You can just use quick copy for unlinked cites. You can also try the open-source alternative to Word -- LibreOffice. You can share documents with active Zotero citations across Word and LibreOffice.
I have added this issue in the Microsoft feedback hub. Try to look for it (press 'windows+f' when on your desktop and search for 'Zotero Microsoft Word plugin VB Run-time error 5097') to upvote and add feedback in the form of screenshots or reproductions. Hopefully they can fix this.
Note that when reporting this type of problem to Microsoft, it is best to not mention Zotero or other programs, as they often just assume the problem is due to Zotero and not them. Better to just describe the problem with Word (the VB code Error).
@bastiaanwaagmeester thanks for the post! Unfortunately I could not find it in the hub, so I posted my own which is called "Visual Basic error 5097 when running Word plug-ins" https://aka.ms/AA3nnjg
Has anyone made any progress on this? I've tried reinstalls, blank user profiles, all the trickeration with the *.dotm templates, and complaining to MS -- but Zotero is still completely dead within Word on my desktop (running Office Home and Student 2019). The only thing keeping me sane is that whatever has happened does not seem to affect my laptop (running Office Pro 2019).
The same problem here! I also try Mendeley, same problem again. Funny thing is that works just fine on my old laptop, windows 7. Even though my friend uses Windows 10, same office package and does not have any problem. Annoying and confuse.
Like adomasven has said, this is a bug in Word that Zotero (or any other third-party program) has no control over. adomasven suggested a few potential remedies on the first page of this thread, but ultimately this is a bug Microsoft will need to fix.
.@bwiernik Do we know if there is some sort of higher-priority channel between MS and third-party developers? Seems unlikely that they're going to respond to our individual requests (especially if the change is somehow deliberate). Simply waiting to issue a fix makes it seem like we'll be waiting a veeeery looooong tiime.
Hey, so I had this problem as well. Even had the part where I couldn't save. As for the exact cause I'm not sure, but I assume it was one of the ms updates. Just as a quick timeline, as it's taken me all night to fix this shit. I recently upgraded my pc so I did a clean install of windows Installed office 2016 from some repack I found on my harddrive, yes not legal I know. The first issue of not being able to save popped up right at the start, and I saw that someone early in this thread also had it, it's due to the word tab extension that is part of the repack, just get rid of it.
As for the zotero, I found out this afternoon while writing a paper. After lots of googling and reinstalling and wanting to throw my pc out of the window, I checked my restore points, saw that windows had conveniently made one before my office install (god bless). I restored to before it, in the "programs that will be affected" list were a ton of microsoft office updates. I don't want to go through the same ordeal again so I won't test it, but to those struggling with this, I suggest the following: (possibly reset your user settings in the registry but might not matter) 1. uninstall office 2016 2. uninstall all your microsoft office updates Go into control panel>programs>programs and features>installed updates Just remove them all I wouldn't risk any, but if you want to test feel free 3. Reinstall office 2016, but take an old one and don't update after it installs, I even installed it with my internet disabled to be sure By old I just mean one without the updates, mine was from june 2016, it's what I used on my laptop and zotero works there so that's what I went with.
If someone wants to play with the updates and find out which one causes it, feel free, I'm just happy mine works now. Good night
Scratch all of that, this has to be such a stupid solution but bear with me. I installed office with my regional format (in windows) set to English (United Kingdom) not sure if this is relevant to the problem but it might be. I live in the Netherlands so I changed it to English (Netherlands) later on. All the restore point did to fix it was set the regional format back to English (United Kingdom). As just now I tried to change it to netherlands it broke again. Here's a short vid 100% reproducible on my side: https://my.mixtape.moe/niknun.webm
That solution worked for me too (my regional format was "English (Israel)"! Changing it to "English (United Kingdom)" fixed the problem (or at least plastered it). Thanks!
@themoneyfactory Oh my god. I just registered my Zotero account to say THANK YOU SO MUCH. Seriously. I'm so grateful.
Switching my regional format away from "English (Germany)" to "English (United Kingdom)", and then restarting Word 100% fixes the problem. This issue has been plaguing me for three months and I had tried everything I could think of: complete reinstalls, messing with temp folders, the registry, etc. Out of desperation, I was about to move to Linux/Libre Office even though most of the critical tools I need for work are Windows-only.
I can't thank you enough.
@norazi@bastiaanwaagmeester: thank you for your reports in the Hub. Looks like this is absolutely a Windows/Office issue, and a reproducible one at that. Wonder if MS will fix it...
I found a way to eliminate the “VB run-time ‘5097’” error on my system running Windows 10 with current Windows (1809) and Office (1811) updates:
- In “Windows settings” go to the page for “Region” which has settings for “Regional format”
- Change that setting (in my case from “English (Switzerland)”) to “English (United Kingdom)” or "English (United States)". That fixed the problem on my system.
Perhaps others with this '5097' problem have some other regional format setting that causes the problem, and hopefully it can be changed from something Office dislikes to something acceptable.
Zotero citation add-in, which works by running macros, was a casualty but not the cause of this Office VBA problem. I was getting the same ‘5097’ error when I tried running other macros, and I had also been unable to create new macros. The error message when trying to create a new macro referred to a “memory error” and provided unhelpful suggestions in a Help window. After changing the regional format, all now appears working okay.
I had not changed these regional settings recently. The problem may have begun with a Windows 10 update around October or November that introduced this regional format hypersensitivity. It is also notable that after first experiencing the problem, reverting to earlier versions of Office did not help.
One thing I do wonder what changed on the windows side to break macros in word, and if there is a way on zotero's side to make it work with other regional settings.
By all means I'm not familiar with VB or Word/Office macros at all, just trying to help figure out a solution because I would like to set my regional format back when possible. With windows 1809 the language and regional format were seperated, first it was one setting, and now it allows you to override the regional format. So I assume that's how the problem started.
As for a proper fix, this is a Word issue and not directly related to date formatting VB macros. The Zotero plugin does not make use of them, nor is it likely that the Mendeley plugin does. You should still report this to Microsoft with as much details as you can, since it is a problem on their end. There is no way to directly reach their devs, even for third-party developers, so making as much noise is your best bet if you want an issue resolved.
Thank you so much for helping with resolving the Word plugin issue. I always had my regional settings set to English(India) and there had been no issues so far. Just realised that windows changed it to English(EU location where the update installed) and the integration plugin broke. Might be useful for others that have been facing this.
Upgrade Storage
Just as a quick timeline, as it's taken me all night to fix this shit.
I recently upgraded my pc so I did a clean install of windows
Installed office 2016 from some repack I found on my harddrive, yes not legal I know. The first issue of not being able to save popped up right at the start, and I saw that someone early in this thread also had it, it's due to the word tab extension that is part of the repack, just get rid of it.
As for the zotero, I found out this afternoon while writing a paper. After lots of googling and reinstalling and wanting to throw my pc out of the window, I checked my restore points, saw that windows had conveniently made one before my office install (god bless). I restored to before it, in the "programs that will be affected" list were a ton of microsoft office updates. I don't want to go through the same ordeal again so I won't test it, but to those struggling with this, I suggest the following:
(possibly reset your user settings in the registry but might not matter)
1. uninstall office 2016
2. uninstall all your microsoft office updates
Go into control panel>programs>programs and features>installed updates
Just remove them all I wouldn't risk any, but if you want to test feel free
3. Reinstall office 2016, but take an old one and don't update after it installs, I even installed it with my internet disabled to be sure
By old I just mean one without the updates, mine was from june 2016, it's what I used on my laptop and zotero works there so that's what I went with.
If someone wants to play with the updates and find out which one causes it, feel free, I'm just happy mine works now. Good night
edit: set regional format in windows to English (United Kingdom), restart word
See video: https://my.mixtape.moe/niknun.webm
I installed office with my regional format (in windows) set to English (United Kingdom) not sure if this is relevant to the problem but it might be. I live in the Netherlands so I changed it to English (Netherlands) later on. All the restore point did to fix it was set the regional format back to English (United Kingdom). As just now I tried to change it to netherlands it broke again.
Here's a short vid 100% reproducible on my side: https://my.mixtape.moe/niknun.webm
Good luck everyone
That solution worked for me too (my regional format was "English (Israel)"!
Changing it to "English (United Kingdom)" fixed the problem (or at least plastered it).
Thanks!
Switching my regional format away from "English (Germany)" to "English (United Kingdom)", and then restarting Word 100% fixes the problem. This issue has been plaguing me for three months and I had tried everything I could think of: complete reinstalls, messing with temp folders, the registry, etc. Out of desperation, I was about to move to Linux/Libre Office even though most of the critical tools I need for work are Windows-only.
I can't thank you enough.
@norazi @bastiaanwaagmeester: thank you for your reports in the Hub. Looks like this is absolutely a Windows/Office issue, and a reproducible one at that. Wonder if MS will fix it...
- In “Windows settings” go to the page for “Region” which has settings for “Regional format”
- Change that setting (in my case from “English (Switzerland)”) to “English (United Kingdom)” or "English (United States)". That fixed the problem on my system.
Perhaps others with this '5097' problem have some other regional format setting that causes the problem, and hopefully it can be changed from something Office dislikes to something acceptable.
Zotero citation add-in, which works by running macros, was a casualty but not the cause of this Office VBA problem. I was getting the same ‘5097’ error when I tried running other macros, and I had also been unable to create new macros. The error message when trying to create a new macro referred to a “memory error” and provided unhelpful suggestions in a Help window. After changing the regional format, all now appears working okay.
I had not changed these regional settings recently. The problem may have begun with a Windows 10 update around October or November that introduced this regional format hypersensitivity. It is also notable that after first experiencing the problem, reverting to earlier versions of Office did not help.
YOU are my total here of the day.
Dear, it´s been a long exhausting christmas trying to figure out this absolute rediculousness!
Absolute and total boss.
Happy new year! I had the same issue, and it is now resolved thanks to mgw14! Thanks so much!
One thing I do wonder what changed on the windows side to break macros in word, and if there is a way on zotero's side to make it work with other regional settings.
By all means I'm not familiar with VB or Word/Office macros at all, just trying to help figure out a solution because I would like to set my regional format back when possible.
With windows 1809 the language and regional format were seperated, first it was one setting, and now it allows you to override the regional format. So I assume that's how the problem started.
From what I found other programs have had to make changes recently too
Could this be of use? https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/access/concepts/date-time/format-dates-as-u-s-dates-regardless-of-regional-settings
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/time-separator-changing/6980144c-611c-41dc-b2b9-ce05df40868e
https://auticsystem.zendesk.com/hc/no/articles/115004564808-CitectSCADA-2015-Service-Pack-1-Patch-33
https://support.unitrends.com/UnitrendsBackup/s/article/000001637
Hope this helps.
As for a proper fix, this is a Word issue and not directly related to date formatting VB macros. The Zotero plugin does not make use of them, nor is it likely that the Mendeley plugin does. You should still report this to Microsoft with as much details as you can, since it is a problem on their end. There is no way to directly reach their devs, even for third-party developers, so making as much noise is your best bet if you want an issue resolved.
Dear sir/madame,
Thank you so much, this instantly fixed my problem!
Such a silly thing as regional language shouldn't be a problem though! (: What a time to be alive!