What can I do if the link between Mendeley Desktop and my PDF files has been lost?
The broken chain icon next to some of your references means that the PDF files attached to these references have been lost by the program.
This can happen when the file is moved, renamed, or deleted from your hard drive, or if they are kept on an external or network drive.
To reestablish these links:
- Drag and drop the files from their new location on your hard drive back into the open Mendeley Desktop program window.
- If you are using a cloud-based folder or drive, reset the software and make sure nothing is pointing to a non-local drive or folder.
If you continue to experience issues please contact us via the email link below, and send us the following information:
- Version of your Mendeley desktop
- Your OS (Operating System) information
- When you started seeing this issue
- Whether you've recently deleted any of the 'broken link' reference PDFs from your system, for example when accidentally clearing out the folder where the PDF is stored.
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