read unread marker

I am using Ennote X8. I understand you can turn off the read/unread bold face and marker in the preferences tab, but what constitutes read and un read? I have about half the references in my Library showing as “un read” , but even if I open those references  ( in end note) up and view them , They still continue to show as un read. As to the documents , papers themselves - yes I have read them somtimes downlaoded as pdfs , sometimes staright off the web page. But how would end note know whether I have done that or not?

The settings about when a reference is marked as “read” is in the preferences read / Unread options. The options are (you can choose one or more).  

Viewing it in a stand-alone Reference window

Viewing it in the Reference, PDF, or Preview within the library

Changing its rating.

This is also where you can turn off the “show unread references in bold text” setting.