EndNote: Troubleshooting

Stop Press: EndNote sharing for versions 20 and lower

As of January 2025, sharing with EndNote online will not work for users of versions EndNote 20 and below. This is to force users to use EndNote 21, which has an upgraded EndNote online platform. 

When you use EndNote 20 or an earlier version and try to share you will see a red error message saying

EndNote registration could not be completed at this time

• To fix this download EndNote 21. You can download EndNote 21 via the link below
• To learn more about EndNote Online, see our EndNote online and sharing libraries page

Troubleshooting

This page covers frequently asked questions about EndNote. If the answer to your question isn't here, try the Clarivate website or ask us a question.

Problems Downloading EndNote and EndNote Styles 

When I try and install EndNote I get asked for a product key

If you're asked for a product key when installing EndNote from the UTS ITD page, you probably haven't unzipped the folder package EndNote is downloaded in.

• Go back to the location where EndNote downloaded to, right click on the folder and choose Extract (the name of the operation may vary)
• A new unzipped folder with the same name will be created. Open this new unzipped folder and run the EndNote install wizard.

When I install EndNote, it is behaving like a trial version and only allowing me to have a library of 10 items

This is a common problem that is usually the result of skipping a step in the EndNote download and install process. Please try the following steps (for Windows computers) to address this problem:

• Make sure your EndNote Library is saved
• Uninstall EndNote
• Locate where your EndNote installer has downloaded (it should be called EN21Inst.zip file with a folder style icon, and is probably in your Downloads folder)
• Right-click on EN21Inst.zip and click Extract all... 
• Follow the wizard prompts, making sure to leave the box ticked that says Show extracted files when complete
• Wait for a folder to pop up, then double-click EN21Inst.msi to install EndNote
• This process should enable the installer to locate and use the license key to activate the UTS license.

I've downloaded a new reference style but I can't see it in the Style Manager in EndNote

• Find the style (.ens) file on your compter and copy it.
• Then, find the EndNote folder in Documents, open it and look for a subfolder called Styles.
• Open the Styles subfolder and paste in the copied style.
• Return to the Style Manager in EndNote and see if the style is now available.

Problems with EndNote Libraries

My EndNote library is corrupted and won't open

• With the library closed, in EndNote go to "Library > Recover Library".
• Click OK to the notice that pops up, then select the library file you want to recover
• You will be prompted to save the new file that will be created. After this, the recovery process will begin.
• Once completed, EndNote will inform you of the number of references that were recovered into the Saved library. You can now use this Saved version of the library in place of the original, damaged library.

Please note: These instructions refer to Clarivate's preferred method for repairing a damaged EndNote 21 or 20 Library. For information on how to repair libraries on older versions of EndNote, and other related help, please consult the Clarivate help page linked below

Problems with Microsoft Word

I have downloaded EndNote for Mac but the Write and Cite Toolbar is greyed out and unusable

This problem can be caused by having competing referencing software installed on your computer, such as Zotero or Mendeley.

• To check if this is the case use the Tools menu and select Templates and Add-Ins

• Then, deselect any competing referencing software:

• Functionality should now (hopefully) be restored:

My EndNote and Word for Mac were working fine, but then suddenly the Write and Cite Toolbar in Word has become greyed out. 

In some cases this is caused by a Mac user's OS getting upset because the user profile has a different email address to their current UTS one.

• If this issue occurs, try going to System Settings > Users and Groups and creating a new user profile (make it an administrator profile).
• If this solves the issue, then you will have to move any Word documents and EndNote libraries across to your new profile to work on them. 

When I start Word up on my Mac I get an error message saying "Word was unable to load an add-in. Your add-in isn't compatible with this version of Word. Please contact the add-in provider for an update".

If you are getting this message and you have a newish Mac, then the problem is likely caused by the new non-Intel chips in your Mac not being able to work with the Write and Cite Add In. Try this workaround:

• Go to the Finder in your Mac
• Go to Applications and find Word
• Right-click on the Word icon in Applications and choose Get Info

• Look for an item in the list that says Open Using Rosetta
• This should fix the problem.

When I insert a citation into Word, things go wrong
'Things going wrong' might include:

• Getting two sets of reference lists
• Your in-text citations are moving around, or becoming hard to insert or remove.

These problems are usually caused by field code errors in Word. To fix this:

• First, make a backup copy of the Word document under a different name.
• Go to the Write and Cite Toolbar in Word and select Convert Citations and Bibliography > Convert to Unformatted Citations
  
• Select all text with Ctrl-A (Command-A on a Mac)
• Then do Ctrl+Shift+F9 (Command-6 on a Mac)
• Go back to the Write N Cite Toolbar and select Update Citations and Bibliography
  
• If this does not help, please contact the Library.

When I try to use the EndNote Write and Cite Toolbar for Word I get an error message saying "A com exception has occurred"

• To fix this problem, go to File > Options in Word (Tools > Templates and Add-ins on a Mac)

• Then Choose Add-ins from the left hand menu (you should be able to skip this step on a Mac)

• Choose COM Add-ins from the drop down menu and press Go (you should be able to skip this step on a Mac)

• Untick any referencing program plugins while leaving EndNote CWYW ticked. Press OK.

• If this doesn't work, go back into the File>Options>Add ins path and then choose Word Add-ins, rather than COM Add-ins. De-select the other software applications you don't need and then press OK.
   

When I try to insert a reference in Word I get a message saying - "Cite while you write could not connect to the EndNote Server"

This error is usually caused when the Write and Cite Toolbar in Word has been set to EndNote Online. To change this back 

• Go to preferences in the EndNote Toolbar in Word

• Choose the Application tab and use the drop-down to select EndNote

My document is filled with strange text like {ADDIN EN.CITE {ADDIN EN.CITE DATA}}

• This is caused by the document showing all your EndNote field codes. It can be switched back to normal by using ALT+F9 (Windows) or Option+F9 (Mac) key combination on your keyboard.
• If this does not work, you can edit your Word options: Word Options > Advanced, and then in the Show document content section make sure the box labelled Show field codes instead of their values is unticked.

When I try to insert a citation in Word I get an error saying "The requested operation requires elevation"

To solve this problem, you need to run Word as an administrator

• Close down Word
• Click start
• Find Word in your programs list
• Right click on the Word program icon and choose Run as Administrator
• Open word
• If the problem persists, copy the text of the document to a new blank document, save it, close it, then re-open it and try again.

I have a new Mac and installed EndNote, but when I go to insert a reference in Word, I get an error message

For users with newer Macs running Mohave and higher OS, security settings on the computer may prevent EndNote and Word working together. To fix this:

• Go to the Apple menu and choose System Preferences
• Click Security and Privacy
• Click the Privacy tab
• Click the Automation option and make sure both Microsoft Word and EndNote are turned on
• Restart Word and EndNote

Problems with EndNote Click

I can't seem to get UTS subscription content via EndNote Click

If you've recently changed institutions, and your EndNote Click account was associated with your previous place of work, then  EndNote click will not work when you try to input your new institutional credentials. The easiest solution is to create a new EndNote Click account with your UTS email, then uninstall and reinstall EndNote Click, signing it in with your UTS email.