Word keeps freezing after each Zotero cite is entered

rnshah
I am using a Mac OS Catalina 10.15.6 and Microsoft Word for Mac version 16.16.26. I have been using Zotero without issues for several months but yesterday, Word suddenly started to freeze every time I add a Zotero cite. I saw a post on this from July and thought I may have inadvertently also been using Zotero from my desktop. However, I always open it from my applications folder. I tried to follow the steps on checking for where it is, but I do not seem to have the menus that were described. Can someone help?
  • dstillman
    Does this happen in a new document, or only in an existing document?

    Is it freezing permanently, or does it come back?
  • rnshah
    It is happening in an existing document and it is freezing permanently so I have to close the document and try and open again. But each time I open it again, I find that it freezes as soon as I try and cite from Zotero.

    I just tried a completely new document and it does not seem to be happening. What do you suggest?
  • adomasven
    edited September 24, 2020
    Restart your computer. Make sure you start Zotero before you try to cite with Word. If it still freezes submit a Report ID.
  • rnshah
    Thank you. I did try and restart the computer and start Zotero before Word but it is still happening. It just started happening on the second document I opened as well. I will submit a Report ID.
  • rnshah
    My report ID is 660823492
  • dstillman
    Can you provide a Debug ID (different from a Report ID) from Zotero for an attempt that results in a freeze?
  • adomasven
    A Debug ID for a freezing operation is not necessary, but follow the link above for instructions on how to submit a startup Debug ID.

    It might help to go into your Zotero profile folder and move extensions.json to Desktop, then restart Zotero.
  • rnshah
    Here is the Debug ID: D1945193973.

    I tried to follow the instructions for going into my Zotero Profile Folder but those steps do not seem to work for my machine. Are there differences with iOS Catalina?
  • adomasven
    Did Word actually crash while performing this operation? What do you mean by iOS Catalina? What machine are you using?
  • rnshah
    Word froze when performing this operation. The cursor became an arrow and I could not type or do anything besides quit the program. iOS Catalina is the operating system that I am using on a MacBook. Thank you for your help.
  • rnshah
    Just figured out my mistake. I was looking for a Zotero folder in the Library but doing a search for extensions.json got me to the file to move to the Desktop. I will test it now.
  • dstillman
    (The operating system is macOS Catalina. iOS is the OS on your phone.)
  • rnshah
    Thanks. Unfortunately, moving the extensions.json to the Desktop did not work. Word is still freezing every time I add a cite from Zotero.
  • adomasven
    Do you use any security software on your Mac? Does it crash even when you try on a completely empty document? Does it crash after you press Enter to close the citation dialog or before that?
  • rnshah
    Adomasven, I am sorry, I don't really see how these questions are helping with the issue. Can you explain why you are asking about the security software, the empty document and exactly when the freezing occurs? Thank you.
  • dstillman
    If you want help, you need to answer our questions.
  • rnshah
    It would be helpful for me to know why you need to know about security software on my Mac. Hopefully, you can understand that it is a little strange to tell someone what security systems I am using. I appreciate that you are trying to help but it would ease my mind to know why you need to know this.

    As for the other questions, I did try to use Zotero with an empty document and it is working so far. However, the issue seems to arise once I am into a document. I cannot tell you if the freezing occurs before I press enter on the citation dialogue because I am not in Word just before I press enter. I hit "Add/Edit Citation" and only come back to Word after I hit enter. That is when I see that Word has frozen. I hope those responses help and do appreciate your assistance.
  • dstillman
    Hopefully, you can understand that it is a little strange to tell someone what security systems I am using.
    It's a standard debugging question that you'll get anytime you're asking for tech support for any software when security software might be interfering. Third-party security software can cause all sorts of weird problems. If you don't want to answer, then the onus is on you to disable or uninstall any security software that you're using, and then the answer can be "none".
    However, the issue seems to arise once I am into a document.
    If it's working in a new document and freezing in an existing document, see Debugging Broken Documents.
    I cannot tell you if the freezing occurs before I press enter on the citation dialogue because I am not in Word just before I press enter.
    You can switch back and forth between the citation dialog and Word at any time, and you should be able to tell if it's frozen. (Just don't move the cursor or perform any actions in Word while the citation dialog is open.)
  • rnshah
    Thanks dstillman. That helps. The only security program installed is Malwarebytes. I took a look at the Debugging Broken Documents and will try and copy and paste to a new document to see if that solves the problem.
  • dstillman
    Note that there's much more to the Debugging Broken Documents steps than that.

    But it's first worth trying with Malwarebytes disabled to confirm that the problem still occurs.
  • rnshah
    Thanks dstillman. I will try disabling Malwarebytes first. Just to clarify, are the steps in the Debugging document in order of priority? The first three do not apply (I have most up to date versions, am not using Track Changes and do not have image captions.). I thought I would try #4 first to see if it works. But it sounds like you are suggesting that I do something different?
  • dstillman
    They're in order — not in order of priority. You continue following them until the problem is fixed.
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