Zotero/Mac: No Response on several menu items (eg. Import…/Export…, Zotfile Prefs)

Hi, I installed the most recent Zotero for Mac on my machine:

- Zotero 5.0.34.4
- on Mac OS 10.13.2 (High Sierra)

… and quite a bunch of menu items just don't do anything. Clicking on Import… or Export…, also copying citations don't produce any response of the program. Same with clicking on preferences for Zotfile in the Add-Ons-Screen (Zotfile generally doesn't seem to work here, doesn't add items to the right-click menu for database entries).

Removing and Re-Installing doesn't help.

Any ideas where to start addressing these problems?
  • Can you provide a Report ID?
  • I wonder whether I have a related problem. Intermittently (say every 3rd start) Zotero standalone (same version), 10.11.6, doesn't respond to keyboard shortcuts.
  • We'd still need a Report ID.
  • Sorry, here's the Report ID: 550239780
  • Unix error 13 during operation remove on file /Users/[…]/Zotero/translators/A Contra Corriente.js (Permission denied)
    Zotero is getting a permissions error while trying to initialize translators at startup, and that will break pretty much everything else. (I've deleted your posts in the ZotFile thread, since they're not specific to that.)

    We'll try to show a better error here, but you'll need to fix the permissions. This generally would only happen if you ran Zotero as root, modified permissions on those files yourself, or somehow copied your Zotero data directory from another computer or user account. (It could also be caused by security software, but that's much less likely on a Mac.)

    You can try simply deleting the 'translators' directory in your data directory and restarting Zotero, but I'm not sure why this would be limited to that directory, so you might need to fix the permissions manually. All folders and files in the data directory should be owned and writable by your user account.
  • Thanks! I deleted the data directory, and then re-synched my library. This helped for the general Zotero issued (Import/Export etc).

    But Zotfile is still inaccessible. The bug report says:

    --
    [JavaScript Error: "formatURLPref: Couldn't get pref: extensions.getAddons.link.url" {file: "resource://gre/components/nsURLFormatter.js" line: 143}]
    uf_formatURLPref@resource://gre/components/nsURLFormatter.js:143:7
    initialize@chrome://mozapps/content/extensions/extensions.js:2821:9
    initialize@chrome://mozapps/content/extensions/extensions.js:765:7
    initialize@chrome://mozapps/content/extensions/extensions.js:230:3


    No chrome package registered for chrome://zotfile/content/options.xul

    No chrome package registered for chrome://zotfile/content/options.xul
  • Uninstall and re-install Zotfile.
  • Doesn't help unfortunately.
  • Environment: Zotero 5.0.34.4 on MacOS v10.13.3 standalone.
    Issue 1: When importing from any (BibTex, RIS WoS, etc.) to Zotero after pick File/Import windows pops up => pick file => a msg pops up with "The selected file is not in a supported format."
    Issue 2: Tryed to export a library from zotero bur format pulldow does not works either.
    Mac Console: I got several warnings & fails from process "zotero" such as:
    a) WARNING: The Gestalt selector gestaltSystemVersion is returning 10.9.3 instead of 10.13.3. This is not a bug in Gestalt -- it is a documented limitation. Use NSProcessInfo's operatingSystemVersion property to get correct system version number.
    b) Faild to get owner UUID for url: error:
    c) MacOS error: -67062
    d) OSErr AERemoveEventHandler(AEEventClass, AEEventID, AEEventHandlerUPP, Boolean)(ficl,askM handler=0x7fff4fee5555 isSys=NO) err=0/noErr
    All of then concerned to /Applications/Zoterro.app/Contents/MacOS/zotero (/Sustem/Library/PrivateFramewors/Sharing.framework/Versions/A/Sharing)
    At system.log I got this:
    Jan 30 21:45:06 My-mac zotero[6773]: assertion failed: 17D47: libxpc.dylib + 72637 [F7E5F1BC-614B-39CB-B6CE-92A9C7B7EC0B]: 0x89
    Jan 30 21:48:59 My-mac zotero[6773]: objc[6773]: Class FIFinderSyncExtensionHost is implemented in both /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/FinderKit.framework/Versions/A/FinderKit (0x7fff97ba0b68) and /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/FileProvider.framework/OverrideBundles/FinderSyncCollaborationFileProviderOverride.bundle/Contents/MacOS/FinderSyncCollaborationFileProviderOverride (0x10baa4cd8). One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined.
    Jan 30 21:49:05 My-mac zotero[6773]: BUG in libdispatch client: kevent[mach_recv] monitored resource vanished before the source cancel handler was invoked

    Any clue/help ?
  • edited January 31, 2018
    @kolotelo: The first thing to provide is always a Report ID. We don't need that other info (other than steps to reproduce).

    Disable other extensions, reset translators from the Advanced → Files and Folders pane of the Zotero preferences, and try again.
  • @dstillman Thanks.
    Zotero standalone Report before ID:307006056 and after reset* ID 374536293
    Chrome Report before ID: 1934453910 and after reset* ID: 2075917063
    Steps to reproduce:
    1. Start Zotero
    2. Click File/Import
    3. Locate and pick the file
    4. Press ok.
    Zotero displays message "The selected file is not in a supported format."

    (*) After reset done it did work. Will run test later.
    Tks.
  • Still having this issue with Zotfile. Not opening preferences, bug report says: "No chrome package registered for chrome://zotfile/content/options.xul". The windows menu in Zotero lists "Page Load Error" for every (unsuccesful) click on Zotfile's preferences.

    I ditched and re-installed Zotfile, the data directory, whole Zotero. Even the re-installed whole Mac OS without re-migrating all programs. Any ideas left? It does work for other user accounts on this mac. WOndering if I should migrate over but that would come with other downsides, obviously.

    Report ID: 1957896739
  • edited June 1, 2018
    You can try closing Zotero, renaming the "Zotero" part of the path to your Zotero profile directory (so /Users/:username:/Library/Application Support/Zotero) to "Zotero-Old", and restarting Zotero. You'll need to set up your settings again and reinstall ZotFile, but it should be equivalent to a new user account (assuming the problem isn't somehow in the data directory, but that's unlikely).
  • Yes!! This seeemed to have done the trick. Finally! Thanks a lot, @dstillman, for being so responsive and helpful. Made my day!
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