Word cannot connect to Zotero. Please make sure Zotero is open and running.
Hello. I am currently having an issue where Word is unable to connect with Zotero in citations or bibliographies and am not sure why. It was working prior to today.
Windows: https://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_troubleshooting#communication_error_or_non-responsive_plugin_buttons
macOS: https://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_troubleshooting#word_could_not_communicate_with_zotero_please_ensure_that_zotero_is_open_and_try_again
We'll also want a Report ID.
The Safari extension is only available in the Zotero beta, due to a bug in macOS. If you're not comfortable using beta software, and potentially managing multiple versions, you should use the Zotero Connector for Chrome or Firefox for now.
As I say, if you're not comfortable running beta software, we recommend using the Zotero Connector for Chrome or Firefox instead. If you're intent on running the beta version, we'll need the info I requested above to debug the Word problem.
I've linked to specific troubleshooting instructions multiple times and asked you to explain what you did from there. For some reason you're unwilling to do that. Just saying the instructions don't work gives us absolutely no way to help you further.
And you're still misunderstanding the basics of this. You didn't "download the Zotero Connector". The Zotero Connector for Safari is currently distributed as part of the beta version of the Zotero app. It's not something you download separately, as is explained on the support page.
If you're having trouble understanding all of this, that's fine — it's complicated, and it's an unfortunate macOS bug that's preventing us from releasing the Safari extension with the standard version of Zotero. But then you should just use the standard version of Zotero with the Zotero Connector for Chrome or Firefox. Or you can use one of the other options for saving listed on the support page. But I would strongly recommend just using Chrome or Firefox.
If Zotero is open and you're still receiving this error, the most likely causes are previously having started Zotero from a disk image instead of dragging it to Applications and starting from there or having two copies of the Zotero app in different locations on your computer (e.g., a “Zotero” and “Zotero 2” in Applications). Close Zotero, open the Zotero profile directory, and delete extensions.json. Then restart Zotero."
I followed these steps, but there I do not have "extensions.json", because I did not download from a disk image. I dragged the application to the applications folder and opened it from my applications folder.
I went to tools -> add-ons in Zotero and made sure Word is installed. I don't have LibreOffice plugin installed because to my knowledge, LibreOffice is another Word Processor, which I do not use. I can install it if necessary. Please let me know if that I required.
Restart Word and try again.
Close Word and go to Tools → Add-ons → Extensions in Zotero. Make sure Zotero Word for Mac Integration is listed and enabled. If it is disabled, enable it. If it is missing entirely, see Zotero toolbar doesn't appear. After re-enabling/re-installing Zotero Word for Mac Integration, open the Cite → Word Processors pane of Zotero preferences and click “Reinstall Microsoft Word Add-in” on the “Word Processors” tab. Restart Word and try again."
I did all this. Zotero Word for Mac integration is installed and enabled. I even disabled it, restarted Zotero, re-enabled it, then restarted Zotero and Word and still does not work.
This is the next step for Office 2011. I have the most up-to-date version of Office due to the subscription service they provide.
What do you think the next steps should be?
You're also pasting in other sections — "No response from plugin" and "Visual Basic for Applications error" — that have nothing to do with this problem. You shouldn't be doing anything from those.
But let's try this another way.
If you go to the Cite pane of the Zotero preferences, do you see the "Reinstall Microsoft Word Add-in" button?
What is your full, exact version of Word?
Can you provide a Debug ID (different from a Report ID) for Zotero startup through getting the communication error, using the "Restart with Logging Enabled…" option?
Full Version of Word is: 16.46 (21021202)
For Debug ID, I am not able to produce one from where the notification is showing in Word, unfortunately.