Recovering multiple citations by record number within an EndNote 20 database

I’ve just changed over from Reference Manager to EndNote 20. I organize the papers I enter into the database by record number. With RefMgr I was able to search for a set of citations within my citation database by listing the respective papers’ record numbers on one line, with each record number separated by a comma. I’ve not been able to find a way to do this with EndNote 20, instead I’m having to enter a single paper’s record number per search line on the All Refernces tab. So for a statement I want to support by 5 citations within a paper I’m writing, I have to now enter each of the papers’ record number into a separate search criteria line for a total of 5 lines where in RefMgr I had to only enter the 5 citation record numbers into a single window, separaterd by a comma. 

Any advice or recommendation will be greatly appreicated.

If the preferences are turned off as shown in the attached image, you can put the record numbers separated by semi-colons in curly brackets in the document (not the search bar), and endnote will resolve them.  

I will caution you, that the Endnote record numbers can be changed by Endnote if your library is uploaded into the cloud and then downloaded to another machine.  I have taken to using the accession number field (which comes from pubmed) in my temporary citations settings (also in preference) - or do a change/move/copy (tools in ENX9 and earlier, references menu in EN20 I think) to move your records numbers into the label field and use that. I do this somewhat regularly after sorting on the label field, so I can select the empty records and do the copy rec number to the new field.  I also use that tool to preceed it with my initials and then again to add an X to the end to make them unique. I am sure you have noticed that if you “search” for a record number and don’t change it to “IS” the contains brings back any record with a two digit number.  

Leanne, thanks for the reply. Though I haven’t gotten to the point of uploading and downloading sets of references, I did make notes on your suggestion and will keep this in mind when moving references around. With respect to my main question, I think I may have not stated it clearly. I’ve attached a .JPG image to show you an example of what I’m trying to do and what was a routine, straightforward operation with Reference Manager. When I submit a string of references to search for within my database using the Record Number as their search criterion, EndNote tells me the reference(s) is not found. However, if I list each of the same Record Numbers into a separate search lines the system will find every citation l entered. Is there a way to make what I’ve shown in the attached image work within EndNote 20?

Yes, I understood what you were trying to do, and how it doesn’t work for endnote.  I was just relaying a work-around.  In this search, the record number IS “not” all of them.  I haven’t updated from X9.3 to Endnote 20, so I can’t really help you explore other search options, but I never found a way to do it in prior versions.  I just used the trick I listed putting the known record numbers in the temporay citation brackets.  The programers actually added the preference I showed, because I asked them for it – back in maybe 1995!  

Thanks so much for your input and patience.