Installation error

cakendall
Report ID: No report ID generated. (I tried, but Zotero doesn't report one. Instead says "No errors have been logged since Zotero started.")

When I launch Zotero (standalone 5.017) on Mac, an installation box immediately appears, launching a second instance of Zotero that will not stop unless I use force quit.


Steps to reproduce:

1. Start Zotero.
(That's it!)

Zotero displays an installation box: “zotero-bin is trying to install a new helper tool.” "Enter your password to allow this."

An error message box immediately appears directly underneath the installation box with the error message “Software Update Failed” and the following explanatory text: "The update could not be installed. Please make sure there are no other copies of Zotero running on your computer, and then restart Zotero to try again."

Click cancel on installation box.

Click OK on error box.

Zotero standalone starts.

But now there are two instances of Zotero running. One a full standalone version, and the other apparently just running in the background. (There is no second Zotero window, just two active Zotero icons in the Dock.)

I can quit Zotero (the full app version) but cannot quit the other instance. Must go to Activity Monitor or CMD-Option-Esc to force quit.

This happens every time I start Zotero, whether I type my user name and password, whether I restart Zotero, whether I restart the computer, etc.

Any ideas greatly appreciated. Thanks!
  • dstillman
    Delete Zotero from your Applications folder, restart your computer, and reinstall Zotero from the download page.
  • denise607
    edited August 4, 2020
    I have this problem too on Mac OSX Mojave. Have you confirmed this works and I won't loose my library? I am really under 2 deadlines pressure and don't have time to mess it up.

    I have it synced in the web/cloud version but not sure how to create a reference list using that just add things.

    Do I need the new helper tool right now for security? (it isn't a good time for the next month) It seems to work as cakendall says, closing one of the icons in the dock 'works'

    I wonder if it was because I used an image from my MacBook air to install Mojave on my new desktop Mac and created a new user account so everything should be clean except the apps. It might have been open on the sleeping laptop when the problem started as I work in many places during a 12+ hour day on the bus, work/office, between meetings, library, coffee shop etc. and sync most work to various cloud services to work on at my desktop for the final write up.

    No other profile/user accounts are logged in. I quit Zotero, restarted and also upgraded my storage to a paid account.

    Many thanks in advance,
    Denise
  • dstillman
    Deleting Zotero from Applications and reinstalling it has no effect on your data and is perfectly safe. We wouldn't recommend something that would put your data at risk.
  • denise607
    edited August 16, 2020
    Hi dstillman, I have successfully done as suggested and it is now happy and me too :-) I sync to your cloud and that gave me confidence! Thanks for your help. None of my classmates use a reference manager (despite my praise of Z) and I don't know how they manage it at the end of a long writing assignment.

    Sorry for the doubt, I worked on a support desk for years and sadly many that should know better gave glib advice to get rid of challenging users.
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