Understanding Offline Account Access

[hurlyburly 0]

I've been scouring the forums and faqs and whatnot and can't find a clear answer to this problem.

I'm a new user and had been using Evernote offline in Windows just fine. But then I figured out if I logout of Evernote (while offline) or, let's say, if the computer or program crashes, I cannot open the program back up to see my files unless I login with an internet connection.

So which is it? Should I be able to use Evernote offline in Windows (with a free account) or not? Because if I log out and cannot log back in, that is, if I don't have access to internet connection, which I often don't, then that doesn't qualify as offline capability. I am then screwed and can't see my notes.

Do I need a premium account for what I need to do? Because, to me, the website suggests that Premium is only required for offline use if you want to use it on a mobile device, but I can't find where it says anything about offline use on Windows. (Eg, Take entire notebooks offline for easy access when you don’t have a network connection. A perfect option for when you’re traveling. Available on iOS and Android. My emphasis. From the "10 Reasons to Go Premium" page.)

To put it simply, I just want to be able to log in/out freely while offline and not worry about not getting back in!

Thanks for your kind responses.

[Wern 246]

Hurly,

you can always use EN offline and see all your notes that are in your database (locally on your PC). If you do have Internet access you can connect and sync your local database which will upload your new notes to the cloud and download notes to your local PC you may have created on other devices. These capabilities have nothing to do with a paid/free account.

Wern

[hurlyburly 0]

Hurly,

you can always use EN offline and see all your notes that are in your database (locally on your PC). If you do have Internet access you can connect and sync your local database which will upload your new notes to the cloud and download notes to your local PC you may have created on other devices. These capabilities have nothing to do with a paid/free account.

Wern

Well, as my post explained, I CANNOT "always" use EN offline and see all my notes in my database. Because if I logout or the program crashes, then try to open up EN again, it won't let me proceed past the login screen unless I am connected to the internet.

What I'm saying is, if EN truly allows full offline functionality, then I should be able to login and open the program while offline. Or else not be presented with a login at all. As it stands, I can only use the program offline if I was connected to the internet first and haven't logged out. Is there an setting or option that I should know about? Or is this a bug?

[heather 604]

This is not a bug. In order to protect the security of your account, you need to connect to our server to reuthenticate whenever you forcibly logout from your account in the software (upon relogin) as we clear any authentication data from your machine upon logout.

However, your notes are stored locally, so you actually can access the database itself should you ever need to access note content while offline. Should the time come when Evernote should cease to exist, we will provide a means to access your content offline directly without contacting our servers. In the meantime, you can simply keep a prior version of the client installed which allowed for this as well (not all of these allow for proper syncing or note creation, so I would only use these for offline note retrieval).

[hurlyburly 0]

However, your notes are stored locally, so you actually can access the database itself should you ever need to access note content while offline.

Still not understanding this. Yes, I "should" be able to access note content offline, BUT I CANNOT. It asks me to login. How can I see my notes without an internet connection?

[Blake Burch 60]

However, your notes are stored locally, so you actually can access the database itself should you ever need to access note content while offline.

Still not understanding this. Yes, I "should" be able to access note content offline, BUT I CANNOT. It asks me to login. How can I see my notes without an internet connection?

The only part that requires you to be online is the security measure. Logging in is a form of security to make sure that your notes are only viewable by you. Because accounts are distributed/maintained through Evernote's servers, you have to be online to have the servers verify your identity. Once your identity has been verified, then Evernote grants you permission to view/edit your notes (which are all stored locally/offline).

I don't know if you play video games at all, but it's like DRM. You own the game, it's installed on your computer and you can play the game without internet access, but first you have to log in to a service online that verifies you actually purchased the game. Once the system says "you're clean" you can play to your heart's content.

If you're wanting to view all notes offline as much as possible, don't log out.

[hurlyburly 0]

However, your notes are stored locally, so you actually can access the database itself should you ever need to access note content while offline.

Still not understanding this. Yes, I "should" be able to access note content offline, BUT I CANNOT. It asks me to login. How can I see my notes without an internet connection?

The only part that requires you to be online is the security measure. Logging in is a form of security to make sure that your notes are only viewable by you. Because accounts are distributed/maintained through Evernote's servers, you have to be online to have the servers verify your identity. Once your identity has been verified, then Evernote grants you permission to view/edit your notes (which are all stored locally/offline).

I don't know if you play video games at all, but it's like DRM. You own the game, it's installed on your computer and you can play the game without internet access, but first you have to log in to a service online that verifies you actually purchased the game. Once the system says "you're clean" you can play to your heart's content.

If you're wanting to view all notes offline as much as possible, don't log out.

Well, I now am clear on how it's supposed to work, not that I agree with it at all. DRM has logic; as you said they want to verify that you purchased the software. But why would Evernote need to verify a FREE non-member account? Lack of local security is major deficiency in my opinion.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

But why would Evernote need to verify a FREE non-member account?

The sound you hear is me picking myself up from the floor.

FWIW, even free users want their accounts secured against unauthorized use.

Lack of local security is major deficiency in my opinion.

Let me get this straight. You think EN shouldn't verify you have the password to the account, when logging on to the Windows client. But...you want EN to have more secure local security? Seems like these two are contradictory. Either way, EN leaves client security up to the users. I think that's appropriate. IMO, computer users need to take responsibility for their own data. When I buy a car, I still have to put gas in it myself. If I end up stranded b/c I ran out of gas, it's not the fault of the person I bought the car from. If you're going to be storing sensitive info on your computer, then learn how to secure the data from prying eyes. This can be multi level. IE, I have program security installed so when my SIL visits, she can use my computer to check email but not be able to get into my email, Quicken, Evernote, etc. I have another (higher) level of security against someone who may come into my house & steal my computer.

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

However, your notes are stored locally, so you actually can access the database itself should you ever need to access note content while offline.

Still not understanding this. Yes, I "should" be able to access note content offline, BUT I CANNOT. It asks me to login. How can I see my notes without an internet connection?

The only part that requires you to be online is the security measure. Logging in is a form of security to make sure that your notes are only viewable by you. Because accounts are distributed/maintained through Evernote's servers, you have to be online to have the servers verify your identity. Once your identity has been verified, then Evernote grants you permission to view/edit your notes (which are all stored locally/offline).

I don't know if you play video games at all, but it's like DRM. You own the game, it's installed on your computer and you can play the game without internet access, but first you have to log in to a service online that verifies you actually purchased the game. Once the system says "you're clean" you can play to your heart's content.

If you're wanting to view all notes offline as much as possible, don't log out.

Well, I now am clear on how it's supposed to work, not that I agree with it at all. DRM has logic; as you said they want to verify that you purchased the software. But why would Evernote need to verify a FREE non-member account? Lack of local security is major deficiency in my opinion.

Hi. I can understand your confusion. I think it might help to know that Evernote sees itself as a safe and secure place for you to put your memories, and it promises free access forever (well, they are starting with 100 years). They take full responsibility for your data that you sync, but you are responsible for the local data on your drive. Apparently, they put in this extra measure for security. It actually seems like a nice thing in my opinion, but if you want to circumvent it, as said before, just don't log out. It doesn't have anything to do with free or paid. We all get the same level of basic services.

It works differently than other cloud services like Dropbox or Drive, but that's because it is different. It's your external brain, not just a virtual thumb drive

[Coolcat 0]

Hi! I am new here, and this is the first post I came across. I also have a question that some people might find laughing out loud silly ( - but that's for another post), but in the meanwhile I want to come to hurlyburly's defense here. Honestly, the fact that he/she said that she only has intermittent internet service has gone completely ignored! Before you slap somebody upside the head, maybe read carefully what the op has stated? It doesn't do her much good so smugly advise "Just don't log out." Duh... What if her connection dies? I know, it seems inconceivable because most of us are blessed with constant access, but apparently there are pockets in the country where that doesn't exist yet.

Hurlyburly, maybe you want to consider OneNote which is part of Microsoft Office. If you don't care about synchronization and you basically just want to access your stuff at home whenever you want to, that might be the program for you. I personally love it, it's in your hard drive, and you can password protect any files as you see fit. You can import, have screen shorts of websites etc. Very versatile and much underrated. Give it a try.

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

Hi! I am new here, and this is the first post I came across. I also have a question that some people might find laughing out loud silly ( - but that's for another post), but in the meanwhile I want to come to hurlyburly's defense here. Honestly, the fact that he/she said that she only has intermittent internet service has gone completely ignored! Before you slap somebody upside the head, maybe read carefully what the op has stated? It doesn't do her much good so smugly advise "Just don't log out." Duh... What if her connection dies? I know, it seems inconceivable because most of us are blessed with constant access, but apparently there are pockets in the country where that doesn't exist yet.

Hurlyburly, maybe you want to consider OneNote which is part of Microsoft Office. If you don't care about synchronization and you basically just want to access your stuff at home whenever you want to, that might be the program for you. I personally love it, it's in your hard drive, and you can password protect any files as you see fit. You can import, have screen shorts of websites etc. Very versatile and much underrated. Give it a try.

Hi. Welcome to the forums. Sorry if we sounded smug. If you are using your own computer, you'll probably never logout, and so you'll never encounter a situation in which you need the Internet. That's why we were suggesting that the OP stay logged into their account (by logged in, we don't mean logged into anything online, but logged into the app on the computer). Evernote works great without an Internet connection

[Blake Burch 60]

I want to come to hurlyburly's defense here. Honestly, the fact that he/she said that she only has intermittent internet service has gone completely ignored! Before you slap somebody upside the head, maybe read carefully what the op has stated? It doesn't do her much good so smugly advise "Just don't log out." Duh... What if her connection dies? I know, it seems inconceivable because most of us are blessed with constant access, but apparently there are pockets in the country where that doesn't exist yet.

I'm very sorry if I came across as rude; that wasn't my intent at all!

Once you log in, you could theoretically use the app without needing an internet connection for years! The only thing I may have overlooked was the fact that many people shut down their computers every night (this concept is foreign to me), and yes, this would cause you to have to log in again (therefore requiring internet access). The system is designed to better protect your data - not prevent you from accessing it.

[Zuzu22 0]

I'm having a similar problem, most likely because I'm very new at it. I've made a few notes to my EN through my PC. I then downloaded the Android app to my phone, logged in, but cannot see the notes that I made on my PC. I'm using Windows 7.

Can anyone help? Thanks

[FactMan 196]

For those concerned about the poster who has intermittent internet access - have you never had a power failure that has mandated a shutdown? Not common, but certainly not infrequent, even where I live. I can understand the concern about security, but for those who lose internet access would it not be possible to have a security system in place that allows offline use? How does Microsoft Outlook work in that regard - I can use my email when I am offline. When I connect to the network again it automatically synchronizes/sends & receives my email.

@zuzu22: did you create the notes in an online folder or an offline folder? If online, did you synchronize with the server from your PC? Did you log in to the same account on your phone and synchronize?

[emerick 155]

I'm a new user and had been using Evernote offline in Windows just fine. But then I figured out if I logout of Evernote (while offline) or, let's say, if the computer or program crashes, I cannot open the program back up to see my files unless I login with an internet connection.

So which is it? Should I be able to use Evernote offline in Windows (with a free account) or not? Because if I log out and cannot log back in, that is, if I don't have access to internet connection, which I often don't, then that doesn't qualify as offline capability.

If you don't have an Internet connection when you make your login attempt, you'll receive the following dialog prompt:

Do you want to open locally-stored notes anyway? If the password provided is incorrect, you will be asked to provide it again the next time you synchronize your notes.

If you click the "Open Database" button in this dialog, you'll be able to access your local notes and you'll be able to create new notes, which I think is what you want. You won't be able to synchronize your notes with the Evernote service until your Internet connection returns (and of course, you need to have entered the correct password, as the dialog mentions).

I tested that this works properly in the current 4.5.8 beta. It's possible that there was a bug that prevented this functionality in earlier 4.5 versions, but a quick scan of our bug database didn't turn up any evidence of that. Please check what version of Evernote you're running (Help -> About). If it's older than 4.5.7 (the current stable release), please try upgrading (Help -> Check for Updates) and then try logging in without an Internet connection again. Let me know if that clears up the issue for you.

[hurlyburly 0]

If you don't have an Internet connection when you make your login attempt, you'll receive the following dialog prompt:

Do you want to open locally-stored notes anyway? If the password provided is incorrect, you will be asked to provide it again the next time you synchronize your notes.

If you click the "Open Database" button in this dialog, you'll be able to access your local notes and you'll be able to create new notes, which I think is what you want. You won't be able to synchronize your notes with the Evernote service until your Internet connection returns (and of course, you need to have entered the correct password, as the dialog mentions).

I tested that this works properly in the current 4.5.8 beta. It's possible that there was a bug that prevented this functionality in earlier 4.5 versions, but a quick scan of our bug database didn't turn up any evidence of that. Please check what version of Evernote you're running (Help -> About). If it's older than 4.5.7 (the current stable release), please try upgrading (Help -> Check for Updates) and then try logging in without an Internet connection again. Let me know if that clears up the issue for you.

Ah, finally someone who understands. I do not get the Open Database prompt that you speak of. That's the kind of prompt that I thought it should have. Instead it just says that program can't connect and prompts me to try to login again. I have 4.5.7 though.

[emerick 155]

I do not get the Open Database prompt that you speak of. That's the kind of prompt that I thought it should have. Instead it just says that program can't connect and prompts me to try to login again. I have 4.5.7 though.

We only display the "Open Database" dialog if we detect that the user you're currently logging in as has a local database file. In other words, if I'm logging in as "emerick", I'll only see that dialog if the file "emerick.exb" already exists in my database folder. You can verify that you have a local database file by logging in with a working Internet connection, clicking Tools -> Options (General tab) -> Open Database folder. Do you see a file in there named <USERNAME>.exb?

If you don't have a local database file and you don't have an Internet connection, then you'll receive the error message "Can't connect to server. Please try again later".

[heather 604]

@emerick - this is most definitely not working for users on 4.5.7 , nor has it for some time. If you're offline, it doesn't let you login, period (local database extant or no.)

The behavior changed sometime around 4.1.

[hurlyburly 0]

I do not get the Open Database prompt that you speak of. That's the kind of prompt that I thought it should have. Instead it just says that program can't connect and prompts me to try to login again. I have 4.5.7 though.

We only display the "Open Database" dialog if we detect that the user you're currently logging in as has a local database file. In other words, if I'm logging in as "emerick", I'll only see that dialog if the file "emerick.exb" already exists in my database folder. You can verify that you have a local database file by logging in with a working Internet connection, clicking Tools -> Options (General tab) -> Open Database folder. Do you see a file in there named <USERNAME>.exb?

If you don't have a local database file and you don't have an Internet connection, then you'll receive the error message "Can't connect to server. Please try again later".

I have the <USERNAME>.exb local database file and it does not let me login. I get the error message you speak of.

[emerick 155]

OK, seems to be a bug that hits some and not others. FWIW, I just downgraded to 4.5.7 and I do see the dialog (unfortunately for me!) I'll investigate this, thanks everyone...

[heather 604]

Thanks, Emerick, for clearing up that this is actually a bug and not a feature

Anyone who is not getting the "login" dialog, please try the following to see if it fixes it:

Uninstall your Evernote for Windows client (using Add/Remove programs) and reboot your machine. (This will not remove your .exb file or any of your notes).

Then, download and install the latest copy of the software from here:

http://www.evernote....ereleaseWinBeta

Try logging in while offline. If it still does not work, please let us know what your exact OS version is, and if you can go to Help->Activity Log and send that as well (via PM) that would be great. Thanks!

[oor 1]

As to the password security being dependent on an active internet connection:

If I only have a local notebook, I cannot see how an internet connection could increase the security for the login process. If the user has a strong passphrase which is used to open a locally stored keystore where there is a strong key, and this key is used for symmetric encryption/decryption of the Evernote database using a strong 1024 bits encryption algorithm, nothing can be much safer than that... It is more safe than depending on an SSL communication line using TLS lower than 1.2. Moreover, scrutinizing your https://evernote.com server's SSL capabilities reveals that you are open to BEAST attack, has maximum of TLS 1.0 support and no secure renegotiation support.

As to the dialog box prompting "Do you want to open locally-stored notes anyway? If the password provided is incorrect, you will be asked to provide it again the next time you synchronize your notes."

I am running 4.5.8.7356 (267864) Public version, which should be the last one. I do not get this option dialog box. I miss it. Accidentally logging off Evernote out in the wilderness without being able to re-login offline is just simply unacceptable.

[oor 1]

As to the password security being dependent on an active internet connection:

If I only have a local notebook, I cannot see how an internet connection could increase the security for the login process. If the user has a strong passphrase which is used to open a locally stored keystore where there is a strong key, and this key is used for symmetric encryption/decryption of the Evernote database using a strong 1024 bits encryption algorithm, nothing can be much safer than that... It is more safe than depending on an SSL communication line using TLS lower than 1.2. Moreover, scrutinizing your https://evernote.com server's SSL capabilities reveals that you are open to BEAST attack, has maximum of TLS 1.0 support and no secure renegotiation support.

As to the dialog box prompting "Do you want to open locally-stored notes anyway? If the password provided is incorrect, you will be asked to provide it again the next time you synchronize your notes."

I am running 4.5.8.7356 (267864) Public version, which should be the last one. I do not get this option dialog box. I miss it. Accidentally logging off Evernote out in the wilderness without being able to re-login offline is just simply unacceptable.

Someone on the Forum has pointed out to another user upon dicussing the local use of Evernote. "Maybe EN is not your right product?" My personal answer to that is "I like Evernote!" Simply as that. I have used it since its startout, and I am still using it. I just don't like clouding my unencrypted data, just like that. Fix the cloud security, and I will go cloud myself.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

As to the password security being dependent on an active internet connection:

If I only have a local notebook, I cannot see how an internet connection could increase the security for the login process. If the user has a strong passphrase which is used to open a locally stored keystore where there is a strong key, and this key is used for symmetric encryption/decryption of the Evernote database using a strong 1024 bits encryption algorithm, nothing can be much safer than that... It is more safe than depending on an SSL communication line using TLS lower than 1.2. Moreover, scrutinizing your https://evernote.com server's SSL capabilities reveals that you are open to BEAST attack, has maximum of TLS 1.0 support and no secure renegotiation support.

As to the dialog box prompting "Do you want to open locally-stored notes anyway? If the password provided is incorrect, you will be asked to provide it again the next time you synchronize your notes."

I am running 4.5.8.7356 (267864) Public version, which should be the last one. I do not get this option dialog box. I miss it. Accidentally logging off Evernote out in the wilderness without being able to re-login offline is just simply unacceptable.

Someone on the Forum has pointed out to another user upon dicussing the local use of Evernote. "Maybe EN is not your right product?" My personal answer to that is "I like Evernote!" Simply as that. I have used it since its startout, and I am still using it. I just don't like clouding my unencrypted data, just like that. Fix the cloud security, and I will go cloud myself.

I like Evernote, too. Hell, I LOVE Evernote. It's easily my most used app...EVER. And I've been computer literate for over 35 years. Not an hour goes by that I'm on the computer that I don't use EN in one form or another (collecting info, adding to existing notes or looking up info I'd previously Evernoted.) That's not counting emails I have auto forwarded to my account or IFTTT's sent directly to my account or FastEver notes/snaps I send throughout the day. And I've been using EN since 2009 & (unlike yourself) became a fairly active participant on the board shortly thereafter, helping others use EN. But EN (or any app I've seen so far) is NOT the be all end all app of apps. IOW, will I use EN for budgeting? No. Will I use EN for paying my bills? No. Will I use EN to print out my Christmas cards or the envelopes for my Christmas cards??? Definitely no. Use the right app for the right task. Just because EN may not be the right app for a particular task doesn't mean EN isn't a great app or that you can't like EN. And...EN is not a true backup app. For that, I use Amazon S3 servers via Jungle Disk. IMO, there's nothing for EN to "fix" wrt their cloud security. It's simply not intended to be (nor do they claim to be) an encrypted/true backup system. Simple as that.

[oor 1]

Who said anything about a backup system? And since Evernote produces Evernote, they have the power of definition, no question about that. So there is nothing to "fix" in with respect to bugs. I only assume you would satisfy more customers (e.g. me) and maybe get more customers if you could come up with at least an optional possibility to have your cloud stored database encrypted. And, no, I am not using Evernote for anything but storing different kinds and categories of notes, I am not trying to start my car with it, for example. I am not (that) stupid. So I think your comment is a little bit patronizing.

All that said, the main point of my post was the missing ability to login to the Evernote local notebook when offline and logged out. And the argument that the state of the matter is that it is like it is for securing us users. Which I technically do not believe in. You're not commenting on that.

[VeeTee 0]

I feel a bit sorry for Evernote, because for me there's no way, I will pay such price. And I have payed as least hundred euro on apps in app store.

Price for one year is that of 250 GB hard disk. My mobile data plan costs me 6 eur/month and evernote is asking for 4 or 5 just because I want to save things offline, because from time to time I'm in location with no coverage? I have around 600 apps on phone and if everyone would charge these "several cups of coffee per month", 2000 bucks per every month would not be enough. Maybe I should pay also 4 eur/month for offline emails, another for offline documents, and also offline im history, offline maps, offline music library, offline rss feeds, offline photos, offline reminders...

I get that they must be living from something - but other apps costs on average less that 2 eur for lifetime feature set. Once in time I forget about this and ask myself, why am I using other note taking app which syncs posts back to Evernote and always ends by same conclusion that Evernote is completely flawed concept - in 5 years it may go bankrupt or be bought by someone else, and app will instantly be useless with data forever gone - and there's no offline version and no future proof strategy like ability to switch cloud service to my WebDAV, google drive, iCloud or whatever.

To be precise, I hate Evernote business model in general - the ideas are great, like Evernote moleskine, but then you look at price and see it's double of normal moleskine for virtually nothing - I don't need 3 months premium - they should have made every moleskine Evernote friendly for free and both businesses would benefit, moleskine users would automatically become evernote users and possible customers, and vice versa - Evernote users would be tempted to prefer moleskines. Wasted opportunity. Same goes for offline notes... For anyone who is not power user 35 bucks per year for several offline notes is pretty insane - and omission of offline notebooks is pretty short-sighted - by today prices for data roaming your free Evernote notebook will turn abroad either to useless app or will be the most expensive app of your trip.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

I feel a bit sorry for Evernote, because for me there's no way, I will pay such price. And I have payed as least hundred euro on apps in app store.

Price for one year is that of 250 GB hard disk. My mobile data plan costs me 6 eur/month and evernote is asking for 4 or 5 just because I want to save things offline, because from time to time I'm in location with no coverage? I have around 600 apps on phone and if everyone would charge these "several cups of coffee per month", 2000 bucks per every month would not be enough. Maybe I should pay also 4 eur/month for offline emails, another for offline documents, and also offline im history, offline maps, offline music library, offline rss feeds, offline photos, offline reminders...

I get that they must be living from something - but other apps costs on average less that 2 eur for lifetime feature set. Once in time I forget about this and ask myself, why am I using other note taking app which syncs posts back to Evernote and always ends by same conclusion that Evernote is completely flawed concept - in 5 years it may go bankrupt or be bought by someone else, and app will instantly be useless with data forever gone - and there's no offline version and no future proof strategy like ability to switch cloud service to my WebDAV, google drive, iCloud or whatever.

To be precise, I hate Evernote business model in general - the ideas are great, like Evernote moleskine, but then you look at price and see it's double of normal moleskine for virtually nothing - I don't need 3 months premium - they should have made every moleskine Evernote friendly for free and both businesses would benefit, moleskine users would automatically become evernote users and possible customers, and vice versa - Evernote users would be tempted to prefer moleskines. Wasted opportunity. Same goes for offline notes... For anyone who is not power user 35 bucks per year for several offline notes is pretty insane - and omission of offline notebooks is pretty short-sighted - by today prices for data roaming your free Evernote notebook will turn abroad either to useless app or will be the most expensive app of your trip.

Sure, if all you're looking at is the dollars, you'll probably not get EN premium. (The free version is, uh, free.). If you're looking at the ROI, even then it may not be cost worthy to you. But it takes their devs time to develop this and this devs have rent to pay & backpacks to buy for their kids. So they chose to make some features pay ware. (Do you work for free?). Offline notebooks are one of these features.

[johnny_boy 0]

This is not a bug. In order to protect the security of your account, you need to connect to our server to reuthenticate whenever you forcibly logout from your account in the software (upon relogin) as we clear any authentication data from your machine upon logout.

However, your notes are stored locally, so you actually can access the database itself should you ever need to access note content while offline. Should the time come when Evernote should cease to exist, we will provide a means to access your content offline directly without contacting our servers. In the meantime, you can simply keep a prior version of the client installed which allowed for this as well (not all of these allow for proper syncing or note creation, so I would only use these for offline note retrieval).

This doesn't make much sense. For security reasons login credentials are stored on Evernote's servers, yet notes are stored locally and can even be accessed without contacting Evernote's severs?

[jefito 5,589]

This doesn't make much sense. For security reasons login credentials are stored on Evernote's servers, yet notes are stored locally and can even be accessed without contacting Evernote's severs?

Correct. They are cached locally so that you can access them and create new notes when you're offline, however, I think that you need to be online to log in and obviously be able to sync. The login remains valid until you log out. Since they are stored locally, they exist on your hard drive, in your account's folders. And since they are in a SQLLite database, yes, you can examine them.

Refer to this post for details: http://discussion.evernote.com/topic/27904-help-understanding-offline-use-free-account/#entry150686

[mjevernote 10]

I have only been using evernote for a few weeks, but I have a premium account.  Yesterday I tried to use evernote offline because I had no wifi connection, and I ran into the same problem as documented in this thread, i.e., I could not even login into evernote.

 

I chatted with evernote support, and they told me

 

"When you sign in to the application, do you have a check box to keep you signed in to the account?
You need to have that check box always checked so when ever you start the application, it will remain open."

 

I have now checkmarked that box below the login info, and I will see if that works the next time I go offline.  But as a former user interface designer, I would say that this is very poor design.  Because there are many ways to secure your computer nowadays, so it is superfluous to also password protect an application unless the user really wants it.  But don't require that extra security by default, and give a user a way to turn it off and on.  These are basic UI design guidelines.

[Elif 0]

I read this in the support section of Evernotes web site....

https://support.evernote.com/link/portal/16051/16058/Article/612/How-can-I-synchronize-notes-between-my-computer-and-my-mobile-phone

/link/portal/16051/16058/Article/612/How-can-I-synchronize-notes-between-my-computer-and-my-mobile-phone

 

• If you add a note to your mobile phone while it isn't connected to the Internet, your new note will not be synchronized until the next time you launch the Evernote mobile app while connected to the Internet.
• For iOS and Android users with Premium subscriptions, you have the option of making one or more of your notebooks "Offline Notebooks", which will allow you to access all of the notes in the selected notebook(s), even when not connected to the Internet. Mobile applications for free accounts maintain a lightweight index of your notes (title, tags, date information, etc.) which can facilitate search and browsing, but require Internet access to view the body of a note.
•  
• DOES THIS MEAN THE FREE VERSION DOES NOT GIVE YOU FULL ACCESS TO ALL YOUR NOTES OFFLINE??

[Metrodon 2,184]

Correct

[secureitexperts 0]

As a security professional, I a deeply disturbed by the responses provided by Evernote on this topic, and on several other security fronts. I had been looking for a notes management solution for my business and was looking forward to using Evernote. That will not be the case now!

1) authentication can be managed via a users local credentials on a machine! If I install Evernote on my PC, I should have the ability to associate my instance of the Evernote database with my local credentials. For instance, my Windows or Linux account and the applicable file protection mechanisms. Forcing me to maintain an Internet connection for logging in to use my LOCAL data makes absolutely NO sense. You can claim DRM and equate it to video games if you like, but that's a cop out, pure and simple. You are actually REDUCING security in some ways. For instance - if I am using my iPad to take notes, and I MUST leave myself logged into the Evernote application (or else lack of an Internet connection will shut me down) - and my login remains persistent, the anyone gaining access to my device has access to my notes. Apply this to situations where the iPad is unlocked and left sitting alone, or when sharing it with a colleague, or letting your kid play video games on it! At leastI could log out of Evernote (like I can with most other information-oriented applications I use). Under your current model my options are to remain logged in at all times, or lose access to my data if I'm not connected to the Internet... Now I can understand the need for remote authentication for synchronization services, but for local access? Your model needs work!

2) there is absolutely no way in hell that I would use any application or service that essentially demands cloud synchronization for my data. Any and all versions of your application MUST include granular control over what stays local and what gets synchronized. My clients DEMAND that their data be protected at all times - and I have a responsibility to them to make smart decisions about how I take, store, and manage information associated with their accounts. I cannot, under any circumstances, afford to run the risk of you folks doing something that jeopardizes that trust - hence why point #1 is so suspect. Ok, so I have to pay a subscription fee for an off-line storage option to keep things private... But when your force remote authentication for access to my local data, it triggers my 'paid to be paranoid' mindset which says 'well, what if...'.

Please, for the sake of all those who value security over synchronization - and for very very good reasons, take the time to reevaluate your authentication and security models. Until you do - and I can be ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that my data is mine, resides only on my local devices, requires only my local authentication and authorization mechanisms, can be manually synced through a physical connection to another device, etc. there is no way I can use Evernote, and I'd also sway any of my clients away from your application for any business purposes. If you want to serve the business community as a legitimate business application, you MUST recognize and accept the absolute essential nature of information protection... I hope you can see that.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

2) there is absolutely no way in hell that I would use any application or service that essentially demands cloud synchronization for my data.

(snip)

Please, for the sake of all those who value security over synchronization -

 

Evernote is a cloud app.  If you don't want a cloud app, that's fine & certainly your choice.  Clearly, Evernote is not an app for you.  But to criticize Evernote for being what they are & not what you want them to be is silly.

 

so I have to pay a subscription fee for an off-line storage option to keep things private...

 

You're confusing offline storage (for mobile devices & only to premium (pay) customers) with local notebooks (only on the Mac & Windows desktop) which do not sync to the cloud & are available to all users, including free users.

[secureitexperts 0]

That's fair - If it's a cloud app, it's a cloud app. I still won't use, or recommend generalized cloud-based services for business-oriented information management though (unless very specific security requirements are met and validated); especially when it comes to working with sensitive information. It's a shame really. As I said, I was originally looking forward to using Evernote until I came across these security concerns.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

That's fair - If it's a cloud app, it's a cloud app. I still won't use, or recommend generalized cloud-based services for business-oriented information management though (unless very specific security requirements are met and validated); especially when it comes to working with sensitive information. It's a shame really. As I said, I was originally looking forward to using Evernote until I came across these security concerns.

IDK why you think it's a shame. Evernote is an amazing app. I rely heavily upon it each & every day. It may not meet your requirements. But dismissing it as you do above is comparing apples & oranges. You seem to be rating Evernote against what you want it to be rather than what it is. Just because I'm a vegetarian & don't like/eat steak doesn't mean it's not a really good steak.

Maybe if you left your predispositions at the door, you could see Evernote for the awesome app that it is. WRT sensitive info, please search the board on that. Discussed a lot already. But Evernote is very useful for many other things.

[secureitexperts 0]

I understand what you are saying, but I am not going to be using different tools for different types of data. I want one tool that I can use to securely manage all of my notes and materials. I cannot leave my security requirements at the door. I am a security consultant - it's a pretty big, uncompromising requirement that I be able to completely protect my client's data. ;-)

As you said, it's just doesn't fit my needs.

[secureitexperts 0]

For anyone that may be curious, I have settled on Outline+ as my secure alternative to Evernote. Not only is it compatible with MS OneNote, it supports local sync functionality - meaning there is no need to involve an untrusted third party cloud service for synchronization. Nor are you required to 'log in' in order to access your own local data.

So, my goals are now met. I can capture notes on my iPhone or iPad when and where I need to, then transfer them (securely) to my PC later - pulling them all into my installation of OneNote and vice versa.

Thanks.

[dspapps 6]

Our key use case seems to be disabled in the latest beta release - (4.6.5.8353)

 

In the change log there is a note: "Users required to enter password to sign in while offline"

 

Our scenario is that we build our database when connected to the internet but our users who consume the Evernote content have no internet connection.

 

We  distribute the Evernote program  along with the .EXB database file via DVD/USB stick.

 

They used to be able to install Evernote from stick onto a PC and copy the EXB file into the 'databases' folder.

 

Does anyone know if Evernote running in a true offline mode on PC is or will be officially supported?

 

...or did it work in the past due to faulty offline implementation.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

Our key use case seems to be disabled in the latest beta release - (4.6.5.8353)

 

In the change log there is a note: "Users required to enter password to sign in while offline"

 

Our scenario is that we build our database when connected to the internet but our users who consume the Evernote content have no internet connection.

 

We  distribute the Evernote program  along with the .EXB database file via DVD/USB stick.

 

They used to be able to install Evernote from stick onto a PC and copy the EXB file into the 'databases' folder.

 

Does anyone know if Evernote running in a true offline mode on PC is or will be officially supported?

 

...or did it work in the past due to faulty offline implementation.

AFAIK, if it's a new install or you actually logged out of Evernote (vs just closing EN), you always had to have an Internet connection to log back in.

http://discussion.evernote.com/topic/27904-help-understanding-offline-use-free-account/?p=150680

[dspapps 6]

OK that's a showstopper for us with Evernote.

 

Looks like it worked before due to a bug and not by design.  Previously I could install a database, launch Evernote, perform searches, access content, etc.

 

That is no longer the case.

 

I will chat to support today and try to find out more.

 

Our guys are offline with no possibility of internet access.

[dspapps 6]

Support say the 'offline' mode is available on a PC if the PC is online at least once to authenticate.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

Support say the 'offline' mode is available on a PC if the PC is online at least once to authenticate.

That's what I said & what Heather had said in the post I linked to.

And...if you don't log out...

[dspapps 6]

Support say the 'offline' mode is available on a PC if the PC is online at least once to authenticate.

That's what I said & what Heather had said in the post I linked to.

And...if you don't log out...

 

This is a problem for our usage scenario, we can't get online in our operational location.

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

How about installing Evernote onto an external hard drive, or USB stick, accessing the Internet from a location where you can do that, and then sending the USB sticks / external hard drives to the people in the field?

[dspapps 6]

Good suggestion but it's not possible to send items to the workers after they arrive on site...

 

Our best bet is to try to connect the PC's to internet before they leave the workshop.  Tricky if they log out of the application though.

 

I would have thought that Evernote would encrypt the password in the database and not have to connect to their servers to verify.  I guess it doesn't work like that.

[arizidon 0]

Hi,

 

I am on mac os (mountain lion).

I try to log in off line and get the following:

"You do not appear to be connected to the internet"

 

No option to work in an offline mode that I can find.

I simply can't afford to rely on evernote and not have offline access to information I put in it.

The tool looks really perfect for my needs,  but this is a showstopper limitation and I won't be able to use without this ability.

 

Please advise.

 

Thanks

[DavidPierson 15]

I just did the following experiment:-

File - Sign out of evernote

Quit evernote

Unplug network cable

Fire up evernote

Sign in successfully

Plug in network cable

 

So I'm really puzzled what all the fuss is about. Seems to work just fine and let me login with no internet.

[dspapps 6]

Workaround I came up with is using the portableapps.com platform on a USB stick.

 

I copy the database into the "database" folder on the stick.

 

I install EvernotePortable and log in once on a PC with internet connection.  We can then give the stick to people to take away with them.

 

Tested and working on a PC with no internet access.  If I log out on the PC it crashes with a 'Fatal Error' and tries to send an error report to Evernote.

 

If I know the user name and password I can log into Evernote and it will authenticate locally without needing an internet connection.  This is good news for me and others who work where there is no internet.

[dspapps 6]

Worth noting that the Business Library is not available in this scenario, only Business Notebooks I have access to.

 

Obvious path for me may be to revert to the Premium or free subscription model perhaps.

[dlu 628]

Could you elaborate on your usage with workers that don't have offline access? Is everyone sharing the same login? How do you get your workers updated information?

 

thanks,

Daniel

[dspapps 6]

Each worker has a login which they use to help populate the KB when they have internet access.

 

This central database is put onto a stick periodically and taken to our working location by the project team.

 

They can't receive updates during a project unless there is a change-out of personnel, and a new crew member brings a new stick.

 

In the offline environment a role-based account is used to authenticate the database once with EN.

[Blaine Benson 0]

So I'm on the highway and I'm 100 miles from the nearest city or Cel phone tower and I get a note that I have not connection.  How does this offline thing work at that point.

 

Now if I'm going to get cel tower connection who pays for this mobile data source.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

So I'm on the highway and I'm 100 miles from the nearest city or Cel phone tower and I get a note that I have not connection.  How does this offline thing work at that point.

 

Now if I'm going to get cel tower connection who pays for this mobile data source.

This is in the Windows section. There is no reliable offline use for mobile clients for free accounts. You need to have a premium account & designate which notebooks are to be available for offline use & sync the notes down when you have a connection. Please search the board on "offline notebooks" for more info.

[fight_club_fan 0]

I am a new user.  I have the app installed on my windows laptop.  When I am offline and try to log in; the app just sits there.  I've read some of these posts; spent maybe 30 minutes trying to figure it out, but there does not seem to be a clear definitive answer.  A few posts before this one a user brags about how he can connect offline.  It does not work for me.  I do have the free account.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

I am a new user.  I have the app installed on my windows laptop.  When I am offline and try to log in; the app just sits there.  I've read some of these posts; spent maybe 30 minutes trying to figure it out, but there does not seem to be a clear definitive answer.  A few posts before this one a user brags about how he can connect offline.  It does not work for me.  I do have the free account.

 

 

Please read post #6.  In a nutshell, you need to be online to log into the Windows desktop client.  If you do not log out, then you will be able to access your notes without an internet connection, since the database is stored on your hard drive.  It is this way for both free & premium accounts.

[Fico 0]

Hi all:

 

I have trouble trying to access my notes in the Windows desktop client when I'm not connected to the internet. The default connection at my work blocks the application and I don't want to upload new content, I just want to be able to access and browse my already stored and locally downloaded notes, but the login screen does not allow me in.

 

I am a premium user. I have tryed disabling wireless and removing the wired connection, but it's no use.

 

Can anybody help me, please?

 

Thanks in advance.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

Hi all:

I have trouble trying to access my notes in the Windows desktop client when I'm not connected to the internet. The default connection at my work blocks the application and I don't want to upload new content, I just want to be able to access and browse my already stored and locally downloaded notes, but the login screen does not allow me in.

I am a premium user. I have tryed disabling wireless and removing the wired connection, but it's no use.

Can anybody help me, please?

Thanks in advance.

You must have an internet connection to log in. Once you're logged in, you can exit the program without logging out. That allows you to invoke the app & access notes from the local database without an internet connection.

[Metal450 0]

To be honest, while I totally get that Evernote is a cloud service, I'm in agreement with secureitexperts.  If they implemented offline notebooks in the first place, and they let the application function fully offline, I see no reason why they'd require each install to be explicitly connected to the internet.  Why would they not allow me to register & install from one PC, and copy my offline database to another?  Like others in this thread, I take my computer on the road with me and am frequently without internet; the "decision" to require access to the server to login, rather than just letting you decrypt your data locally (which would be perfectly feasible) essentially means that if I ever have to reformat during an extended period away from the internet, or have any other issue that requires me to install - my notes are held hostage.  Despite the fact that I have my entire database on a USB key and they're supposedly "offline notebooks."

 

Again, I DO understand why they'd want you to have an account. And I that it's a cloud service.  But not being able to install the software and access an existing database - which was created with a valid account - without a connection just seems dumb.  It's a big risk to my data.  Similarly, they've said that if Evernote ever ceases to exist, they'll provide a way to access your data offline at that point (without their authorization servers).  ...Um, so why not just do so now?  Why hold our data hostage?

 

I love the Evernote client, and I use it both online and offline all the time.  But I've been looking for a viable alternative for some time, solely because of this.  It's a real shame that they built such fantastic software, but this simple policy - "every time you install you have to be online" - leaves my data so at-risk.

[Indy Fritz 0]

Interesting topic.  I have been an Evernote user for about 1 hour.  And have now discovered the inability to use the program when off line.  It seems clear from the questions and answers that Evernote's business model requires forcing customers to be connected.  This is all about selling customers services.  I understand that.  As for this being a security issue.  I agree with other users.  IMHO this is just pure BS.  If Evernote would just be clear and honest about what they are giving away free and what they require of the user in exchange, they could avoid all the pissed off people on this forum.  No need for an answer to this.  I am off to look for a program that unconditionally can be run in local, off line mode WHEN NECESSARY.

[CalS 5,280]

Interesting topic.  I have been an Evernote user for about 1 hour.  And have now discovered the inability to use the program when off line.  It seems clear from the questions and answers that Evernote's business model requires forcing customers to be connected.  This is all about selling customers services.  I understand that.  As for this being a security issue.  I agree with other users.  IMHO this is just pure BS.  If Evernote would just be clear and honest about what they are giving away free and what they require of the user in exchange, they could avoid all the pissed off people on this forum.  No need for an answer to this.  I am off to look for a program that unconditionally can be run in local, off line mode WHEN NECESSARY.

EN can be unconditionally run in off line mode.  On a lap top it just is, on a phone or tablet you need to go to settings and select which notebooks you want to be available offline.  Then sync and you have it.  I've got 6GB of notes on my iPhone I can access wherever whenever.

[hanotes 0]

I am having the same problem and getting the same message.  I need to recover my data somehow.  I signed up for plus and managed to sign in again but without access to current files and data.  My folders date to 2014.  All of  the data entered into the program in 2015 is missing.

[CalS 5,280]

I am having the same problem and getting the same message.  I need to recover my data somehow.  I signed up for plus and managed to sign in again but without access to current files and data.  My folders date to 2014.  All of  the data entered into the program in 2015 is missing.

From what platform is the data missing?  Is it missing on the web as well?

[hanotes 0]

The data from 2015 is missing on the web.  Hopefully, it is on my computer.  My program stopped syncing with the cloud service. I am not sure what platform the data was on but if you mean desktop, I suppose that is the case.  As noted, when I signed out, I lost access to my data.  When trying to sign back in, I get a message saying that an internet connection is not available even though I am connected to my account on the net.    Apparently, I have two accounts - one with the data that did sync and one with data (hopefully resident) on my laptop.  As stated, i need to get my files back somehow.    

[CalS 5,280]

The data from 2015 is missing on the web.  Hopefully, it is on my computer.  My program stopped syncing with the cloud service. I am not sure what platform the data was on but if you mean desktop, I suppose that is the case.  As noted, when I signed out, I lost access to my data.  When trying to sign back in, I get a message saying that an internet connection is not available even though I am connected to my account on the net.    Apparently, I have two accounts - one with the data that did sync and one with data (hopefully resident) on my laptop.  As stated, i need to get my files back somehow.    

If it has been that long since you synched it might be related to some communications security changes made a while back.  Try what's in this post and see if you start syncing again. 

 

https://discussion.evernote.com/topic/71001-getting-cant-connect-to-server-error-message-on-windows-app/page-2#entry312045

[fivekitten 0]

For those that say "don't sign out" as if it's no big deal, I think they need to realize that there are many of us that share our laptops. I'm not a tech person, but shouldn't there be a way to have some kind of signin/signout during offline access? If we can password documents offline, it seems this should be possible. The other day I had to go out for internet access, downloaded research to evernote, hoping to work on it at home offline, but I signed out because my teen was using my laptop. The next morning, I couldn't get on to evernote and lost a chunk of productive writing time. I agree with the original poster, and hear what he's saying. If you have to be online to sign in, it's really not a wholly offline program. But I see the instructions have been changed. Wish a change would be made to offer privacy while offline, particularly with the "so concerned about security" claim. City folks might have Internet 24/7, but a lot of us don't.