importing libraries from old ver. of Endnote

I just downloaded ver. X3 and was previously using ver 5.  All of my references from my saved library are present, however, the reference numbers are all missing.  Now, I have no way of cross-referencing my Endnote reference number with the saved pdf of the file on my computer.  Does anyone have a suggestion on how to remedy this major inconvenience?

What do you mean by “reference number”?

Sorry - I mean record number.

Okay, so you don’t see record number for several references in the library made/opend by EN X3?

Is your X3 demo version or licensed version?

I’m not sure but demo version might have limitation about the number of references it can handle.

Besides, when you open EN ver 5 file by EN X3, you probably saw some “warning messages” saying you can’t go back. The file format of Endnote was changed drastically when ver 8 was released. So, once you open the library made by <v7, using >v8, then the library will have -converted tag, and you can’t go back.

Your problem may be somewhere around these things.

I have a licensed version, and I don’t think I have an inordinate amount of citations (about 1500).  Perhaps, as you suggested, there was something lost in the progression of versions and I will now have to go through the tedious task of opening each file and assigning a new record number. 

I did read somewhere that when saving a library, it is important to have both the .enl as well as a corresponding data file.  I don’t know where to find this data file - could this have something to do with it?  Do you know what the purpose of the data file is?

I am not sure why you feel “tedious” because record number is automatically assigned by Endnote, and it’s been that way from the birth of Endnote. Users actually can’t change, manipulate, or edit record number. So, you have the field you made back then, like “record number” by yourself?

.data folder contains information associated with library (.enl) file. The files inside look like linking information, commonly found in relational databases, and information about group, indexing, and some file attachments like PDFs.

You always need to move/copy these .enl and .data folder together. They should be located in the same folder your .enl is located.

It is tedious because of this:  I have a folder which contains pdf’s of all 1500 references.  I saved these pdf’s as the record number from endnote.  Thus, when I go to endnote and find an article of interest, I could simply go to this folder and find my article through cross-referencing with the record number.  However, seeming none of my entries in endnote currently have a record number, I have no way of knowing which of the 1500 pdf’s in the folder is the document I am trying to locate. 

every record has a record number.  When you open the record, that number is in the title bar.  You can view the record number by changing your preferences - library display and add the record number to one of the fields to display.  It is also  the number in the curly brackets when you insert a citation.  So if you haven’t moved files from an old library to a new library, the record number will be the same.   Don’t import them, just open the library and it will convert them and the record numbers will remain the same. 

Wow - I feel rather silly now.  Thanks for the solution Leanne, and Myoshigi for your patience and persistence.