# Help

**URL:** https://discourse.jabref.org/c/help/7.md?page=1

[Latest](https://discourse.jabref.org/latest.md) · [Categories](https://discourse.jabref.org/categories.md) · [Tags](https://discourse.jabref.org/tags.md)

**Page:** 2

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## [Interested for GSoC contribution 2026 Jabref](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/interested-for-gsoc-contribution-2026-jabref/9014)

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**Author:** [@Kartik\_Deep\_Gautam](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Kartik_Deep_Gautam)\
**Replies:** 0\
**Last updated:** [December 24, 2025, 11:15am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/interested-for-gsoc-contribution-2026-jabref/9014 "2025-12-24T11:15:34Z")

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My name is Kartik Deep Gautam, and I’m a pre final-year undergraduate student planning to apply to Google Summer of Code 2026 with Jabref Over the past few days, I’ve been exploring the Jabref ecosystem and I’m currentl…

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## [I'm ready to contribute](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/im-ready-to-contribute/9013)

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**Author:** [@keerthansamudrala](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/keerthansamudrala)\
**Replies:** 2\
**Last updated:** [December 23, 2025, 5:15pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/im-ready-to-contribute/9013 "2025-12-23T17:15:57Z")

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Hi, I’m Keerthan :waving\_hand: I’m excited to start contributing to this community. I’m currently going through the codebase and issues list, and I was wondering if there are any good first issues, bug fixes, or test-r…

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## [Uncaught exception occurred in Thread\[#57,JavaFX Application Thread,5,main\]](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/uncaught-exception-occurred-in-thread-57-javafx-application-thread-5-main/9011)

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**Author:** [@dadrivr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/dadrivr)\
**Replies:** 2\
**Last updated:** [December 18, 2025, 10:42pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/uncaught-exception-occurred-in-thread-57-javafx-application-thread-5-main/9011 "2025-12-18T22:42:26Z")

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When trying to save my bibliography with save actions, I receive the following error: Uncaught exception occurred in Thread\[#57,JavaFX Application Thread,5,main\] URLDecoder: Illegal hex characters in escape (%) pattern…

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## [Review backup window requiring manual click to accept changes on 1K records](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/review-backup-window-requiring-manual-click-to-accept-changes-on-1k-records/9009)

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**Author:** [@10000](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/10000)\
**Replies:** 2\
**Last updated:** [December 10, 2025, 6:25pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/review-backup-window-requiring-manual-click-to-accept-changes-on-1k-records/9009 "2025-12-10T18:25:35Z")

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Jabref froze on me the last time i used it while trying to run clean up entries. When I opened it next, i got the popup window about a different back up asking me to review changes. I said okay and it generated a list wi…

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## [\[Question\] batch/bulk rename and relocate of files](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/question-batch-bulk-rename-and-relocate-of-files/9008)

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**Author:** [@RJDan](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/RJDan)\
**Replies:** 1\
**Last updated:** [December 9, 2025, 7:34pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/question-batch-bulk-rename-and-relocate-of-files/9008 "2025-12-09T19:34:19Z")

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I have an entire database that has several hundred entries where the files are in a ‘new downloads’ folder. I want to rename these files and move them to new folders in bulk. I already know how to do it one-by-one with …

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## [How to "un-sub-group" a group that has been "sub-grouped"?](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-un-sub-group-a-group-that-has-been-sub-grouped/9007)

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**Author:** [@esteelpaz](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/esteelpaz)\
**Replies:** 4\
**Last updated:** [December 2, 2025, 6:52pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-un-sub-group-a-group-that-has-been-sub-grouped/9007 "2025-12-02T18:52:01Z")

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Folks Today is my usual “Jabref” day, and in trying to add a reference to a treatment for “diabetic neuropathy” . . . I couldn’t find my “diabetes” group . . . so then I tried to add a “neuropathy” group, but in doing t…

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## [Migrate Mendeley folders into JabRef subgroups](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/migrate-mendeley-folders-into-jabref-subgroups/2007)

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**Author:** [@horror-vacui](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/horror-vacui)\
**Replies:** 1\
**Last updated:** [November 23, 2025, 9:14pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/migrate-mendeley-folders-into-jabref-subgroups/2007 "2025-11-23T21:14:28Z")

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Hi everybody, I am moving from Mendeley to JabRef. So far I’ve imported my database through BibTeX database, but I would like to keep the folder structure from Mendeley. Is there any tool that would help me with? The b…

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## [Unicode to LaTeX by default](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/unicode-to-latex-by-default/8998)

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**Author:** [@icamps](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/icamps)\
**Replies:** 1\
**Last updated:** [November 1, 2025, 2:34pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/unicode-to-latex-by-default/8998 "2025-11-01T14:34:06Z")

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Hello, Very recently I “discovered” the feature “Convert → Unicode to LaTeX” (always I did it manually, shame on me!). I wonder if it is possible to configure JabRef in such a way that it always do this when saving the…

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## [Beschädigter Zitationsschlüssel](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/beschadigter-zitationsschlussel/8996)

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**Author:** [@Nadja](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Nadja)\
**Replies:** 3\
**Last updated:** [October 31, 2025, 9:45am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/beschadigter-zitationsschlussel/8996 "2025-10-31T09:45:18Z")

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Hallo, beim Öffnen von JabRef bekomme ich in letzter Zeit immer folgende Fehlermeldung (die ich bisher ignoriert habe): “Fehler beim Öffnen der Bibliothek Bitte überprüfen Sie Ihre Bibliotheksdatei auf falsche Syntax. …

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## [Wie sendet man von JabRef Zitatinen nach Lyx](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/wie-sendet-man-von-jabref-zitatinen-nach-lyx/8997)

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**Author:** [@ComputerArtists\_ThL](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/ComputerArtists_ThL)\
**Replies:** 1\
**Last updated:** [October 31, 2025, 8:29am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/wie-sendet-man-von-jabref-zitatinen-nach-lyx/8997 "2025-10-31T08:29:07Z")

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Liebe Community, Ich habe es endlich richtig gemacht Lyx und JabREf zu uinstallieren, Jetzt finde ich aber kommischer Weise nicht die Funktion eine Zitation direkt an Lyx zu senden. Kann mir da bitte kurz jemand Helfe…

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## [Tabellen kopieren](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/tabellen-kopieren/8950)

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**Author:** [@Reeser](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Reeser)\
**Replies:** 4\
**Last updated:** [October 10, 2025, 6:51am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/tabellen-kopieren/8950 "2025-10-10T06:51:20Z")

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Guten Tag, ich wollte heute die Einträge mehrerer .bib-Dateien in eine leere neue Datei kopieren - alle Datensätze markiert, kopieren aufgerufen, in neuer leerer Datei einfügen aufgerufen - und jetzt kommt es: Es wird o…

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## [Batch Import about 100,000 pdf articles forming a new library from my hard disk](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/batch-import-about-100-000-pdf-articles-forming-a-new-library-from-my-hard-disk/8983)

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**Author:** [@JaketheJacko2009](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/JaketheJacko2009)\
**Replies:** 5\
**Last updated:** [September 24, 2025, 2:39pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/batch-import-about-100-000-pdf-articles-forming-a-new-library-from-my-hard-disk/8983 "2025-09-24T14:39:58Z")

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Advice on how to batch import about 10,000 pdf articles forming a new library from my hard disk. I currently import about 350 files in a single run to minimise the freeze time at the end of the process before saving the …

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## [Undefined Latex commands](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/undefined-latex-commands/8984)

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**Author:** [@JackW](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/JackW)\
**Replies:** 2\
**Last updated:** [September 24, 2025, 7:00am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/undefined-latex-commands/8984 "2025-09-24T07:00:21Z")

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Hi, I am shifting a reference library from Zotero to JabRef (exported library using the better bibtex plugin for Zotero) and tidying up issues. I have managed to manually tidy up most issues in the bib file but using th…

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## [Unable to Attache PDF files into a Bibtex file Making Ready for Yomu App Usage](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/unable-to-attache-pdf-files-into-a-bibtex-file-making-ready-for-yomu-app-usage/8978)

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**Author:** [@JaketheJacko2009](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/JaketheJacko2009)\
**Replies:** 2\
**Last updated:** [September 23, 2025, 12:22pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/unable-to-attache-pdf-files-into-a-bibtex-file-making-ready-for-yomu-app-usage/8978 "2025-09-23T12:22:50Z")

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My Current Bibtex file includes many entries with and without pdf attachements. When I use the unlinked local files feature, jabref 6 is not attaching pdf files to the bibtex file using search for unlinked local files. A…

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## [I'm having trouble saving the Bibtex file](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/im-having-trouble-saving-the-bibtex-file/8982)

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**Author:** [@JaketheJacko2009](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/JaketheJacko2009)\
**Replies:** 3\
**Last updated:** [September 23, 2025, 12:21pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/im-having-trouble-saving-the-bibtex-file/8982 "2025-09-23T12:21:34Z")

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The Bibtex file cannot save and gives me the message - org.jabref.logic.exporter.SaveException: Problems saving: java.io.IOException: Error in field ‘TITLE of entry ISRAELITE1960’: Unescaped ‘}’ character without openin…

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## ["Check consistency" option not visible in Jabref 5.15](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/check-consistency-option-not-visible-in-jabref-5-15/8972)

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**Author:** [@Martina\_Husakova](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Martina_Husakova)\
**Replies:** 4\
**Last updated:** [September 13, 2025, 6:04pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/check-consistency-option-not-visible-in-jabref-5-15/8972 "2025-09-13T18:04:18Z")

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Hello everybody, I use JabRef ver. 5.15 and I would like to found out whether my \*.bib file is valid or not together with details where the problems are. Option “Check consistency” should exist in the Quality menu (unde…

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## [Nouvelle version avec IA](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/nouvelle-version-avec-ia/8963)

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**Author:** [@asmartel](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/asmartel)\
**Replies:** 3\
**Last updated:** [September 10, 2025, 9:35am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/nouvelle-version-avec-ia/8963 "2025-09-10T09:35:28Z")

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Bonjour, Je souhaite savoir quand version 6.0 avec IA sera disponible en téléchargement car c’est une fonction très demandée. Merci d’avance

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## ["The library has been modified by another program"](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/the-library-has-been-modified-by-another-program/2418)

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**Author:** [@claudiuskerth](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/claudiuskerth)\
**Replies:** 30\
**Last updated:** [September 4, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/the-library-has-been-modified-by-another-program/2418 "2025-09-04T18:15:12Z")

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Hi, I am always getting this message after saving the library in Jabref. I have the choice to “Dismiss changes” or “Review changes”. I don’t understand it and frankly it is quite annoying. Can I turn it off somehow? c…

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## [Nontraditional "author" names](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/nontraditional-author-names/8928)

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**Author:** [@tedc](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/tedc)\
**Replies:** 6\
**Last updated:** [September 4, 2025, 3:30pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/nontraditional-author-names/8928 "2025-09-04T15:30:57Z")

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Lots of online resources want to be cited with strange “author” names, e.g. @Electronic{keyhere2023, author = {New World Encyclopedia}, title = {Carbonic acid — New World Encyclopedia}, url = {URL here}, …

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## [Getting push to external application (TeXstudio) to work](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/getting-push-to-external-application-texstudio-to-work/5644)

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**Author:** [@Filemon](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Filemon)\
**Replies:** 2\
**Last updated:** [September 3, 2025, 6:53pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/getting-push-to-external-application-texstudio-to-work/5644 "2025-09-03T18:53:15Z")

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I installed JabRef 5.15 and TeXstudio 4.8.8 via Flathub. Unfortunately, the button for pushing entries to an external application did do anything. After I specified the path to the TeXstudio executable explicitly (/var/l…

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## [How Can I use a format to cite legislation diplomas?](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-can-i-use-a-format-to-cite-legislation-diplomas/8945)

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**Author:** [@Antonio\_Moreira](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Antonio_Moreira)\
**Replies:** 1\
**Last updated:** [August 21, 2025, 6:17pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-can-i-use-a-format-to-cite-legislation-diplomas/8945 "2025-08-21T18:17:16Z")

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I would like to have a format to add legal diplomas on library, how can I do that? TIA António Moreira

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## [MEnus not working](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/menus-not-working/2608)

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**Author:** [@Morten](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Morten)\
**Replies:** 6\
**Last updated:** [August 13, 2025, 8:36am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/menus-not-working/2608 "2025-08-13T08:36:14Z")

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I have a weird issue: I cannot use the menus anymore since updating to v5.2 They open if I click (permanently) on them but if I release the mouse they are closed. So I cannot activate any menu item. What am I doing wron…

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## [Can not initialize embedded postgresql db](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/can-not-initialize-embedded-postgresql-db/5661)

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**Author:** [@timurturbil](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/timurturbil)\
**Replies:** 3\
**Last updated:** [August 12, 2025, 10:51am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/can-not-initialize-embedded-postgresql-db/5661 "2025-08-12T10:51:16Z")

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I am trying to setup the environment and run the project but got this error: Exception in thread “main” java.lang.IllegalStateException: Process \[C:\\Users\\TAHSIL~1\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\embedded-pg\\PG-b0e04f3b1360d64f4864e…

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## [Looking for good resources on some specific questions related to setting up an APA reference library](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/looking-for-good-resources-on-some-specific-questions-related-to-setting-up-an-apa-reference-library/5628)

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**Author:** [@10000](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/10000)\
**Replies:** 4\
**Last updated:** [July 17, 2025, 12:17pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/looking-for-good-resources-on-some-specific-questions-related-to-setting-up-an-apa-reference-library/5628 "2025-07-17T12:17:09Z")

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I’m new to jabref and really struggling to figure out how this thing works. I’d love some recommendations for resources that can help me in building out a library that I can grow over time and use for a variety of writin…

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## [Export list of import errors](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/export-list-of-import-errors/3649)

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**Author:** [@zui](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/zui)\
**Replies:** 11\
**Last updated:** [July 16, 2025, 2:49am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/export-list-of-import-errors/3649 "2025-07-16T02:49:57Z")

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I am getting a series of errors when opening a library file, (Error parsing entry, expected = but received ) etc.). The list is too long to display, is there a way to export this list to a file?

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## [Cleanup entries - Can't get it to work](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/cleanup-entries-cant-get-it-to-work/3999)

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**Author:** [@thecaligarmo](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/thecaligarmo)\
**Replies:** 8\
**Last updated:** [October 1, 2023, 5:44pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/cleanup-entries-cant-get-it-to-work/3999 "2023-10-01T17:44:14Z")

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I’m tryin got use the “Cleanup entries” stuff, but I can’t seem to get it to edit any file. Am I just using it wrong? In particular, here is what I’m doing: Click on the entry I want to edit Click on the broom icon (Th…

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## [Can't use Edge extension](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/cant-use-edge-extension/2900)

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**Author:** [@malacology](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/malacology)\
**Replies:** 0\
**Last updated:** [August 16, 2021, 1:03pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/cant-use-edge-extension/2900 "2021-08-16T13:03:13Z")

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It still shows that ### Error while sending to JabRef. Please see the browsers error console for details. \`\`\` and I found the log here \`\`\` js:1 Failed to load resource: net::ERR\_CONNECTION\_REFUSED counter\_xhtml.js:1 Fai…

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## [Installation on ARM64 Lenovo (chrombook)](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/installation-on-arm64-lenovo-chrombook/3666)

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**Author:** [@mrn56](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/mrn56)\
**Replies:** 19\
**Last updated:** [June 9, 2025, 11:36pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/installation-on-arm64-lenovo-chrombook/3666 "2025-06-09T23:36:53Z")

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Hello there, I am using Lenovo Chromebook with Ubuntu 20.04 focal. I can not install any debian/Ubuntu package on my computer due to incompatibility architecture. Is there any solution for this issue ? I could run Jabre…

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## [Reasons to use UTF-8 in bib-files for BibTeX](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/reasons-to-use-utf-8-in-bib-files-for-bibtex/5595)

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**Author:** [@mkaut](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/mkaut)\
**Replies:** 7\
**Last updated:** [June 2, 2025, 1:10pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/reasons-to-use-utf-8-in-bib-files-for-bibtex/5595 "2025-06-02T13:10:24Z")

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I am maintaining a rather large .bib file for our group at work. We use bibtex, due to old habits and also because all journals’ LaTeX styles I have seen use bibtex, typically with natbib). For this reason, I have kept…

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## [Jabref keeps asking for a "wallet" to encrypt data?](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/jabref-keeps-asking-for-a-wallet-to-encrypt-data/5575)

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**Author:** [@esteelpaz](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/esteelpaz)\
**Replies:** 28\
**Last updated:** [May 22, 2025, 8:50pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/jabref-keeps-asking-for-a-wallet-to-encrypt-data/5575 "2025-05-22T20:50:43Z")

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The last few times I have booted Jabref I get a series of windows asking for various “wallet” apps to choose the encryption method?? I have no need to encrypt my Jabref data and don’t use a “wallet” in my research machi…

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