Sync error (JavaScript Error: "Download request 1/... failed)

giuseppe.ciccolini
Hi,

Debug ID: 268326712

I get a list of errors as such:

[JavaScript Error: "Download request 1/DXUI5IYQ failed"]

[JavaScript Error: "Win error 5 during operation removeEmptyDir on file C:\Users\Ulisse\Zotero\storage\DXUI5IYQ (Access is denied.
)" {file: "(unknown module)" line: 0}]

That directory (and the others listed) is empty.

I'm also experiencing a problem with the plugin Better BibTeX, but before addressing that one the developer told me to first solve this issue.

I saw on this forum I'm not the first one who experiences this problem. The suggested diagnosis is a permissions problem. I've checked for security software interference and there seems to be nothing there. If there's no other solution I'd be fine with uninstalling and re-installing Zotero, but I'm wondering if I'd lose any data, or the indexing in Better BibTeX.

Thank you.
Best,
GC
  • dstillman
    Not much to tell you. It's a permissions problem. Zotero is unable to delete various attachment folders within your Zotero data directory that it needs to delete before downloading remotely changed files. Either the permissions are wrong or something else on the system is interfering.
    That directory (and the others listed) is empty.
    Is it actually empty, or are there files beginning with a period in it that don't show up by default in File Explorer?

    Don't reinstall Zotero — you wouldn't lose data, but that wouldn't have anything to do with this.
  • giuseppe.ciccolini
    Thanks.
    FYI now I also get the following error message: [JavaScript Error: "out of memory"].
    See report ID 755422559

    To reply to your question, I've changed the File Explorer settings (to make Windows show hidden files) and checked a few folders and they're actually empty.

    On the plugin forum (see link below) the developer suggested it could be a memory issue (see also discussion on this forum, link below).
    I have 2438 items in My Library. The storage folder is 4.9 GB.
    Apart from waiting for the next software release, is there anything I could do, e.g., delete big files I may not need?

    Link to plugin forum: https://github.com/retorquere/zotero-better-bibtex/issues/2288#issuecomment-1290949021

    Link to Zotero forum on memory limit: https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/comment/414969/#Comment_414969
  • dstillman
    I don't think this would have anything to do with memory usage. The BBT thing is about export. This is about file syncing, and Zotero getting an access-denied error from the operating system while trying to delete folders in its own data directory.
  • dstillman
    @giuseppe.ciccolini: To be clear, you can try just manually deleting the folders that show up in the error report, and that might allow Zotero to download the remote files. But there's a very good chance this is a more systemic problem and you'll just get the same error for other folders.
  • giuseppe.ciccolini
    All right, I see. Yes I already tried that and indeed I still get the same error.
  • dstillman
    Well you wouldn't get the same error if you delete the folders. The error is about deleting the folders.
  • giuseppe.ciccolini
    Uhm I think generally that's correct, but it depends.
    For instance, I started deleting some files I don't need within storage, and after reading your message I tried again to delete one folder (named AJVUFHH8) among those in the list of messages. As you can see in report 1055206874, I still get the same message for that folder. The folder now contains a pdf file (it was not the case for the others). Of course that collides with the "removeEmptyDir" message.
  • dstillman
    The error report shows all errors since restarting Zotero. We'd need to see a Debug ID for a sync to tell you what error you're getting now.
  • giuseppe.ciccolini
    The Debug ID is D431266982.
  • dstillman
    edited October 27, 2022
    Right, so now you're just getting errors for other folders. They're all listed in the error report.

    The "out of memory" error is from the BBT export and is unrelated to this.
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