TypeError: e.message is undefined -- you can report this error in Zotero forums

afrjc
Hi there,

I have a new computer (Windows) and receive the attached error message when I try to start up my (very, very large and complex -- many inter-linked notes between thousands of entries) library. I wondered if you had any insights about what I might to do to make sure I can run Zotero on the new machine?

Thanks,

Rich
https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u185439/h8fjb583xejlraeq1xp1.jpg
  • dstillman
    Can you provide a Debug ID for Zotero startup through the error? See Reporting Startup Errors.
  • afrjc
    Thanks -- I've tried this now using both the -ZoteroDeBug method and the -jsconsole method. In both cases, the program tries to start, I can see the appropriate window while the Zotero is loading, but then both Zotero and the second window blink out of existence at the same time as Zotero crashes so I can't copy and paste or submit anything. Is there anything I can do to capture what's happening and send it along? Thanks.
  • dstillman
    This doesn't work very well on Windows, but you can try logging to a terminal window and then copying at least the end of the log into an email.
  • afrjc
    OK -- I've tried that now and got a window with the following text:

    There was an error starting Zotero.

    You can report this problem in the Zotero Forums.

    TypeError: e.message is undefined
    Zotero.DBConnection.prototype.isCorruptionError/<@chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/db.js:928:49
    Zotero.DBConnection.prototype.isCorruptionError@chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/db.js:928:10
    Zotero.DBConnection.prototype._checkException@chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/db.js:1242:28
    Zotero.DBConnection.prototype.queryAsync@chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/db.js:675:11
    From previous event:
    ZoteroService@file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Zotero/components/zotero-service.js:348:7
    @chrome://zotero/content/include.js:4:14
  • afrjc
    Here's all I could capture from the terminal window before it blinked out and Zotero crashed -- I hope I got the last two lines I could see, but I was trying to work fast before it closed. Here's what I got:

    zotero(4)(+0000002): SELECT itemID, predicate, object FROM items LEFT JOIN itemRelations USING (itemID) LEFT JOIN relationPredicates USING (predicateID) WHERE libraryID=? [1]

    zotero(4)(+0000002): REPLACE INTO version (schema,version) VALUES (?,?) ['lastcheck', 1722905584]

  • dstillman
    But if you're getting the "There was an error starting Zotero" dialog, Zotero is still open. Not sure what you mean by "crashing"?
  • afrjc
    OK, so that error message only comes up sporatically, and when it happens Zotero crashes as soon as I do anything with the error message box.

    Using the terminal method, I took a video of the terminal as it crashed another time (when it didn't come up with that 'error starting Zotero' message) and this is the very last frame of the video. The next frame is my desktop, Zotero had crashed.


    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u185439/6arkepx3j45bhiky17ip.jpg
  • dstillman
    Whatever this is, we can't fix it in Zotero 6, so you should try the Zotero 7 beta and see if it happens there too. If so, we can add some additional logging in a beta build to figure out what's happening.
  • afrjc
    OK -- thanks for the suggestion re: 7 beta. I've installed it now and Zotero started with no problem twice in a row, so I guess 7 will 'solve' it, whatever it was.

    So far so good, and thanks much!

    Rich
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