Why won’t my Mendeley Reference Manager update?
Last updated on July 16, 2026
Mendeley Reference Manager updates itself in place, which means it needs to be able to overwrite its own program files. If the app is running from a folder it doesn't have permission to write to, the update can't complete and may fail silently or show an error about being unable to update from a read-only location. This can happen with any restricted location — for example, running the app from your Downloads folder, or launching it directly from the installer window without moving it first.
The fix is the same in every case: make sure Mendeley is installed in a location it can write to, then relaunch and update.
Follow these steps to move Mendeley to the correct location and complete the update on macOS:
- Quit Mendeley Reference Manager.
- Open your Downloads folder (or wherever you opened the installer from) and drag the Mendeley app into your Applications folder. If you originally opened it straight from the .dmg installer window, open the installer again and drag the app onto the Applications shortcut.
- Launch Mendeley from the Applications folder.
- The app should now update on its own, or you can trigger the update from within the app.
Follow these steps to move Mendeley to the correct location and complete the update on Windows:
- Close Mendeley Reference Manager.
- Reinstall or move Mendeley Reference Manager into your system-recommended installation folder, rather than running it from Downloads or a temporary location.
- Once Mendeley is opened from its installed location, let it update.
Follow these steps to move Mendeley to the correct location and complete the update on Linux:
- Close Mendeley Reference Manager.
- Reinstall or move Mendeley Reference Manager into your system-recommended installation folder rather than running it from Downloads or a temporary location.
- Once Mendeley is opened from its installed location, let it update.
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