Why would you need to export your EndNote library to a new library?
Most often you would like to do this if your EndNote library is acting weird, slow, or has become corrupted or damaged. This method only works if you still can open your EndNote library.
If you cannot open your EndNote library (damaged library error message) please see this article:
How to recover a damaged EndNote library
By exporting your library in XML format you will hopefully get rid of any library corruption. Please note (Step 8 below) that the problem with your library could also be caused by corrupted PDFs you have added to your library, so make sure you check them thorougly before transferring them to new library.
Note! Please don't save your new libary in a folder that is synced or backed up by 3rd party applications like iCloud, OneDrive, DropBox, Google Drive, etc. Save the new library in a folder on your local computer that is not synced by any other program. For Mac this means you must not save your library in the document or desktop folder, as these are by default synced by iCloud! We recommend saving the new library in the Home folder on Macs.
1. Copy Record Numbers to the Label field
Note: You can use the Accession Number field instead of Label field if you have special use for the Label field in your library, or you can move the current data in your Label field to other field before doing this step.
EndNote: Tools > Change/Move/Copy fiels > [Move/Copy fields]
- Copy fields
- From: Record numbers
- To: Label
- Replace entire field
When exporting (or copying) references from old library to new, the record numbers will change. This will cause problems with the EndNote ciations in your existing Word documents. By using the Label field for record numbers we get a field in your (old) library with unique numbers that will copy over/export to new library.
2. Switch your Word documents to use Label field instead of Record Numbers
EndNote: Edit > Preferences (EndNote: EndNote > Preferences on Mac) > Temporary citations
- Check on the "Use field instead of record number", and choose "Label" in the dropdown menu.
Open your Word document(s) and update to use Label field as unique identifier, instead of Record numbers.
Word [EndNote]: Update citations and bibliography
3. Export your old library as EndNote XML file
EndNote: File > Export
- Save in Home folder with whatever name you like.
- Save as type = XML
- Uncheck (no check mark) in Export Selected references (because you want to export all references in old)
4. Close old library
EndNote: Window > Close all libraries
5. Create new library
EndNote: File > New
Save in Home folder on Mac with whatever name you like. Do not save in a folder that is synced or backed up by other application. Recommend using other name than the old library to avoid confusion.
6. Import old library to new library
EndNote: File > Import > File
- Import option = EndNote generated XML
- Import all, and Unicode (UTF-8)
7. Copy PDFs and groups to new library (Optional)
This step is optional. If you don't have any attachments/PDF or don't use any groups you can skip this part.
Close/Exit EndNote
Navigate to your old library DATA folder via Windows File Explorer or Finder (Mac).
If you do not know where your old library is saved on your computer, open the old library in EndNote (EndNote: File > Open Recent > [choose your old library]). Then choose EndNote: Tools > Library summary. The file path to your old/open library is written in the Location field.
Note: Before you copy the PDF folder from old to new library I advice you to check the content of the old PDF folder. If there are any PDF files that are bigger than 25 MB I would advice you to be careful and maybe move them out/dont't copy to new library. 25+ MB is very big for a PDF file. Maybe it is corrupted?
In your old Library's DATA folder copy the PDF folder, and paste it in your new library's DATA folder (overwrite/replace).
In your old library's DATA:rdb folder copy the 3 misc files and paste them into your new library's DATA:rdb folder (overwrite/replace).
The misc files contains your group settings.
8. Link your Word documents to new library and Record numbers
Open your new library in EndNote (only open the new library!)
Open you Word documents and choose Word [EndNote]: Update ciations and bibliography.
Your Word documents are now linked to your new library.
Switch back to Record numbers as unique identifier by choosing EndNote: Edit > Preferences > Temporary citations, and uncheck the "Use field instead of record number" field. Then open all your Word documents once more and choose Word [EndNote]: Update citations and bibliography, to code them with record numbers instead of label field data.
Want to know what EndNote has to offer? Try our free series that guides you through the entire process. Read more here.