Process to Move Migrate EN to New PC/Laptop

[RavBoy 189]

I'm using EN 6.16.4.8094 (308094) Public (CE Build ce-58.1.6897) on my existing Laptop and both old and new use Windows Home.

I found a post re where to find Older Versions of EN to Download (as I have read too many reports of the latest EN version 6.17 being too buggy) but sad I could not find a similar place on EN website....so anyway that's sorted.  

But when installing my current EN v6.16 onto my new Laptop-PC is there a way, or recommended process, to import/replicate all my EN options/settings?

My current approach is to just screen-capture/or make short videos of each app i need to install on my new system....cheers

[DTLow 5,736]

19 minutes ago, RavBoy said:

is there a way, or recommended process, to import/replicate all my EN options/settings?

 My current approach is to just screen-capture/or make short videos of each app i need to install on my new system....cheers

This is my approach; settings are not a big deal on the platforms I use.

I install the Evenote app on the new device, login, and the data is downloaded from the server.

Warning; The data download does not include Local Notebooks or unsync'd notes

[RavBoy 189]

Cheers...Yeah I knew the data would be downloaded, wasn't sure about the EN app options/settings. No big deal to reconfigure manually, but becomes a pain when there are lots of different apps...so want to document best-practice for this/next time

Also, I intend on keeping my Old Laptop as a spare, so I imagine I must also add my New Laptop/device to my one-of-5 (i think it is) allowed devices...right?

[gazumped 11,666]

Hi.  The simple way to move from one laptop to another (assuming you still have access to the old one) is

1. On the old laptop,  load and sync Evernote up to date.  Export any local notebooks* to ENEX files.
2. Check for the location of the old Evernote Databases folder via Tools > Options > General. 
3. Open that location and close Evernote.
4. Copy the databases folder and any ENEX files to a USB drive
5. On the new laptop,  install and File > Exit Evernote.
6. Insert the USB drive and overwrite the new databases folder with the old content (this will bring with it any stored settings)
7. restart Evernote and sync up to date.  (Edit:  and import any local notebooks from ENEX)

* What is a local notebook?

[DTLow 5,736]

3 minutes ago, RavBoy said:

Also, I intend on keeping my Old Laptop as a spare, so I imagine I must also add my New Laptop/device to my one-of-5 (i think it is) allowed devices...right?

There's no device limit for Premium accounts

Just log in and the device is added to the list automatically.

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

14 minutes ago, RavBoy said:

But when installing my current EN v6.16 onto my new Laptop-PC is there a way, or recommended process, to import/replicate all my EN options/settings?

I don't think anyone has answered this question.  I'm currently a Mac user, but in my Windows days all (or most) of an app's settings were stored in the Windows Registry.

It should be possible to find and export the Registry settings for Evernote, and then import them in your new PC.  Sorry, I no longer have the details of how to do this, but I would expect one of the Windows gurus to come along and provide this info.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

[RavBoy 189]

12 minutes ago, gazumped said:

The simple way to move from one laptop to another (assuming you still have access to the old one) is

1. On the old laptop,  load and sync Evernote up to date.  Export any local notebooks* to ENEX files.
2. Check for the location of the old Evernote Databases folder via Tools > Options > General. 
3. Open that location and close Evernote.
4. Copy the databases folder and any ENEX files to a USB drive
5. On the new laptop,  install and File > Exit Evernote.
6. Insert the USB drive and overwrite the new databases folder with the old content (this will bring with it any stored settings)
7. restart Evernote and sync up to date.  (Edit:  and import any local notebooks from ENEX)

Thanks @gazumped ...this is great. I imagine the normal EN syncing process for a new PC/laptop, and having to download all data would be sped up greatly by simply overwriting as you say.

Re step #5 Can you clarify... so I install the EN app on New Laptop then exit immediately...without giving it a chance to start syncing etc, is that right???

Re step #6... to overwrite I guess I once again need to know the location of the NEW database location, or should it be the same?

Thanks a lot

[gazumped 11,666]

Hi - Yup;  just after installation Evernote will ask you to log in or create a new account.  Just close it down at that point - you need to get that copy folder in place.  It should be in exactly the same place for recent version of the app.  @JMichaelTX is right that there are (or were) some settings in the registry,  but I've never been aware of a way to back up or transfer those across. It's a question of using the new setup to find out what if anything needs to be changed.  Good luck!!

[RavBoy 189]

15 minutes ago, JMichaelTX said:

It should be possible to find and export the Registry settings for Evernote, and then import them in your new PC

Just Googled it...and yes looks simple straight forward enough to Find & Export

1. Press WIN+R  (or use Windows Search Box bottom left) Type 'regedit' to open registry editor
2. Select/highlight/click on the root folder 'computer'
3. Do a CTRL+F to find 'evernote'
4. Select the EN entry
5. Go Menu>File>Export....all done...then import on new machine

But this approach scares this layman too much if I ***** something up

 

[RavBoy 189]

41 minutes ago, gazumped said:

Copy the databases folder and any ENEX files to a USB drive

And just as an FYI to anyone that will follow this process...I'm copying the 'database' folder now to a USB, and my 'database' folder size for my EN is 14GB (I have approx 4,000 notes).

So I had to use a large enough USB formatted using exFAT to accept this large folder/file size

[gazumped 11,666]

14 minutes ago, RavBoy said:

But this approach scares this layman too much if I ***** something up

Solid copy on that - you missed a step too;  if you really do plan on messing with the registry - which is not a good idea at the best of times - back it up first.

-  But I think its probably better to just see how well the new setup runs before you get creative...

[Shane D. 1,818]

Hi All,

This thread was moved to a more appropriate location.

Thank you!

[jefito 5,589]

2 hours ago, RavBoy said:

Also, I intend on keeping my Old Laptop as a spare, so I imagine I must also add my New Laptop/device to my one-of-5 (i think it is) allowed devices...right?

Presumably then you'd be able to run them at the same time -- side-by-each as the Francophones in my state say -- and just go through the options dialog in parallel on each device.

Why muck around with the registry is you don't need to? Are you really so finely tuned to an exact set of options that it matters all that much (and if you missed one, but didn't notice, how bad would that be?).  Aside from that, I'm not so sure that all settings are kept in the registry anyhow; some of them may be maintained in the database. Your call, of course, but I wouldn't do it, and I'm pretty friendly with the registry.

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

2 hours ago, RavBoy said:

But this approach scares this layman too much if I ***** something up

Of course, you can backup your Registry so you can restore if need be, but if you're really uncomfortable with making these changes, then probably it is best not to do so.  Once you install Evernote on your new PC, you can quickly tell if any of the user settings are maintained in the DB.  Frankly, I'd be very surprised if they were since this is exactly the type of thing the Registry is designed for.

OTOH, this is how we learn -- stepping out of our comfort zone to try new things.  Of course you always need to first backup, and carefully research and prepare for making new changes.

[CalS 5,280]

6 hours ago, RavBoy said:

My current approach is to just screen-capture/or make short videos of each app i need to install on my new system....cheers

Mine too.  Not pretty but sometimes faster than trying to techno the solution.  Would be nice if settings synced.

 

[EdH 1,670]

12 hours ago, CalS said:

Mine too.  Not pretty but sometimes faster than trying to techno the solution.  Would be nice if settings synced.

 

I would love it if settings could be sync'd, but I do understand why they are not.

1. some settings don't work on all platforms, so every platform would have to have settings sync'd to a separate place.
2. Some people have different settings per machine. For example, back when I had a personal Windows PC, I had different Import Folders configured than on my work PC. 

So as other's have said, I have a note that has a screencap of my most critical settings, and I just key those in again once I get my client up and running. 

[CalS 5,280]

1 hour ago, EdH said:

I would love it if settings could be sync'd, but I do understand why they are not.

1. some settings don't work on all platforms, so every platform would have to have settings sync'd to a separate place.
2. Some people have different settings per machine. For example, back when I had a personal Windows PC, I had different Import Folders configured than on my work PC. 

So as other's have said, I have a note that has a screencap of my most critical settings, and I just key those in again once I get my client up and running. 

Yeah, I wasn't clear, sorry.  I meant sync the settings for the device.  I use ODS on my backup laptop, but not on my main one.  That would get hosed with an account sync.  Plus, I just inherited my daughter's old Macbook Pro, not the same.  Thought I would give EN a spin on the dark side.  😊   First impressions are meh to not-so-much based upon the client interface.  Could be newness and I haven't found the toggles yet, but I digress from the topic....

[jefito 5,589]

1 hour ago, CalS said:

I digress from the topic....

Is that just present tense, or a general operating principle?  

Quote

First impressions are meh to not-so-much based upon the client interface.

"She runs the gamut of A to B" - Dorothy Parker, speaking of a Katherine Hepburn performance

[EdH 1,670]

2 hours ago, CalS said:

Plus, I just inherited my daughter's old Macbook Pro, not the same.  Thought I would give EN a spin on the dark side.  😊   First impressions are meh to not-so-much based upon the client interface.  Could be newness and I haven't found the toggles yet, but I digress from the topic....

But the CEO considers the Mac client the one to strive for..... 😒

[CalS 5,280]

29 minutes ago, jefito said:

Is that just present tense, or a general operating principle?  

Take your pick.

30 minutes ago, jefito said:

"She runs the gamut of A to B" - Dorothy Parker, speaking of a Katherine Hepburn performance

Yeah, less snark in my comment.  Just seems it would be slower getting things done in the Mac client.  But again, first blush.

[CalS 5,280]

8 minutes ago, EdH said:

But the CEO considers the Mac client the one to strive for..... 😒

I take it you are of somewhat of the same opinion re PC vs Mac UI?

[DTLow 5,736]

7 minutes ago, CalS said:

Just seems it would be slower getting things done in the Mac client. 

We could have a race

[s2sailor 2,199]

5 hours ago, CalS said:

Could be newness and I haven't found the toggles yet

I'm not seeing it either ..

[EdH 1,670]

14 minutes ago, CalS said:

I take it you are of somewhat of the same opinion re PC vs Mac UI?

Yeah, the UI, as well as half a dozen features....

 

[CalS 5,280]

11 minutes ago, DTLow said:

We could have a race

[jefito 5,589]

2 hours ago, EdH said:

Yeah, the UI, as well as half a dozen features...

An AppleScript analogue for Windows would be very useful, probably top of my list. ENScript ain't exactly all that.

[EdH 1,670]

47 minutes ago, jefito said:

An AppleScript analogue for Windows would be very useful, probably top of my list. ENScript ain't exactly all that.

Don't know why they would bother. If they wanted to support scripting on Windows, they would just build powershell commandlets. That I wouldn't use. I don't use AppleScript either. My idea of a good time isn't scripting app stuff.

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

25 minutes ago, EdH said:

Don't know why they would bother. If they wanted to support scripting on Windows, they would just build powershell commandlets. That I wouldn't use. I don't use AppleScript either.

I also highly doubt that Evernote will ever significantly add to scripting EN Win, since they have not even kept EN Mac AppleScript up-to-date as they have added new features, and changed existing one.  If Evernote Corp wanted to really take Evernote app to the next level, then they would implement their own scripting engine, using something like MS VBA, and enable it to run in the cloud so it would work on phones/tablets as well as desktops.

27 minutes ago, EdH said:

My idea of a good time isn't scripting app stuff

I guess it depends on whether or not you enjoy programming.  Scripting to enable you to change and automate the existing behavior in ways that you would probably never get the app devs to do, certainly not on the time scale you'd like.  I have highly automated and enhanced EN Mac using AppleScript, not only within the app, but with other apps.  In essence, I've been able to automate entire workflows that cross over multiple apps, saving me hours a day, and eliminating mistakes likely made during manual steps.

[EdH 1,670]

Of that I have no doubt @JMichaelTX but if I had to guess, I would say it is significantly less than 1% of Evernote users script anything in Evernote. I suspect that puts a dampener on further development.

But, I cannot wait to see the emojis released in 2019!

Edited February 15, 2019 by EdH
sarcasm added

[CalS 5,280]

23 hours ago, EdH said:

But, I cannot wait to see the emojis released in 2019!

[RavBoy 189]

On 2/14/2019 at 6:45 AM, RavBoy said:

is there a way, or recommended process, to import/replicate all my EN options/settings?

My current approach is to just screen-capture/or make short videos of each app i need to install on my new system

 

On 2/14/2019 at 6:56 AM, RavBoy said:

so want to document best-practice for this/next time

UPDATE...

Since installing EN v6.16 onto my new laptop, using @gazumped process, I wanted to provide a review of the experience.

1. From a Time perspective - It still took me a good 30 minutes to copy and paste the Old database folder (14 GB - 4,148 notes) and that was using a fast USB3 SanDisk Ultra flash-drive ...so not sure if just syncing files (downloading data) from the EN server with a fresh install would have been quicker or very much longer...so perhaps little time benefit!?
2. From an Settings Accuracy perspective - I noticed that my Tool-bar icon-configurations were NOT maintained/copied across, including shortcuts in sidebar v toolbar (i had them in Toolbar). Plus the font settings reverted to default rather than the one I had selected on my Old previous laptop.

Conclusion - Given I still had to check, and adjust things manually, In future when migrating/installing EN to a new PC, I will just use my normal system of fresh installing and reconfiguring the options/settings manually from some previously taken screen-caps.

Cheers

[RavBoy 189]

On 2/14/2019 at 9:39 AM, jefito said:

Presumably then you'd be able to run them at the same time -- side-by-each as the Francophones in my state say -- and just go through the options dialog in parallel on each device.

An Even Better (and now seems obvious) idea ...cheers

Actually, i think i did think about it, but was nervous at having 2 systems running simultaneously! Any issues with this?

[DTLow 5,736]

2 hours ago, RavBoy said:

nervous at having 2 systems running simultaneously! Any issues with this?

No problem running side by side; make sure you're not updating the same notes.

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

On 2/14/2019 at 7:50 PM, EdH said:

Of that I have no doubt @JMichaelTX but if I had to guess, I would say it is significantly less than 1% of Evernote users script anything in Evernote.

Well, anyone can make a wild-ass guess, and I would *guess* that you are quite wrong, that there are many more EN Mac scripters among paid users.

IAC, I would hope that Evernote does NOT guess, but use some type of in-app measurement tool to get a better indication.  Of course, use of scripts is like any other feature whose use largely depends on how well advertised it is, and how easy it is to discover.  Microsoft, for example, provides a script menu item and a number of useful AppleScripts that come with Outlook.  Other apps do the same.

Scripting is really an advantage to the app developers as well.  It allows each user to customize the app, automate the app, without the app developer doing much work after the initial setup of scripting.  Scripts are much like browser extensions, except that every user can do some scripting with a modest amount of work.  I, and other Mac users, have be enjoying Templates in EN Mac years before Evernote made them generally available.  These Mac templates were fully automated, more so than Evernote's templates.

[Fany2021 0]

I am an accountant and I have a program for accounting for goods and I, just like you, was looking for a way to transfer all the settings. I decided to just not reinstall Windows and save the database.