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SciFinder Scholar Available for Campus Users

SciFinder Scholar searches the Chemical Abstracts comprehensive database of chemical literature and patents and the CAS Registry including more than 25 million substances--including 12 million organic substances. The data base indexes articles from Chemical Abstracts back to 1907 and is updated daily. Links are provided to the full text of many current American Chemical Society journals. Please report links that do not go to full text so we can check if these can be linked to full text.

You may search SciFinder Scholar by:
  • Chemical substance or reaction (name, chemical structure, chemical reactions, formulas, or CAS Registry Numbers®);
  • Research topic;
  • Author name; or by
  • Reference number (CA abstract number or patent number).

Access to SciFinder Scholar

You can use SciFinder Scholar:

Please note that our license allows 8 concurrent users of SciFinder Scholar on the UNC Campus network. SciFinder Scholar will not work from off-campus. Please Log Off SciFinder Scholar when have finished using it so others may use it.

Download and Installation Instructions for Windows and Mac

Before installing SciFinder Scholar, please review the System Requirements.

Feel free to Ask a Librarian or visit SciFinder Scholar support for assistance if you experience problems with the installation.

Windows Instructions (2000, XP, Vista) :

Step 1: UNINSTALL any previously installed versions of SciFinder Scholar
If you do not have previous versions of SciFinder Scholar installed on your computer, proceed to Step 2. You may not be able to use SciFinder Scholar 2007 if you do not uninstall previous versions (2001, 2002, 2004, 2006). We have included Installation instructions for Windows XP below for your convenience.

  • Go to the Control Panel (usually, Start menu, Control Panel)
  • Select Add or Remove Programs (2000 users may need to contact system administrator)
  • Select the installed version of SciFinder Scholar
  • Select Remove and follow uninstallation directions.
  • Click OK to dialogue box: Are you sure....

Note: Windows 2000 users may need to contact their computer support staff to uninstall and install software.

Step 2: DOWNLOAD SciFinder Scholar 2007 (~14 MB self extracting executable)

From on campus, download SciFinder Scholar from ftp://sidney.lib.unc.edu or http://www.hsl.unc.edu/services/access/SciFidownloads/.

Note: You will get an error if you attempt to download from off campus as our license allows for only on campus access.

Step 3: UNZIP SciFinder Scholar 2007

From the directory in which you saved the install file, open (double-click) sfs2007.exe. You will be asked where you want to save unzipped files and folder. You can use the default setting (c:\) or specify a different folder to use.

Step 4: RUN or INSTALL SciFinder Scholar

You can install SciFinder Scholar on your computer (recommended) or run it without fully installing. Navigate to the unzipped files and folders.

  • To Install (recommended), select setup.exe. Follow the prompts to complete the installation.
  • To Run without installing, select sfs2007.exe.

Note: Running SciFinder Scholar 2007 without installing will not create shortcuts to the application (on your desktop or in your Start Menu). In addition, you will not be able to uninstall SciFinder Scholar using Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel. To create a desktop shortcut once the files are downloaded, go to Windows Explorer and locate the sfsclr folder. Look for "sfschlr.exe". Right click on this file and select "Create Shortcut". Then drag the shortcut icon to your desktop.

Download and Install Instructions for Mac Users:

Step 1: DOWNLOAD SciFinder Scholar 2007a

From on campus, download sfs2007a_mac.zip from ftp://sidney.lib.unc.edu or http://www.hsl.unc.edu/services/access/SciFidownloads/.

Note: You will get an error if you attempt to download from off campus as our license allows for only on campus access.

Step 2: Unzip sfs2007a_mac.zip

Step 3: Drag the SciFinder application icon to Applications

Note: if you are using SciFinder that you installed before September 2008, you may need to install the quickfix to run it on OS X Leopard (10.5) with an Intel chip. For more details, see the Quick Fix on the SciFinder Technical Support website

QUESTIONS? Contact the Health Sciences Library (919-962-0800 or email Ask a Librarian).