endnote error

I’m trying to open attached files from my references.  On my netbook it works perfectly. On my main computer it point blank refuses. When I try to convert files to ‘relative’ it gives me END NOTE ERROR and if I try to open file attachment it just tells me it ‘cannot launch’ whatever file it is. The file is THERE and I can open it if I go into the pdf folder, but I don’t know what to do. Have looked at manual and doesn’t seem to help.  Have copied libraries, have reinstalled software, nothing seems to work and yet it works perfectly well on my portable. Any ideas other than give up using endnote on my pc?

How deep is the endnote library and associated DATA folder and files on your main computer?  If there is a long path name (for example, if it is on your desktop which adds the whole \Documents and Settings name) and your PDFs have long names to begin with, you may be running into the filename length limits of the operating system.  which is just over 250 characters. 

I assume you are moving the files via the compress option in Endnote.  Moving it with long file name using the operating system will also truncate long file names to fit the operating system limits and then the endnote pointers won’t work anymore either. 

Thanks, I’ll give that a go. I think the files may  be buried too deep, they are in the D drive and i think it goes through docs and settings and a couple of folders… I’ll try and put them somewhere more obvious. 

And I don’t think I used the compress.

What I’ll try and do is to copy a compressed version of what I’ve got on my netbook to the pc given the constraints you suggest and see if that works.

Sorry for posting twice on this, I couldn’t find the first post after I posted it!   Not having a good time with computers right now!

Thanks anyway, and fingers crossed this resolves my problem.

Cally

Tried to change this but nothing improves. Where-ever I put the library it won’t open. Can’t find a place to put it that doesn’t involve at least about 40 characters but don’t think it’s as many as 250.  I’m not sure this is the problem. I’m not sure I’ve explained my problem clearly enough.  I have endnote x4 installed on netbook and pc. The main library I’m using is stored on a portable drive.  It works fine on the netbook.  When I try to open it on the pc it says LOCKED VOLUME (netbook is xp, pc is windows 7)  I have tried another library which is on the pc (have compressed, copied and tried new libraries) Whatever I do on the pc when I try to link I can’t get relative links to work (endnote error)  and it won’t launch the links. Can’t get it any smaller than  this  [\C:\users\cally\Documents\MyEndnoteLIbrary2011.data\pdf\howe2011-3759861248\howe2011.pdf](file://\C:\users\cally\Documents\MyEndnoteLIbrary2011.data\pdf\howe2011-3759861248\howe2011.pdf)  (f there’s a way to reduce this please let me know! ) It says can’t launch

 However, if I copy library from pc to netbook (via portable drive) even though it won’t make links on pc, it WILL work on the netbook. The frustation is that it means I can’t actually download new references and link them ON the pc and then use them… I have to download refs in a library on pc, download pdfs into a file, copy all this over to the portable drive and then open it all in the netbook. Something of a faff, especially since the pc is the main computer I want to use for this purpose and the netbook was just for when I was working away from main computer. Now I’m going to have to use the netbook as my main computer for endnote which is a real pain.  What can I do?

 Is it possible that the PC has a software installed that automatically locks the flash drive?  Some administrators install that kind of software on shared machines to protect them from viruses?  The LOCKED VOLUME message suggests that this might be the case?  You might talk to your tech support to ask, if available?  Can you move the enlx file to the PC machine, open it with endnote and and/or  check whether the directories are write protected there? 

Otherwise, I think you should call Endnote tech support and walk thru it with them.  I may be misunderstanding  the work flow in your descriptions.  

Hi,

the flash drive allows me to move everything else to and fro from my pc to netbook.

I am a distance learning student, working from home so I am my own administrator and tech support. However, if I can’t get the situation resolved I’ll do as you suggest and phone endnote tech support to see if we can walk through it.

Thanks