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EndNote referencing software

How to use EndNote 21 and 20 Desktop for Windows and Mac, EndNote Online (Web) and EndNote for iPad and iPhone, thesis and publications writing, advanced tools, output (referencing) styles, syncing, sharing and collaboration and common issues.

Install EndNote

Windows

  1. Download the file to your computer. It will download as a zip folder e.g. EndNote21.zip.
  2. Right click on this folder and select Extract all. Make sure the Show extracted files when complete option is checked. Click Extract. The files will be unzipped. 
  3. Before installing, make sure all Office apps e.g. Word, Outlook, are closed.
  4. Double click the Installer (exe) file and follow the prompts.
  5. A window saying Installation in progress will appear. Once the installation is finished, the window will close.
  6. You should now find EndNote in your apps menu.
  7. When you create a new library file, save it to a location that is not on the cloud. (Cloud stored files can have issues).

Mac

  1. Download the EndNote file e.g. EndNote[version]SiteInstaller.dmg. It will generally go to your Downloads folder.
  2. Before installing, make sure all Office apps e.g. Word, Outlook, are closed.
  3. Double click on the file and the EndNote 21 Installer will open.
  4. Follow the prompts.
  5. Once it is finished, close the Installer window. You should see EndNote 21 in our toolbar in the top left.
  6. Click on File > New to create a library. Save it to a location that is not on the cloud. (Cloud stored files can have issues).
  7. You should also be able to access EndNote from your Application area in Finder.

Help

Contact the AskUs team if you need assistance. 

Reinstall EndNote

To reinstall EndNote, you need to:

  1. Back up all your existing libraries.
  2. Download the software if needed.
  3. Uninstall the existing version.
  4. Install the new version. 

Upgrade EndNote

Check for updates

EndNote regularly provides updates for fixes and updates. You should install any updates so your software is secure and effective.

You can also check for updates in EndNote.

Upgrade to new version

To upgrade between versions e.g. EndNote 20 to EndNote 21, you need to:

  1. Back up all your existing libraries.
  2. Download the new version.
  3. Uninstall the existing version.
  4. Install the new version. Your current libraries should open in the new version.

EndNote toolbar disappeared in Word

The EndNote toolbar (or CWYW - Cite While You Write tool) may not install correctly or it may have disappeared from Word.

Windows

Install the EndNote (CWYW) tools

Reinstall EndNote (CWYW) tools that have disappeared

Mac

Mac M1 users

  • M1 Macs users may get an error message such as "Word wasn't able to load an add-in. Your add-in isn't compatible with this version of Word".
  • Office 365 version v16.46 has a compatibility issue with the current EndNote CWYW version.

Try these steps:

  1. Quit EndNote and Word.
  2. Open Finder and go to the Applications folder.
  3. Highlight the Microsoft Word app file by clicking on it once. Note: You do not need to launch Word, just highlight it.
  4. Go to the File menu at the top of your screen and choose Get Info.
  5. Under General, check the option for Open using Rosetta.
  6. If these steps don't fix the issue you can contact AskUs to downgrade your MS office version to be compatible with EndNote. Note: EndNote will work for users with x86 Intel Macs updated to Office 365 v16.46.