Compatibility between EndNote 8 - 16 and X Versions

EndNote X versions are fully compatible. You can share your libraries between these versions with no conversion. New features in EndNote are ignored by the earlier versions.

EndNote can open and use EndNote 8 and EndNote 9 libraries with no conversion. Once you have opened and used an EndNote 8 or 9 library with EndNote, you should only use the library with EndNote X or later.

The DATA folder is a critical part of your library. Whenever you copy or move a library, include not only the filename.enl file, but also its associated DATA folder and all of its contents.

Note: If you want to back up your library or share it with another EndNote X or later user, there is an easy way to compress your EndNote library and include all of the associated files and folders. See Saving a Compressed Copy of a Library.

In order to allow cross-version and cross-platform compatibility of attached files, you will need to replace the characters below if they are used in the filenames of existing attached files and graphics—and then reinsert the files. One option is to replace these characters with an underscore.

Replace these characters in attached filenames
\	(back slash)
/	(forward slash)
:	(colon)
*	(asterisk)
?	(question mark)
"	(quotation mark)
<	(less than)
>	(greater than)
\|	(vertical bar)

EndNote X1 included a new grouping feature, and EndNote X2 added smart groups. If you open an EndNote library with an earlier version of EndNote, you cannot view groups. However, groups are remembered when you open the library again with EndNote.