Zotero plugin tries opening firefox?

Hello,

I am running:
- Zotero 5.0.33
- Microsoft Word from Office365 ProPlus (Version 1711)

The word toolbar doesn't work for me. When I click buttons, either nothing happens, or sometimes it tries to open firefox.

I tried manually re-installing the .dotm by:
1) deleting the .dotm from startup folder in --
C:\Users\Raman\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP)

2) copying the .dotm from -- C:\Program Files (x86)\Zotero\extensions\zoteroWinWordIntegration@zotero.org\install


That didn't work either.

I tried searching the forums but couldn't find anything.

Please help!
Thanks!
  • You're running an Insider version of Word. You will need to downgrade to a stable version, which should fix it.
  • edited January 27, 2018
    I have this same exact problem and I am not a Windows insider.
  • We'd actually need to know what exactly you're seeing, what versions of Word and Zotero you're using, and what you've tried for troubleshooting.
  • Which problem, exactly? What version of Zotero are you running?

    If you're running Zotero 5.0 and it's bringing Firefox to the front, install the Zotero Connector in Firefox (to replace Zotero for Firefox) and uninstall the Zotero Word Integration plugin from Firefox.
  • I uninstalled Zotero and am reinstalling. I don't normally use Firefox and am perfectly happy just using the standalone while using Word. There no longer is a connector for Firefox as I understand. I thought FF was completely out of the picture for now. Well, retrying.
  • Update:
    Doesn't work. Using the newest version of Word-16. Zotero 5.whatever is the newest, just downloaded it to my D drive (My c drive is a small SSD). Zotero word for windows integration is enabled in extensions on add-ons manager. Opened word, clicked "add/edit citation" and "FF safe mode, FF closed unexpectedly etc..." pops up. I can see the new icons in word but they do absolutely nothing after I close the FF error window.

    I think that's all the details.
  • We'd want the exact Word version (see https://support.office.com/en-us/article/about-office-what-version-of-office-am-i-using-932788b8-a3ce-44bf-bb09-e334518b8b19 )

    And the exact error message you're getting (you can also take a screenshot, upload it to any free image hosting site like imgur.com or dropbox and link to it from here).

    Also, does Zotero work correctly otherwise?
  • edited January 27, 2018
    I am using Microsoft Office 365 Proplus Version 1712 Build 8827.2148

    The FF error is the same as this one: http://www.f15ijp.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/firefox-safe-mode.png
  • There no longer is a connector for Firefox as I understand. I thought FF was completely out of the picture for now.
    1) There is no longer a full version of Zotero for Firefox. The Connector is what replaced it.

    2) As far as the Word plugin is concerned, yes, Firefox is completely out of the picture. That's why I'm saying to check your Firefox add-ons to make sure you don't still have anything Zotero-related other than the Zotero Connector installed in Firefox. There shouldn't be any way for clicking a button in the Word plugin to affect Firefox unless you still have the old Word integration plugin installed in Firefox.
  • Thanks for the tip. I removed the old FF plugin from FF... I'm even considering uninstalling it. But when I click on add/edit citation (every third or fourth time) I get the FF error message. There must be some old FF something in the Zotero folders. If anyone knows of files associated w/ FF that may be in the Zotero folders, please let me know. I did do any uninstall, but didn't delete personal settings files (didn't want to have to redownload the library and everything). So maybe some old ext is in there somewhere.

    I'll keep at it. Thanks for your help.
  • Does this happen while Firefox is closed? I'm still not quite understanding the exact sequence of events here. Can you start from a clean restart of your computer with everything closed and then explain exactly what you're doing and what's happening?
  • So the full story is, I was using word on an old (like 1 yr old, not that old) document and tried to edit the citations. It didn't work and I was wondering if I moved it or copied it and broke that documents connection to zotero. I only use zotero standalone typically for creating bibliographies and in text citations. I typically use the chrome plugin to create the reference in Zotero in the first place, but sometimes I'd use FF since it created better references.

    So anyway, I went online and saw a post that said, version 5 fixes everything. So I downloaded it. Tried to use it and the buttons do nothing. Then I thought, inaccurately- I have to open FF. I'd forgotten that I never needed to before. So I opened it, and silly me, updated it. I closed everything down and started from fresh, with a restarted PC multiple times. I'd hit the add citation button in Word with FF either open or not open and I'd get that error. Then last night I uninstalled FF.

    Now, after a fresh restart of my pc and no more FF on my pc at all, I no longer get that error. But clicking the zotero buttons in word does nothing (while zotero 5 is open). I'm not reinstalling word because I have text aloud plugins and student permissions and settings I don't need to mess up.

    Can't figure out why zotero 5.0 does not work in Word. Otherwise, it works perfectly fine on its own as an indexer and a one by one reference maker. But I don't need an indexer. Tbh I use mendeley as an indexer. But I love zoteros bibliography and in text features while in Word. I was even considering get a sub and trying to tweet the indexing features now that mend has already created a folder database.

    I have tried all the suggestions... making sure the extensions files are in startup, gone to tools in zotero and hit reinstall under the word processors section. I always start zotero as administrator. I could uninstall and delete every last file on my pc related to zotero, but my zotero library feeds my mendeley library. Only thing I can think of, its on D drive. Never was a problem before, if I recall, but maybe w/ 5.0 this is an issue. Maybe I'll try installing it on my Cdrive, but its almost full and I will have zotero folders strewn all across my hard drives (i already do from numerous copy and paste of the ext files and reinstalls). So thats all I got. GL everyone else!
  • This may be years too late, but I encountered this problem today and went through the exact same experience as tloewen. In the end what worked for me was rebuilding the index and reinstalling better bibtex (which I had previously uninstalled). I am not sure which one of these 2 fixed it though.
  • @Nowshin2020: I'm not sure what you mean by "rebuilding the index". The full-text in the Zotero preferences? This wouldn't have anything whatsoever to do with that or with Better BibTeX. I assure you those things were not what fixed this.
  • Hmm, then maybe something in the steps tloewen mentioned fixed it and I only noticed it after doing the 2 things I thought were the culprit.

    Just for the sake of documentation, I'll report my Word and Zotero versions that are now working properly:
    Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus (MSO 16.0.12527.21230 64-bit)
    Zotero 5.0.92

    One other thing I noticed that a document I had created while I was having this problem is still giving me the same issue, but after opening a blank word document Zotero is working perfectly.
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