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University of Newcastle Library Guides

EndNote 20:  Downloading and installing

Manage your references and create in-text citations and bibliographies. Note: This guide is for EndNote 20. For EndNote X9 see the link at the bottom left of the page.

Download and Install EndNote

Download and Install EndNote

 

  • For your home computers, download from the University's software download site to ensure your EndNote is within the UON subscription.   
  • For UON computers used by staff members and HRD students:
    • Download EndNote for Windows from Software Centre
    • Download EndNote for Mac from Self Services
  • All UON computers on campus are automatically updated to EndNote 20

Please Note:

  • Before upgrading, back up your EndNote libraries and the .DATA folder, and uninstall earlier versions of EndNote​.
  • To avoid compatibility issues, do not upgrade your EndNote or computer OS without checking system requirements first.
    • Compatibility and system requirements - check the EndNote website
    • EndNote updates - within EndNote via Help > Check for Updates

 

Troubleshooting for Windows and Mac Computers

Depending on the security setting of your computer, you may encounter error messages when you try to install your downloaded EndNote package. Here are some of the screenshots of the error messages provided by our students and our suggested solutions. 

Also many thanks to those students who sent us the screenshots for helping other students.

 

Screenshots of Error Message Suggested Solutions
error message for EN 20 download

Error message:

EndNote20_setup.exe isn’t commonly downloaded

That is a built-in feature of Microsoft Edge. It is advising the download site is not a common download location for application installation files and is advising the user to ensure they trust the file is from a trusted source.

You should hover your mouse over the text, click on the ellipsis and then click Report this file as safe.

Alternatively, you could use a different browser to download the installer such as Mozilla Firefox
   

Depending on the security setting of your computer, you may encounter error messages when you try to install your downloaded EndNote package. Here are some of the screenshots of the error messages provided by our students and our suggested solutions. 

Also many thanks to those students who sent us the screenshots for helping other students.

 

Screenshots of Error Message Suggested Solutions

EndNote doesn't open.

When you first open EndNote after downloading, no windows will open. However, you can see the app open in the dock at the bottom and the EndNote menu in the ribbon at the top.

Click File > New to create a library, and you will see the application open in a window.
Error message download EndNote on Mac

Error message:

EndNote 20.2.pkg cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer.

 

Solution:

This will depend on your MacOS gatekeeper settings.

If you click the question mark in the top right corner of the pop up, it should give you some instructions about how to change the security and privacy settings and allow the download. 
EndNote download error on Mac re Rosetta

Error message:

To install EndNote20.2, you need to install Rosetta.

 

Solution:

This problem is unique to M1 machines with no Rosetta installed.

Click the Install button. Once Rosetta is installed, you should be able to install EndNote properly. 

Do not store your working Library on any cloud servers

To avoid corrupting your EndNote Library, it is strongly recommended that you do not store your working Library on any cloud servers (including DropBox, OneDrive, SharePoint, and OwnCloud).

The reason that EndNote corrupts within cloud storage servers relates to the way multiple files are saved.  EndNote files must be saved in a set sequence; when cloud servers transfer data they may change the sequence of file saves, eventually leading to file corruption.