Extract local notebooks from old database exb file?

[cb2001764 3]

I somehow lost all my local notebooks. I thought I'd exported everything before reinstalling Windows, but apparently I didn't.

The hopefully good news is that  I do have all my old .exb files, and I think the exb should have all those notebooks and attached PDFs inside it?

 

(I've got the whole evernote folder with Announcement / AutoUpdate/Databases/Dict/LocalStorage (this one is empty by the way) and Logs).

 

Is there any way to import the .exb into my current synced notebook without overwriting anything, so I can drag and drop the old local notes into a synced notebook?

 

Thanks!

[gazumped 11,666]

Hi - interesting question.  Your local notebooks will still be in the EXB file,  but extracting them will require a little fiddling.  If your backup is not too old,  you should be able to replace the latest exb with your old one (don't do anything yet though!) to jump back to the previous state of your database.  You could then export the local notebook(s) to ENEX file(s) - one notebook per file - and swop back to your latest database to re-import them.

 

You would need to be offline while you do this.

 

- Otherwise the old database would overwrite your current data.  I'm not sure how your Evernote is going to react to some or all of this (it hates to be lonely and offline) so the whole process will be a bit of an experiment.  It's a safe one though - the worst that can happen is you're back where you are now.

 

So my suggestion would be

1. Secure beverage of choice and place convenient to workspace.
2. Exit Evernote completely (File > Exit) and backup your current folder including the latest EXB file.  Save that somewhere secure.
3. Switch off wi-fi,  disconnect your LAN and put silver foil around the computer (kidding about the foil).
4. Now replace your current folder with the old one and restart Evernote.
5. If it works (no guarantees here) - export the notebooks you need to save to ENEX
6. Exit Evernote again and switch the folders back.  Make sure Evernote is back up to date.
7. re-connect the wifi,  cables,  remove silver foil (still kidding)
8. re-import your local notebooks
9. make an up to date backup and store it somewhere safe
10. delete all the working files and clean up
11. drink beverage

That could go wrong in a variety of ways,  but worst case all you do is restore your backup of the current database folder - and raise a support ticket (see below)

 

Good luck - let us know how you get on!

[cb2001764 3]

Thanks! But... no luck! (hmm....maybe because I used clingfilm? We're out of silver foil )

 

When I swap out exb files and open Evernote again offline, I get a blank screen (but with evernote GUI layout and colors etc, just not content) and Evernote hangs.

 

I did update Evernote a few weeks ago I think - and my exb file is from late 2013. Could be a version issue??

Is there any way to see which evernote version was used to create the exb?
It's a 1GB file so I'm a bit hesitant to just throw it into Notepad..

 

(I do have a pro Evernote account, haven't checked Evernote size limits yet - always have been well under the limits - but will clean up some unneeded/big files before syncing everything once it's working.)

 

By the way. Step 9: delete all the working files and clean up.

"Working files" - Does that include .exb.snippets and other .exb.* files?

 

For anyone wondering - Evernote active database location on Windows 8 is at

C:\Users\UsernameAppData\Local\Evernote\Evernote\Databases

[jefito 5,589]

Evernote .exb files are SQLlite databases. You may get something poking around in Notepad, but it'd probably be better to use a SQLlite database viewer, which can be be found on the web if you want to go that route. That being said, as far as I know, .exb files are backwards compatibple at least to the Evernote V$ release that were au courant in 2013. You'll want to ensure that Evernote is looking in the right place for your database via Tools / Options / Open Database Folder.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

Thanks! But... no luck! (hmm....maybe because I used clingfilm? We're out of silver foil )

 

When I swap out exb files and open Evernote again offline, I get a blank screen (but with evernote GUI layout and colors etc, just not content) and Evernote hangs.

 

I did update Evernote a few weeks ago I think - and my exb file is from late 2013. Could be a version issue??

Well, you do have to make sure you're replacing the exb file with a good/current one. I do know this works as I've done it more times than you can count on two hands. AFAIK, an exb file is compatible with all versions of the software as long as it was created with the same major version. IOW, a backup from Version 4 should work with any EN version 4 software.  It may not be compatible with version 5 software.  If you're trying to pull the local notebooks from a version 4 exb file and you don't have a copy of the EN version 4 software that you can install, then you should submit a support ticket.

[cb2001764 3]

My old file is dated December 2013. I don't think it's corrupted - I just tried SQliteman and it could open it fine (with a few popup errors for probably some tables - no errors saying anything about 'corrupt/can't read')

And I think I can see at least some of the local notes in there

 

I'm currently running Evernote 5X. No clue on which version I was running back in December.. I might not have updated for a while, not sure.

 

I could install a different Evernote version on my mom's laptop when she's here, and use that to export everything, then reimport into my own - but I don't have any old Evernote installers.

(I also created a ticket since it looks like it might not be a version issue, and maybe there's another way?)

[gazumped 11,666]

Hmmn.  Filehippo.com does a fair job of summarising all the older releases here (they're also available for download) but their dating suggests that provided your machine was current in December,  you would have been running 5.0.3.  It's worth a shot to download and install that version,  but the database should (AFAIK) be compatible as BnF says.

 

- My earlier comment about clearing up was a "don't do as I do,  do as I say" situation - I tend to leave all sorts of working files lying around with every intention of clearing up later... but then wind up keeping some of them because they might be important and I can't remember at what stage they were created.  Ideally I should clear up carefully at the end of any activity like this and carefully and completely trash anything not wanted on voyage.  I recommend you do the same!

 

Evernote clearly have the technology - maybe we can feature request that a good tool to have available would be one which checked through a database and simply extracted all notes to ENEX,  creating a new file for each separate notebook.  That would be useful for everyone in the event of corrupted notes - the tool could extract notes from a local backup which could be imported back into the main database,  and edited as necessary.

 

Good luck with Support - let us know how you get on.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

If you can match up an EN activity log with the last modified date of your good exb file, then check for the most recent entry starting out "Log opened on YYYY/MM/DD" followed with the time - there may be a few, if you opened EN multiple times on the same day.  Once you've found that, a few lines down, it shows the EN version.  It's "client info" followed by build number.  That may help you identify what version you last used with that exb file.  I think it used to include the actual version number, but mine seem to only have the build number.  That may be b/c I'm running a pre-release.  If you're using a public release, I think it will include the actual EN version number in the log file.  If so, then there you go. 

 

The activity log is generally named applog_YYYY-MM-DD.txt where YYYYMMDD is the date EN was invoked.

 

Disclaimer:  This is something I would try if I were in your situation.  But this should only be used by those who feel comfortable dinking with their data files & make/keep backups they can revert to, if necessary.  SO...use at your own risk.  I am not responsible if you mess something up. 

[cb2001764 3]

Thanks all!

 

Part of the log file.

Log opened on 2013/12/19 12:00:10 (UTC+1:00)

12:00:10 [2664] Command line: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Evernote\Evernote\Evernote.exe"
12:00:10 [2664] Client info: Evernote Windows/269614; Windows/6.1.7601 Service Pack 1;
12:00:13 [2664] Opened database: D:\Evernote\Databases\username.exb (1015MB Fixed)

### This is indeed bigger than my current database, and according to the SQL I imported this db into, it contains at least some of the files I'm missing (probably all)

12:02:11 [1708] Received status code 200 when accessing URL http://update.evernote.com/public/ENWin5/ReleaseNotes_5.0.3.1614_en-us.html
12:06:50 [6836] 0% Connecting to www.evernote.com
12:06:50 [6836] 0% * loaded updateCount: 12571
 

 

Looks like I was running 5.0.3 back then.

Will see if I can download that from filehippo, install it on my mom's laptop (or in a virtual machine on my own system), and replace the default database with my backup.

[cb2001764 3]

Got a reply back from support.. "Did you try File - Import".

Er.... yes. That actually was the first thing I tried, but since it's an exb and not an exported enex there is NO way to import the thing.

 

Off to install 5.0.3, cross my fingers (fold alu hat), and hope replacing the default database works so I can export.

[cb2001764 3]

Success!

 

Installed 5.0.3, logged in with 'remember me', quickly disconnected wifi.

Closed Evernote (also from system tray!).

Put all 'default' evernote folders in a subfolder "Originals".

Dragged all my backedup folders into Evernote folder location..

No luck.

Closed evernote, checked the folder - saw different username (email, not name) folders were created.

Double checked this by trying to delete those folders with Evernote running - couldn't be deleted, "in use".

Closed Evernote, deleted "in use" folders, renamed mine to the same name the "in use" folders had.

Opened Evernote, and got a message "User x already has a database , please... blabla".

Click next, export the whole lot to enex.

Currently importing

 

Edit - Well it's a good thing I exported everything, as well as the important folders one by one.

Import for "Everyhing" fails. The one by ones all work, so I've got my offline/local notes back, and will convert them to synced notes.

(And once I'm done sorting and deleting, I'll export everything to enex again..)

[jefito 5,589]

Success!

 

Installed 5.0.3, logged in with 'remember me', quickly disconnected wifi.

Closed Evernote (also from system tray!).

Put all 'default' evernote folders in a subfolder "Originals".

Dragged all my backedup folders into Evernote folder location..

No luck.

Closed evernote, checked the folder - saw different username (email, not name) folders were created.

Double checked this by trying to delete those folders with Evernote running - couldn't be deleted, "in use".

Closed Evernote, deleted "in use" folders, renamed mine to the same name the "in use" folders had.

Opened Evernote, and got a message "User x already has a database , please... blabla".

Click next, export the whole lot to enex.

Currently importing

 

Edit - Well it's a good thing I exported everything, as well as the important folders one by one.

Import for "Everyhing" fails. The one by ones all work, so I've got my offline/local notes back, and will convert them to synced notes.

(And once I'm done sorting and deleting, I'll export everything to enex again..)

Congratulations. Exporting to ENEX should definitely be done on a notebook-by-notebook basis, as notebook name is not saved in .ENEX format. BTW, you can script this using the ENScript tool (part of the Evernote installation) and PowerShell; see http://discussion.evernote.com/topic/53536-how-to-backing-up-evernote-using-powershell/.

[cb2001764 3]

Thanks! Now I've got enex files for all my (sub)notebooks