Forum Discussion
Can not add-in endnote
For the past few days, I have been unable to use Microsoft Word reliably because the application keeps freezing.
I contacted your Microsoft support team, and the issue was reportedly resolved by updating my registry.
After this, I noticed that I’m no longer able to use the EndNote add-in / “Cite While You Write” functionality. I upgraded my EndNote to the latest version, but I still cannot configure it in Word. When I attempt to set it up, I receive the message stating that “the current Word is not supported for EndNote.”
Could you please advise on how to fix this? If the registry update may have affected Word’s add-in compatibility, I would also appreciate guidance on what needs to be changed to restore EndNote support.
Thank you for your help.
3 Replies
You may be better off contacting Endnote support.
That message is normally produced by EndNote, not Word. The registry change may have disabled or removed the Cite While You Write registration, but I would not edit the registry again without knowing exactly what Microsoft Support changed.
First, check whether Word disabled the add-in:
- Open Word > File > Options > Add-ins.
- At the bottom, select Disabled Items and click Go. Enable EndNote if it is listed.
- Change the list to COM Add-ins and click Go.
- Check EndNote Cite While You Write, then restart Word.
If EndNote is not listed, reinstall that component:
- Close Word and Outlook completely.
- Open Control Panel > Programs and Features.
- Select EndNote and choose Change or Modify.
- Make sure Cite While You Write for Microsoft Word is selected.
- Complete the repair and restart Windows.
Next, open Word > File > Account > About Word and note the Word version, build number and whether it is 32-bit, 64-bit or ARM. A very new Insider build, ARM version or mismatched Office installation may not be supported by the current EndNote add-in even when EndNote itself is up to date.
If the unsupported message remains, give those details to EndNote support and ask them to confirm compatibility. If the add-in is missing from Word after reinstalling it, run an Office Quick Repair under Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft Office > Modify. Reinstalling the add-in is safer than trying to recreate its registry entries manually.
hi Amber1 It sounds like the registry change may have affected how Word is loading add-ins, especially since EndNote was working before the troubleshooting was done.
Before changing the registry again, I'd check a couple of things:
- In Word → File → Account, confirm the exact Office/Word version and build you're running.
- Go to File → Options → Add-ins and check whether the EndNote/Cite While You Write add-in is listed under Disabled Items or Inactive Application Add-ins.
- Try starting Word with winword /safe. If Word works normally there, an add-in or Word configuration is likely involved.
- In EndNote, run the Cite While You Write installation/configuration again after completely closing Word.
Also make sure the version of EndNote you're using officially supports your specific version/build of Word. The message “the current Word is not supported for EndNote” can occur when there is a compatibility issue between the Office build and the EndNote version.
Since this started immediately after the registry modification, I'd avoid manually changing registry keys based on suggestions from the internet. If possible, I'd go back to Microsoft Support and ask them to review exactly what registry changes were made during the previous session. That information could be important in determining why the add-in stopped loading.
If you can provide your Word version/build, EndNote version, and whether Word is Microsoft 365 or Office 2021/2024, someone here should be able to narrow it down further.
