Unable to Update Error Message

fkkav
I am having trouble updating my Zotero.

I use the standalone chrome plugin and it is able to detect new updates but an error message says that I don't have permission to install them. The error message suggests that I "modify the Zotero program directory to be writable to your user account." Is someone able to tell me what this means and how to do it?

Thank you,
Francesca
  • adamsmith
    edited July 19, 2018
    I assume it's Zotero itself, and not the Chrome extension, for which this is happening. This occurs if you in install Zotero as an administrator and then try to update it from a regular user account. (I'm assuming here this is happening on Windows).

    There are (at least) three options:
    1. You can just run Zotero as an administrator to update, then quit and again use it regulary.
    2. You can make a back-up of your zotero data folder https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data (just to be safe; this shouldn't be necessary), uninstall Zotero, and then again install Zotero, but click cancel when prompted for administrator login. That way, Zotero is installed with regular user rights and you will be able to update it. This is what I would recommend.
    3. You could find the Zotero program folder and change the permissions to allow read&write by your regular user account; I think it'd be somwhere in program files under Windows, but not sure.
  • fkkav
    Thank you. I used the first suggestion and it has updated.
  • bwiernik
    I do recommend uninstalling and re-installing as a regular user (option 2) to avoid the issue again in the future.
  • wkdurham
    Hi there
    I'm also having an issue with this as we are setting up Zotero for our organisation on a windows 10 environment. We don't have admin rights on our PCs and so the Zotero app has been installed via our IT dept and I have a colleague in our Zotero trial that has this error message.
    I'm going to suggest your recommendation re 'click cancel when prompted for administrator login. That way, Zotero is installed with regular user rights and you will be able to update it' (unless you have any other advice before I raise this with my IT dept?
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