Jump to content

Corrupted Cyrillic text... any way to fix ?


Recommended Posts

Hi all,

I used Evernote for years before switching to Onenote and then moving all of my data to a file folder based system last year.

I exported everything but kept my last enex backup file from 2014.

I just had to look up some info I didn't use since at least then. The original note was in Cyrillic. When I opened it in Google Drive, it was all garbled with question marks instead of letters. So I downloaded EN for Windows and opened my backup and it's all garbled there too. I tried the usual stuff like changing fonts, trying to change encoding etc. to no avail.

I know that the note was fine at least at some point because I added to it. 

Had anyone ever run into a similar problem, and found a fix ? I have a feeling that I'm SOL but thought I'd at least try asking.

TIA !

Link to comment
59 minutes ago, Wanderling Reborn said:

Opening direct. I will try importing, thanks

Nope, no luck.

It appears the text somehow got corrupted & the original info lost.  No matter what I try I only see the ????'s.

Hopefully I have at least an older backup somewhere.. the text in that note has literally been collected over the last two decades, so chances are I have at least some of it in one of my old backup CDs... just hope I still have one of these CDs.

Link to comment

So, I found the file I kept in Word format up to 2011, looks like I will lose three years of records that only existed in Evernote. It seems that somehow, the encoding data got lost and the text was replaced by garbage characters. The last date in that record is October 2013.

It has a sentimental value - basically, it contained copies of my Skype conversations (and before that, emails) with two of my closest childhood friends. I moved to States in my early 20s and we kept in touch regularly thanks to technology. One of them just died, very suddenly and far too young. I am preparing the transcript of all of our conversations - going back to the early 90s - to send to his family. It's only about 3 years missing, so not a major loss.

It did reinforce the lesson I've learned years ago - don't rely on any one system, and make regular backups.

 

 

Link to comment
  • Level 5

My condolences on your loss. What a shame to lose these transcripts also. This is a very long shot indeed, but I wonder if it would be worthwhile contacting Evernote technical support to see if they would be willing to look at the file and try to restore it. Possibly they might have access, for instance, to a 2013 version of EN that would work on it.

Link to comment
  • Level 5*

It's a very old principle - I think the relevant quote is: "Trust in the Lord - but keep your powder dry" - and keep regular backups.

One thought - when you moved from Evernote to OneNote originally:  did you wipe all your data from the Evernote account?  Or is there a version of that note currently in the account - allbeit with corrupted data?  Because if so you should be able to step back to an earlier version of the note with Note History which may have more content than you've currently found.

Link to comment
4 hours ago, gazumped said:

It's a very old principle - I think the relevant quote is: "Trust in the Lord - but keep your powder dry" - and keep regular backups.

One thought - when you moved from Evernote to OneNote originally:  did you wipe all your data from the Evernote account?  Or is there a version of that note currently in the account - allbeit with corrupted data?  Because if so you should be able to step back to an earlier version of the note with Note History which may have more content than you've currently found.

I had wiped all my data, since I thought I had the backup. I deleted the account. This is why I had to create a new one with that silly name.

With few exceptions, most programs used to be terrible in handling formatted non-English text. I've had whole names in Outlook replaced by ???'s. So it's not like EN only fault. 

I've already emailed his widow the log (had to go through it and delete anything he wouldn't want her to see.. we've been corresponding for longer than they've been married).

Thanks for help ! I will try an earlier version, just to see if it works.

 

Link to comment
4 hours ago, Dave-in-Decatur said:

My condolences on your loss. What a shame to lose these transcripts also. This is a very long shot indeed, but I wonder if it would be worthwhile contacting Evernote technical support to see if they would be willing to look at the file and try to restore it. Possibly they might have access, for instance, to a 2013 version of EN that would work on it.

Thank you. I am not easily thrown off balance, but this news was hard to take for a while. Especially because he was one of these very rare people who don't change as they grow up and mature, it's the same person you've known since childhood.

Anyway, I already sent the transcripts to his family..

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...