New Mac Word could not communicate with Zotero. Please ensure that Zotero is open and try again.

aidenchen9
Report ID: 1174544928

For a while, I have used Zotero with Word smoothly. However, today when I cited literature it always popped up "Word could not communicate with Zotero. Please ensure that Zotero is open and try again." And in Word, you can see the "Zotero" in the toolbar and in Templates and add-ins, it is ticked and enabled.

My zotero version is 6.0.27, Word version 16.77.1, macOS version 13.2.1 (22D68), and intel chip mbp.

The following steps failed to fix the problem:
1) restart Zotero, restart macOS and restart Word.
2) re-install Zotero, re-install Word.
3) Methods in https://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_troubleshooting#word_could_not_communicate_with_zotero_please_ensure_that_zotero_is_open_and_try_again, such as deleting the Zotero profile directory, re-enable the extension, manually installation.
4) Upgrate to Zotero 7.

It quite annoyed and distracted me as I really depend on this very nice software. Zotero is definitely helpful whether using Word or Latex. I have tried all the methods I can and I really need your help. Many thanks.
  • adomasven
    edited September 29, 2023
    Are you running any proprietary security software? You should update macOS to the latest version.

    EDIT: Also, have you by any chance configured the mac for multiple accounts and changed the connector port? Could you produce a startup Debug ID from Zotero?
  • aidenchen9
    Thanks for your reply and help. I didn't run any anti-virus or security software. Yeah, I am not trying to update my macOS. If it still does not work, I will provide you with the start up debug ID.
  • aidenchen9
    It works after upgrading the system!
    Now my macOS version is 13.6 (22G120).
    Guys who have the same problem can try to upgrade your system!

    Many thanks.
  • aidenchen9
    Sorry to bother you, all. After normally using for two weeks, it still shows the problem. This time basically I have not used Zotero and word. Today I want to modify a previous draft of my paper and want to incite a reference. Then it came quite suddenly.

    My startup Debug ID is 1870847200. Current my macOS version is 13.6 (22G120), Microsoft Word for Mac version 16.77.1 (23091703) and my zotero version 6.0.28.

    Again the previous steps still failed to solve the not communication issue and I have not running any security software in my mac (The microsoft defender was automatically installed with the office suite but I didn't run it. ) Besides, there is only one account in my mac and I don't think I have ever changed the connector port.




  • dstillman
    That's a Report ID, not a Debug ID for Zotero startup, using the "Restart with Logging Enabled…" option.
  • aidenchen9
    Many thanks. I have recorded the issue with a debug ID: D2107224554.
  • aidenchen9
    I think the problem could be the wrong pathname of mac Word. The official suggested word template address is `~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Startup/Word`. However, in the newest version of word, this path is changed into `/Users/a1den/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content.localized/Startup.localized/Word`. \

    Note, there is `User Content.localized` rather than `User Content`.

    That could be quite wried because it still displays `User Content` in the display bar while only take effect when you copy the pathname.
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