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reporting_problems [2019/11/29 18:33] – [Reporting Zotero Problems] dstillmanreporting_problems [2024/03/29 04:29] (current) – [2. Provide Steps to Reproduce] dstillman
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 If you're experiencing a problem, before restarting Zotero, open the Help menu in Zotero and select "Report Errors…". If you're experiencing a problem, before restarting Zotero, open the Help menu in Zotero and select "Report Errors…".
  
-In the window that pops up, submit the error report, and then copy the Report ID (not the contents of the report) and paste it into your Zotero Forums thread. Error reports aren't reviewed unless referred to in the forums, since the reports generally aren't helpful without context and/or follow-up.+In the window that pops up, submit the error report, and then copy the numeric Report ID (not the contents of the report) and paste it into your Zotero Forums thread. Error reports aren't reviewed unless referred to in the forums, since the reports generally aren't helpful without context and/or follow-up.
  
 If you're not able to provide a Report ID, be sure to include your operating system and [[kb:zotero version|Zotero version]] in your forum post. If you're not able to provide a Report ID, be sure to include your operating system and [[kb:zotero version|Zotero version]] in your forum post.
  
-=== Zotero Connectors === +**Alternative:** If you're reporting a reproducible problem with a particular operation, a [[debug_output|Debug ID]], which logs activity over a specific period of time, may be more useful than a Report ID. It's always fine to provide a Debug ID instead of a Report ID if you think it might be helpful, but you can also wait for a Zotero developer to request one. 
-If you're experiencing a problem, before restarting the browser, open the Zotero Connector preferences: + 
-  * **Chrome:** Right-click on the "Save to Zotero" button and click Preferences, or type %%chrome://extensions%% into the address bar, press Enter, click "Details" under Zotero Connector, and then click "Extension options".+=== Zotero Connector === 
 + 
 +If you're experiencing a problem with the Zotero Connector, before restarting the browser, open the Zotero Connector preferences: 
 + 
 +  * **Chrome:** Right-click on the "Save to Zotero" button and click Preferences/Options, or type %%chrome://extensions%% into the address bar, press Enter, click "Details" under Zotero Connector, and then click "Extension options".
   * **Safari:** Right-click anywhere on a webpage and select "Zotero Preferences..."   * **Safari:** Right-click anywhere on a webpage and select "Zotero Preferences..."
   * **Firefox:** Type about:addons into the address bar, press return, and click the “Preferences” button next to the entry for “Zotero Connector”. Click on the "Advanced" Tab.   * **Firefox:** Type about:addons into the address bar, press return, and click the “Preferences” button next to the entry for “Zotero Connector”. Click on the "Advanced" Tab.
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 If you are unable to provide a Report ID, be sure to include your [[kb:zotero version|Zotero version]], Zotero Connector version, browser, and operating system in your forum post. If you are unable to provide a Report ID, be sure to include your [[kb:zotero version|Zotero version]], Zotero Connector version, browser, and operating system in your forum post.
  
 +=== Zotero for iOS ===
 +
 +Providing a Report ID isn't currently possible on iOS, but you can provide a [[debug_output#zotero_for_ios|Debug ID]] for a specific action.
 ==== 2. Provide Steps to Reproduce ==== ==== 2. Provide Steps to Reproduce ====
  
-The best way to help us fix a problem is to explain exactly what's happening and how to consistently reproduce it: if you can, we can almost certainly fix it quickly or tell you how to fix it. Note that after a problem occurs, other things in Zotero may temporarily break, so it's important to restart Zotero and try to repeat what you did before it occurred.+In addition to your Report ID, you'll need to explain exactly what's happening and, ideally, how to consistently reproduce it: if you can, there's a very good chance we can fix it quickly or tell you how to fix it. If you're not able to reproduce the problem, explain what happened and what you were doing when it occurred.
  
-If you're not able to reproduce the problem, explain what happened and what you were doing when it occurred.+Post a message to the forums with the following info:
  
-Post a message to the forums with the follow info: +  - The exact steps you took to reproduce the problem — or, if you're unable to, what you were doing when the problem occurred — including specific URLs or files you accessed, any text you entered, buttons or other interface elements that you clicked on, etc. 
- +  - What happened, including **exact error messages** or other relevant text that you see on the screen
-  - The exact steps you took to reproduce the problem — or, if you're unable to, a what you were doing when the problem occurred — including any buttons or other interface elements that you clicked on +
-  - What happened, including **include exact error messages** or other relevant text that you see on the screen+
   - What you expected to happen (unless you're reporting a clear error message)   - What you expected to happen (unless you're reporting a clear error message)
 +
 +Note that, after a problem occurs, other things in Zotero may temporarily break, so it's important to restart Zotero and try to repeat what you did before it occurred.
  
 === Bad: === === Bad: ===
  
->Zotero keeps crashing while I'm using it! HELP!+>I can't add unfiled items to a collection after selecting a tag. Does anyone know how to fix this?
  
 === Good: === === Good: ===
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 >Report ID: 1892199645 >Report ID: 1892199645
 > >
->When I drag an item from the Unfiled Items into another collection while a tag is selected in the bottom left, Zotero tells me it has to be restarted.+>When I drag an item from the Unfiled Items collection into another collection while a tag is selected in the bottom left, Zotero tells me it has to be restarted.
 > >
 >Steps to reproduce: >Steps to reproduce:
 > >
 >1. Start Zotero. >1. Start Zotero.
->2. Click on "Unfiled Items" in the left pane. +>2. In My Library, click the New Item menu and select Book. 
->3. Click on a tag in the tag selector. +>3. With the new item selected, add the tag "Foo" from the Tags tab in the right-hand pane. 
->4. Drag an item to another collection.+>4. Click on "Unfiled Items" in the left pane. 
 +>5. Click on "foo" in the tag selector. 
 +>6. Drag the item from the middle pane to another collection.
 > >
->Zotero displays the message 'An error has occurred. Please restart Zotero.' in the middle pane.+>Zotero displays the message "An error has occurred. Please restart Zotero." in the middle pane.
  
 === Bad: === === Bad: ===
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 >Steps to reproduce: >Steps to reproduce:
 > >
->1. Click the leftmost toolbar button above the middle pane in Zotero, with a white plus inside a green circle.+>1. Click the "New Item" button in the Zotero toolbar.
 >2. Open the "More" menu. >2. Open the "More" menu.
 > >
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     - Go to the Terminal menu and open Preferences. In Settings->Window, make sure Scrollback is set to "Limit to available memory".     - Go to the Terminal menu and open Preferences. In Settings->Window, make sure Scrollback is set to "Limit to available memory".
     - Paste the following into the terminal and hit return. <code>/Applications/Zotero.app/Contents/MacOS/zotero -ZoteroDebug</code>     - Paste the following into the terminal and hit return. <code>/Applications/Zotero.app/Contents/MacOS/zotero -ZoteroDebug</code>
 +
 +If you can't select the logging window, you can press Cmd-` (backtick, above Tab) to cycle between windows until it's selected.
  
 == Windows == == Windows ==
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 == Linux == == Linux ==
  
-  * From a terminal window, run './zotero -ZoteroDebug' within the Zotero program directory.+  * From a terminal window, run ''./zotero -ZoteroDebug'' within the Zotero program directory.
 \\  \\ 
 3a. If you used "Restart with Logging Enabled…", you should be able to return to the Help menu, submit the output, and copy the given Debug ID to your forums post. 3a. If you used "Restart with Logging Enabled…", you should be able to return to the Help menu, submit the output, and copy the given Debug ID to your forums post.
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 === Alternative: Error Console === === Alternative: Error Console ===
  
-If the above steps don't work, repeat the steps above, replacing "-ZoteroDebug" with "-jsconsole". Zotero should open with a separate Error Console window showing errors that have occurred. Right-click on any lines with a pink background, select Copy, and paste them into your forums post.+If the above steps don't work, repeat the steps above, try replacing ''-ZoteroDebug'' with ''-jsconsole''. Zotero should open with a separate Error Console window showing errors that have occurred. Right-click on any lines with a pink background, select Copy, and paste them into your forums post. 
 + 
 +=== Alternative: Logging to the Terminal ===
  
 +If Zotero is crashing, such that the debug window opened by ''-ZoteroDebug'' closes as well, you can [[debug_output#logging_to_a_terminal_window|log to a terminal window]] instead. Upload the debug output somewhere and provide a link in your forums thread or email the output to support@zotero.org with a link to your forum thread.
reporting_problems.1575070434.txt.gz · Last modified: 2019/11/29 18:33 by dstillman