I should add that I didn't/don't get any error messages.
Thanks!

Thanks! Sorry, for some reason I didn't find that entry when I was searching. Wrong keywords I guess!

Are you certain that you followed the instructions precisely (disable all other extensions, close firefox, delete the files it tells you to delete, and then start firefox)?

I just upgraded to 2.0 from 1.7

Do you mean from 1.5 or from 1.0.7?

Since this is likely just a Firefox issue, we can't really offer much troubleshooting advice beyond what they already suggest, which is to delete those extension files. (I'd also add compreg.dat and xpti.dat.) If that doesn't work, you could try copying your Zotero data to a new profile and installing Zotero 2.0 into that. If it worked in a new profile, and you couldn't fix your old profile, you'd want to move the rest of your old data over (including data from other extensions).

I had a similar problem. Now it is fixed. Skype extension 2.2.0.102 seemed to be causing the problem - when I disabled it, Zotero returned. This came with the recent Skype update.

First let me thank the Zotero developers for a wonderful tool on which I have become totally dependent.

Second: HELP!

My Zotero has also disappeared: the icon is gone from the bottom right corner. This may or may not have something to do with the latest update of Firefox (to 3.5.3) which happened recently. Zotero shows up in Tools>Adds-on (but not in Tools proper). I’m working on Windows XP.

I have tried the advice I found in this forum including:
- Disabling (and even uninstalling) all other Firefox extensions, including the trouble-making Skype extension (which no longer shows in the Adds-on list).
- Following the steps indicated here: http://www.zotero.org/support/kb/no_status_bar_icon including deleting the extensions files on the Firefox profile.
- Uninstalling and re-installing Zotero 1.0.10
- Reinstalling Firefox
- Installing Zotero 2.0
- Restarting the computer

Still, the Zotero icon simply vanished. Ctrl + Alt + Z doesn’t work either. Another somewhat strange thing: every time I try the “Options” button on Firefox > Tools > Adds-on > Zotero, the box freezes and I have to restart Firefox.

Any suggestions for how to get my Zotero back would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks for your reply Dan, much appreciated.

It was indeed a problem with Firefox - I got confused with the profile manager so I ended up uninstalling Zotero, uninstalling Firefox all together, then reinstalling Firefox and Zotero (1.0.10) and I got the icon back. (I didn't need to move the Zotero data as I keep it in a folder outside the Firefox profiles anyway - I had then to link it back using Zootero preferences > advanced; and I recovered my Firefox bookmarks from a back up).

Phew. What a relief! This shows how much Zotero has become a fundamental tool for me. I have transferred my 6000+ references from EndNote 8 months now and never looked back! Many, many thanks for a great application!

(note that this thread is four year old, before the add-on bar existed in Firefox)
We mention the add-on bar in the instructions we point people with missing Zotero to:
http://www.zotero.org/support/kb/no_status_bar_icon

Nor is the specific series of clicks within the View menu mentioned on that support page, even for those who have the menu toolbar showing. That would be: View -> Toolbars --> Add-On Bar.

I don't follow. It says:

Setting the icon to appear should automatically cause the add-on bar to be shown, but you can also manually enable the add-on bar in the Firefox View→Toolbars or Options menu.

I considered adding the keyboard shortcut a while back, but it can differ between computers (it's cmd+/ on a mac e.g.), it may not trigger depending on where your cursor is, it may conflict with another shortcut etc. so I prefer people actually check that the toolbar is enabled in the menu.

There are good reasons we want people to check that Zotero is installed and up to date - it is at least as common a cause for a missing status bar icon (both because the 3.0 versions are not compatible with FF>20 and because people only have Standalone installed).

That any IT support is unable to follow: http://xkcd.com/627/ is just sad. These instructions are neither hard to find nor hard to follow (e.g. two clicks from googling "Zotero disappeared")
(edit: sorry, I'm just rather exasperated at IT departments in general)

Just reporting what I'm seeing/hearing. As you say, the support item is not hard to find, either from Google or from this forum thread. Evidence suggests that it is hard to follow by one underfunded, overstretched IT help desk, whether this fact is "sad" or not. Maybe some users don't understand that the "Add-On Bar" is that place at the bottom of the screen where Zotero hangs out, since most toolbars appear at the top of the browser window; I don't know.

Totally agree it's good to check that Zotero is up to date (though, aren't auto-updates of Zotero enabled by default?). I wasn't suggesting that part of the support item be discarded. If your experience suggests that this is the most common cause of this issue and should therefore be placed first, I won't knock that.

Perhaps the best solution is to split the Support item into two, based on symptoms:

Situation: Zotero has been working fine but suddenly the button at the bottom of the screen is gone. I still get Zotero icons in the URL bar, but the button at the bottom of my screen is not there anymore.

Solution: Click into the browser, in a "neutral" location, not a hotlink or form box. Hold down the Ctrl key (Command key for Mac)and hit the forward slash (/) key. The Zotero button will reappear.

Explanation: At some point in the past, when trying to type a question mark, you may have accidentally triggered the keystroke combination that hides/shows the Add-ins toolbar at the bottom of the browser in some versions of Firefox. Or maybe you recently installed a new version of Firefox, and the new version doesn't show the Add-Ons toolbar on the bottom of the screen by default. Either way, if Add-Ons like Zotero are present but hidden, using this keystroke combination can return Zotero to the bottom of your browser window in many versions of Firefox.

If this does not work for you, you may need to update or reinstall Zotero, you may need to use another method to get Zotero to appear, or you may need to disable one or more other add-ons that are interfering with Zotero. These steps are detailed here: http://www.zotero.org/support/kb/no_status_bar_icon

Up to you if you want to add another item to Support, but I think it could help some users. Otherwise, maybe they'll find it here and that will suffice. Thanks for all the work you do to maintain and support Zotero, and your responsiveness to this and other queries.

That is very satisfactory from my point of view. Thanks for adding that.