zotero very slow

KazzaH
Hello All,
Zotero seems to be runing particularly slow and some intext citations have now become incoherent within my Word document. It is also taking time to insert even one citation.

I am studing a PhD and I thought the several hundred pdf files may be slowing down the app, so I deleted all pdfs in zotero, and also in my zotera data storage area. Still no change. I also turned off auto synching and disabled automatically attatch associated pdfs, and I also diabled automatically retrieve metadata for pdfs. The program is still running slow.
I am really at a loss as to what to troubleshoot next. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

D1953212647
  • dstillman
    I thought the several hundred pdf files may be slowing down the app, so I deleted all pdfs in zotero
    I'd strongly recommend not doing drastic things like this before posting here. There was no need to do this.
    I also turned off auto synching and disabled automatically attatch associated pdfs, and I also diabled automatically retrieve metadata for pdfs.
    These are not things that slow down Zotero, and I would recommend putting these things back at their default settings.
    Zotero seems to be runing particularly slow and some intext citations have now become incoherent within my Word document
    I'm not sure what you mean by "incoherent".
    It is also taking time to insert even one citation.
    If it's a large document, make sure "Automatically update citations" is disabled in the plugin's Document Preferences window.

    But if Zotero itself is slow — not just word processor integration — we'd want to see a Debug ID for a specific operation that's slow. Your debug output doesn't show you doing much of anything and doesn't show any problems.
  • KazzaH
    Thank you so much for such a prompt response, dstillman.

    I have put back default settings and I have restored deleted pdf's that were in my recycle bin. I will also revert back to a backup copy of zotero, as I am assuming this will rectify the issue of some of the pdf's (pdf's that I inserted manually into Zotero). not appearing in Zotero post restoring of the default settings, and post-restoring the pdf files from the recycle bin.
    I will locate instructions on how to do so, so I can make sure I do this correctly.

    "Automatically update citations" is now disabled and this has certainly sped up the response time.

    My only concern is that I cannot seem to select a citation in Word-to edit (no grey highlight). I have not pressed the 'unlink' tab, so I am not sure what is stopping me from editing a citation in Word.

    Your time is greatly appreciated, dstillman.

  • dstillman
    You may have flattened the document by accident:

    https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/existing_citations_not_detected
  • KazzaH
    Hi dstillman,
    Thank you so much for the information. I have followed the required format, so as to revert back to a prior copy of Zotero (before I deleted the pdfs). All is working well.

    I have also gone through the relevant threads regarding the issue I am having with my word document not bringing up the citations in grey (so as I can edit citations). I wanted to check whether the document had been flatted (it has always been saved as a docx file format in Word). I appear to be able to change the citation format in the Zotero preferences tab, in which the references in the word document do change format. Thus, does this mean that my references are not flattended? Also, when I hover over an intext footnote number, in the word document, a small box icon appears that details the reference information.
    Any advice on what to do next would be greatly appreciated.
    Much appreciated,
    Kazza.

  • dstillman
    edited July 2, 2024
    I appear to be able to change the citation format in the Zotero preferences tab, in which the references in the word document do change format. Thus, does this mean that my references are not flattended?
    If the in-text citations themselves change, they're still active, yes. If only references at the end of the document change, you may have a mix of flattened and active citations.

    Note the other test on the linked page — clicking within the citation and clicking Add/Edit Citation. Are you saying that's not working?

    The gray highlight itself is just a Word setting. Look for "Field shading" and make sure it's set to "Always" or "When selected".
  • KazzaH
    Correct, yes clicking within the citation and clicking Add/Edit Citation is not working.

    Not sure if this is a possibility, but I am happy to send you the word file now for your to take a look.

    I must say I am so impressed with the level of support. Greatly appreciated.
  • dstillman
    You can send the file to support@zotero.org with a link to this thread.

    Can you reproduce this with a citation you insert into a new, empty document?
  • KazzaH
    Document sent, thank you dstillman.
    KazzaH
  • KazzaH
    Ah! I set field shading and now it seems to be working perfectly in regard to add/edit citation intext.
    AWESOME!!!!
  • dstillman
    edited July 2, 2024
    A citation picked at random populates the citation dialog for me. When you say it's not working, what do you mean, exactly? What happens? Can you provide a Debug ID for reproducing it?
  • dstillman
    OK, note that that setting itself shouldn't have any effect on Add/Edit Citation, but the shading makes it clearer when you're within a citation so that you can click Add/Edit Citation.
  • KazzaH
    Shading appears on the citations in footnote but still no luck with being able to click on an intext ciatation number and add/edit text.
  • KazzaH

    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u11046215/nopxhzi4xq61kcf2z8f6.jpg

    If I attemtp to click on intxt reference numbers, and click add/edit citation, the citation box comes up empty
  • dstillman
    Those are just Word footnote numbers. The citation is the gray citation in the footnote, where the actual shading shows up.
  • KazzaH
    I still cant seem to edit citation in word document.
  • dstillman
    You'd have to say more. But I promise you this works — I tried it in your document. Note that, due to the number of citations in the document (almost 600), there may be a delay before the citation dialog pops up.
  • KazzaH
    Yes, it is me as the user. Apologies. I note your thread response to a post back in 2020, in which you instructed to click anywhere in on the actual citation, not the footnote number, and then press the Add/Edit Citation tab. This works :-)
    I was reviewing instructions online whereby a different referencing format was used that had that of APA (or similar style), which is obviously an intext referencing format. Thus, the user was clicking intext to edit the reference, as no footnote referencing system was used. I was trying to click the intext referencing number, not the footnote. Again, totally me as the user!
    dstillman you are indeed a legend and I sincerely than you for taking me through the necessary steps.
    KazzaH

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