Downloading!!

Help me please! I cannot figure out what I am doing wrong. I have tried downloading zotero on my mac, dell, tablet, and chromebook. I have NOT been successful anywhere.
  • You'll need to say more than that. What are the exact steps you're taking, and what exactly is happening? Start with Mac or Windows. (There's not currently a tablet version of Zotero, and while a Chromebook can run Linux apps, it takes some special steps that we can only provide limited support for.)
  • Okay, I'll start with my mac. It is my work computer. So I went to the website and hit download Zotero 5.0. My laptop says opening Zotero 5.0.6.6 and prompts me to drag Zotero to the install folder. Once I do that an additional screen pops up saying Modifying "Applications" requires an administers name and password. I clicked authenticate and I'm unable to complete the next step. (My tech guy at my school said that it should just work as an extension to chrome (which it does not)), so I tried the next computer.

    Going to the dell. I followed the same steps, I went to the site and clicked download. I clicked run the program. A pop up screen came up saying do you want to allow the following program to make changes to this computer? I clicked yes. Welcome o the zotero setup wizard popped up. I clicked next, and attempted to download the standard installation, and get to the finish option, but nothing happens. I went back to the website and it says download zotero. So I went to the my computer, and searched for zotero and tried to open it, but I couldn't seem to open it (I clicked on all the files). I went to Word to check and see if I could see zotero on there and I didn't see it anywhere.

    SO then I went out and bought a chromebook. I followed the same steps. I went to zotero, I clicked download. So once I did this, my chromebook said that it would take 13 minutes, to download, however it did not. I actually have no idea how long it took. I waited about 45 minutes and then went to bed. When I woke up, it still said 13 minutes to download (about 7 hours later). When I tried to download it again, my chromebook says there is already file with zotero. So I tried to open it, but I couldn't. So then I went to word to try to use zetero, but a pop up window comes up asking if zotero is running.

    So, I'm not sure what I am doing wrong, but I can't see to get it to work anywhere. I hope I gave you all the information that you were looking for. Please get back to me at your earliest convenience! Thank you so much
  • Someone else will need to follow up with more details but I may be able to offer some assistance in the interim.

    First, I presume that you are going to the Zotero homepage ( https://www.zotero.org/ ) and clicking the big red DOWNLOAD button.

    That will take you to a page that recognizes your OS and offers another DOWNLOAD button. (See also below my comment about your application folder) Once you have installed the main Zotero program you should click to also install the connector to your browser. I think that Zotero will recognize which browser you are using and offer the proper connector.

    If you are trying to obtain Zotero from some other site; try using the Zotero site instead.

    "prompts me to drag Zotero to the install folder". I presume that you mean your Mac's "Applications" folder. If not, there is something curious about your work computer's system.

    Zotero has the main client program and connectors to the browser of your choice. It seems that you are having problems installing the main Zotero program because of confusion about your computers privileges. Is this computer managed by your office tech department or is it your own and only managed by you? Do you have special malware protection software installed on the computer that might be restricting what can be installed?

    I cannot answer to your problem with your Windows machine but the install process you describe is unlike what I have experienced.

    Again, I cannot say much from my limited experience with chromebook but to open Zotero on a chromebook you must also have added the ability to run Linux software on the chromebook. All I know about installing Linux on a Chromebook came from this website:

    https://itsfoss.com/install-linux-chromebook/

    You would need to download the Linux version of Zotero within the Linux OS.

    At no time should downloading Zotero take more than one or two minutes even on a slow internet connection. On my home system less than a minute was required.
  • Mac:
    I clicked authenticate and I'm unable to complete the next step.
    Meaning what, exactly?

    Windows:
    get to the finish option, but nothing happens. […] So I went to the my computer, and searched for zotero and tried to open it, but I couldn't seem to open it
    Where exactly did you try, and what happened? The installer just adds Zotero to the desktop and to your applications list. The installer itself also has a "Launch Zotero now" option that's checked by default.
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