It is essential to regularly make a back up copy of your EndNote library, so that if something goes wrong you will always have a working copy of your library. Ensure you re-name the backup library (e.g., add the date of backup to the file name such as EN backup 2024-04-05).
There are a number of ways to create a back up:
Use Windows Explorer to navigate to where your files are stored. Copy your EndNote library (.enl file), AND its associated Data (.Data) folder, then Paste to a different folder on your computer, and/or to a USB drive or other portable storage device.
Open your EndNote library, select File | Compress Library (.enlx), and choose the option to Create | With File Attachments. This creates a single compressed file. Save this to a different folder on your computer, and/or to a USB drive or other portable storage device.
Use the File | Compress Library (.enlx) | Create & Email command to send a copy of your EndNote library via email to yourself or a colleague (be aware of the size limit of the email system).
Use the File | Save a Copy… command to save an exact copy of the library to a different folder on your computer, and/or to a USB drive or other portable storage device. This will save a copy of your library, plus its associated Data folder.
Please Note: EndNote is not compatible with cloud-based services such as Dropbox, iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, etc. There are synchronisation issues with these services that can corrupt your library if you access/update it directly from the cloud.
| It is also advisable to save backup copies of any Word documents which include links to your library. |
It is possible to reconstruct at least part of your EndNote Library if you have:
NOTE: All of the methods described below will not reconstruct the EndNote Library exactly as the original - a good backup schedule is essential for all of your research files.
The Library will now open and a new DATA folder created. Using this method:
It is possible to create an EndNote library with records from references included in a Word document, if those references were inserted via EndNote. This is a very useful way of retrieving records if your EndNote Library and the .data folder are both lost. This process is also useful if a collaborator has sent you a document with many references that you would like included in your own EndNote Library.
This method creates EndNote records that include just the bibliographic data, as included in the Reference List entries. Additional fields, such as abstracts, plus notes, and attachments will not be created.
Depending on your situation, you may consider the following solutions:
To repair a damaged EndNote library