persists even when things are fresh.
  • On your home computer, if it persists after a restart, check for updates in Zotero and also try to reinstall the Word add-in in the Cite pane of Zotero preferences.
  • i installed updated version of zotero and it's working fine now. Many-many thanks for your help -- much appreciated.
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