Upgrade StorageIntermittent [Citation] placeholder in Word – “The RPC server is unavailable” – Zotero 9.0.5
Hello Zotero Support Team,
I am experiencing an intermittent problem with Zotero Word integration on Windows.
System details:
Zotero: 9.0.5 (64-bit)
Microsoft Word: Word 2024 MSO
Version: 2608
Build: 16.0.20326.20072
Architecture: 64-bit
When I use Add/Edit Citation, some citations are inserted correctly, for example (Hossain et al., 2022), while other attempts leave only [Citation].
The problem is intermittent and is reproducible even in a completely new blank Word document.
After reproducing the problem, Zotero reported:
JavaScript Error: “The RPC server is unavailable.”
Report ID: 1573022631
Debug ID: D503983117
The Debug Output was submitted immediately after reproducing the [Citation] problem.
I have already tried the following troubleshooting steps:
Reinstalled the Zotero Microsoft Word Add-in several times; installation reports success.
Confirmed that Zotero.dotm is loaded in Word.
Confirmed Zotero and Word are not configured to “Run as administrator”.
Confirmed Windows UAC is at the normal/default notification level.
Confirmed Word → Options → Advanced → “Typing replaces selected text” is enabled.
Tested with Mendeley Word template disabled.
Disabled EndNote Cite While You Write.
Disabled Adobe PDFMaker COM Add-in.
Temporarily disabled the Bijoy Word template for an isolation test.
Temporarily disabled Microsoft Defender Real-time Protection for testing.
Tested Zotero/Word with the Windows 8 compatibility workaround and then disabled compatibility mode again.
Tested repeatedly in new blank Word documents.
None of these steps resolved the issue. Even with the other Word add-ins disabled, Zotero still intermittently leaves [Citation] instead of completing the citation.
Zotero can communicate with Word because some citations are inserted successfully, but the communication appears to fail intermittently. The reported “RPC server is unavailable” error seems potentially relevant.
Could you please review the Report ID and Debug ID and advise what may be causing this intermittent Zotero–Word RPC/COM communication failure?
I would be happy to provide my exact Microsoft Word/Office version and build number, or perform any additional diagnostic test you recommend.
Thank you.
Md. Shafiqur Rahman
shafique70bd@yahoo.com
I am experiencing an intermittent problem with Zotero Word integration on Windows.
System details:
Zotero: 9.0.5 (64-bit)
Microsoft Word: Word 2024 MSO
Version: 2608
Build: 16.0.20326.20072
Architecture: 64-bit
When I use Add/Edit Citation, some citations are inserted correctly, for example (Hossain et al., 2022), while other attempts leave only [Citation].
The problem is intermittent and is reproducible even in a completely new blank Word document.
After reproducing the problem, Zotero reported:
JavaScript Error: “The RPC server is unavailable.”
Report ID: 1573022631
Debug ID: D503983117
The Debug Output was submitted immediately after reproducing the [Citation] problem.
I have already tried the following troubleshooting steps:
Reinstalled the Zotero Microsoft Word Add-in several times; installation reports success.
Confirmed that Zotero.dotm is loaded in Word.
Confirmed Zotero and Word are not configured to “Run as administrator”.
Confirmed Windows UAC is at the normal/default notification level.
Confirmed Word → Options → Advanced → “Typing replaces selected text” is enabled.
Tested with Mendeley Word template disabled.
Disabled EndNote Cite While You Write.
Disabled Adobe PDFMaker COM Add-in.
Temporarily disabled the Bijoy Word template for an isolation test.
Temporarily disabled Microsoft Defender Real-time Protection for testing.
Tested Zotero/Word with the Windows 8 compatibility workaround and then disabled compatibility mode again.
Tested repeatedly in new blank Word documents.
None of these steps resolved the issue. Even with the other Word add-ins disabled, Zotero still intermittently leaves [Citation] instead of completing the citation.
Zotero can communicate with Word because some citations are inserted successfully, but the communication appears to fail intermittently. The reported “RPC server is unavailable” error seems potentially relevant.
Could you please review the Report ID and Debug ID and advise what may be causing this intermittent Zotero–Word RPC/COM communication failure?
I would be happy to provide my exact Microsoft Word/Office version and build number, or perform any additional diagnostic test you recommend.
Thank you.
Md. Shafiqur Rahman
shafique70bd@yahoo.com
Version xxxx (Build xxxxx.xxxxx Click-to-Run)
64-bit
Additional test:
I also tested this completely outside OneDrive.
Zotero Data Directory: C:\Users\User\Zotero
Word test document: saved locally on the C: drive (C:\Zotero Test\), with AutoSave turned off.
I inserted five Zotero citations consecutively in this new local blank document. Four remained as [Citation], while only one citation was completed successfully.
Therefore, the problem is reproducible even when both the Zotero data directory and the Word document are outside OneDrive.