Evernote using too much space on System File MacBook hard drive

[YorkiePudPud 0]

How can I quickly routinely remove data?

 

[PinkElephant 8,100]

How much is too much ?

[DTLow 5,736]

7 hours ago, YorkiePudPud said:

How can I quickly routinely remove data?

I'm using 12.5GB for my Evernote installation.
This is a full copy of my data. There's no option here.

For large file attachments, I can store the file externally, with just a file link in Evernote

You can remove your Evernote installation using app AppCleaner.
If you reinstall the Evernote app and login, the database will be recreated from the servers. 
Warning - the rebuild does not include Local Notebooks or unsync'd notes

 

[gazumped 11,663]

It's possible,  but not wildly convenient,  to use one of the two current web versions instead of downloading the database to your desktop;  or there are options to have seldom-used notes removed from the local database,  though NOT from the server.  There's a performance hit if each note then has to be downloaded before viewing or editing.  Look for "on demand sync" in your preferences. 

A more practical application might be to set up a(nother) new free Evernote account to hold information currently in use on the Macbook,  and to move notes you no longer need on a daily basis to your existing account.  Sharing a notebook from one account to the other would make moving notes between them quicker and easier*.

However please consider setting up some means of backing up all your notes,  whether that means hosting the full database somewhere locally,  or maintaining two seperate accounts plus backups - moving notes around increases the likelihood that something bad will happen to some of your data.  While Evernote maintains a backup of all account data a couple of times per day,  lost or deleted notes are purged from the system - even when that loss is accidental.

*archiving and moving data is also possible by exporting notes or notebooks to ENEX.

How to back up (export) and restore (import) notes and notebooks

[PinkElephant 8,100]

Personally I would still like to learn just how much is too much.

From my experience an EN database rarely contains that much GB that it should be a problem.

And exporting notes from the DB means as well to loose a lot of the search & find ability build into EN. I am not 100% sure, but I do not think that an attachment removed and replaced by a link will still be searchable.

So if the EN database grows rapidly too large, there may be a malfunction that should be corrected.

And if even a tiny database causes serious problems, exporting part of it will not resolve the issue, just postpone it.

 

[ihatetroubleshooting 0]

Evernote for Mac creates a content folder in my Library that is 38 GB which is too much valuable space on a work computer provided by my non-profit employer. I deleted the folder, uninstalled the app, restarted and reinstalled the app on an external drive. It recreates that same folder with snippets, images and other data on my local Library folder. I did not see any preference for syncing selectively or on demand. Did not see any preference to redirect these files in an external hd. After spending hours troubleshooting this, I will no longer be using the desktop version and only the web. Sigh. 

[gazumped 11,663]

Hi.  Some options were discussed here - 

You're not restricted to one account - though a separate email address is required for each one - so it's possible to have a 'work' account and a 'personal' account and just share notes via a common shared notebook as necessary.

 

[DTLow 5,736]

21 hours ago, ihatetroubleshooting said:

I did not see any preference for syncing selectively or on demand. Did not see any preference to redirect these files in an external hd.

Confirmed; these are not options on Evernote/Mac

>>I will no longer be using the desktop version and only the web. Sigh.

I need features of the Mac editor for day-to-day work

If/when data size becomes an issue; I will set up a second account
Archived data will be stored in a web accessed account

[ihatetroubleshooting 0]

4 hours ago, gazumped said:

You're not restricted to one account - though a separate email address is required for each one - so it's possible to have a 'work' account and a 'personal' account and just share notes via a common shared notebook as necessary.

 

I use both work and personal accounts, however the desktop/Mac editor creates files (in the local HD's user Library) for whatever I have viewed through the app. Online storage per account is not the issue. 

[ihatetroubleshooting 0]

4 hours ago, DTLow said:

Confirmed; these are not options on Evernote/Mac

>>I will no longer be using the desktop version and only the web. Sigh.

I need features of the Mac editor for day-to-day work

If/when my data size becomes an issue; I will set up a second account
Archived data will be stored in a web account

I too use the Mac editor for day to day work, but having issues with this old iMac's HD I've been issued by employer. Hence the SIGH for not being able to continue using the desktop editor and now only using the web.

As for setting up a second account.. Unfortunately this workaround isn't the solution for my situation. I am a team member on a business account admin'd by my employer. We use Evernote as a tool amongst multiple members, sharing notes and notebooks collaboratively for tracking/documenting our process.

[Sayre Ambrosio 520]

For anyone who is using Evernote on Mac and worried about the storage it takes up (mine used to be 50 gb or more) it looks like the way the hard drives are handled in the upcoming macOS Catalina helps with it. My application data now shows less than 200mb and all my notes are there and I've added quite a few more than I had when the size was bigger.

[Maddock 1]

I need help with this bad.  The Evernote file on my computer is 100GB and taking up nearly half of my 250GB available.  Why no selective sync yet?  I would put the data on an external hard drive in a heartbeat but for what ever reason the Evernote data has to be stored in the Mac library file.  I also have to have the Evernote file on my computer b/c I use a Scansnap to collect data.  Frustrating.   

[DTLow 5,736]

1 hour ago, Maddock said:

I need help with this bad.  The Evernote file on my computer is 100GB ...

Specifically, which file is this?  My files tend to be much smaller, totalling to under 20GB

Edit: folder com.evernote.evernote

>>I also have to have the Evernote file on my computer b/c I use a Scansnap to collect data.

You can use a second account to collect data.  Use a shared notebook for access by your primary account

[Maddock 1]

com.evernote.evernote this file is stored in the Mac library. I  have tried to see if there is a way to put this on a external drive and apparently there isn't a way.  So annoying.  I can't upgrade the hard drive on my 1700 Mac so that is the root of the issue.  I am not buying a new computer.

[DTLow 5,736]

27 minutes ago, Maddock said:

com.evernote.evernote this file is stored in the Mac library

This is the Evernote database folder

Is this a case of a lot of notes taking up space, or a corrupted database?

If corrupted, the database can be rebuilt from the servers

[Maddock 1]

It is the case of notes taking up a lot of space.  Short of me getting a new computer I am not sure what to do.  Why Evernote doesn't let you pic and choose what is on your computer is beyond me.

[AndyDent 97]

On 5/1/2019 at 6:52 AM, PinkElephant said:

From my experience an EN database rarely contains that much GB that it should be a problem.

Well, in my experience, with around 40,000 notes, it can definitely total up to being a problem - nearly 37GB folder size here.

If I had to leave it on the internal drive I would be unable to use Evernote desktop on the Macbook I'm taking on holiday, despite having a 1TB external SSD, because it's a relatively low-spec machine.

Fortunately, using a symbolic link let me move the Evernote main data folder to the external.

[DTLow 5,736]

6 minutes ago, AndyDent said:

Well, in my experience, with around 40,000 notes, it can definitely total up to being a problem - nearly 37GB folder size here.

It's the content of the notes; not the # of notes.

The actual note content takes minimal space.  Start adding large file attachments and the space requirement adds up.

If space is an issue, we can store file attachments externally.

>>Fortunately, using a symbolic link let me move the Evernote main data folder to the external.

More on symbolic links at https://www.howtogeek.com/297721/how-to-create-and-use-symbolic-links-aka-symlinks-on-a-mac/

[AndyDent 97]

On 8/8/2019 at 1:04 PM, Sayre Ambrosio said:

looks like the way the hard drives are handled in the upcoming macOS Catalina helps with it. My application data now shows less than 200mb and all my notes are there and I've added quite a few more than I had when the size was bigger.

I think something else is going on that you're not understanding. Catalina doesn't magically compress data to some extent but it does introduce a new system partition.

If you validly used to have 50GB of notes then you should still have them somewhere.

I'm a developer and have a pretty good idea of how things like Evernote work including their database. Data doesn't just magically vanish unless you had an index which drastically needed a rebuild.

[AndyDent 97]

2 minutes ago, DTLow said:

If space is an issue, we can store file attachments externally.

I'm always willing to admit I've misunderstood, forgotten or missed the arrival of a feature.

Is there some way to tell Evernote Mac to store attachments externally?

Or are you just talking about pulling content out of Evernote onto another disk, in which case it would not be synchronised or scanned?

[DTLow 5,736]

1 minute ago, AndyDent said:

Or are you just talking about pulling content out of Evernote onto another disk, in which case it would not be synchronised or scanned?

Correct; also not backed up by Evernote

[Sayre Ambrosio 520]

1 hour ago, AndyDent said:

I think something else is going on that you're not understanding. Catalina doesn't magically compress data to some extent but it does introduce a new system partition.

If you validly used to have 50GB of notes then you should still have them somewhere.

I'm a developer and have a pretty good idea of how things like Evernote work including their database. Data doesn't just magically vanish unless you had an index which drastically needed a rebuild.

I follow what you're saying on something else going on. I'm not a developer but in laymen's terms I kind of meant the same thing you said. Not sure how it's doing it, probably with the partition you mentioned, but whatever is going on I like it. ;)