(Feedback) Evernote keeps stealing focus when loading

[Cezille07 0]

Not sure whether to post this in feedback or here in the Windows section, since this happens on the desktop version only.

As stated in title, whenever Evernote starts up, it shows a little window that says Loading (or starting) that I always tab out of, since I'm doing something else. But this happens multiple times during that startup period. Why does it need to gain window focus just to initialize? It breaks me out of my work zone; I'm typing something and suddenly my input isn't being registered since focus is on that annoying little window.

It shouldn't do that. Is it possible to get around this somehow? 

[jefito 5,589]

11 hours ago, Cezille07 said:

As stated in title, whenever Evernote starts up, it shows a little window that says Loading (or starting) that I always tab out of, since I'm doing something else.

I don't recall seeing anything like that. Screen cap?

[PinkElephant 8,077]

Beside that I am not aware of this as well (but not often using the Win client): Do you need to close EN several times a day, and restart ? Why not leave it open, and simply push it away from the screen ?

When opened, it will always search for its server, connect, check for changed notes etc. This may not result in much, but it is a draw on resources.

[Don Dz 165]

I haven't seen that in either Win10 or WIn7, but I might have seen something like that in the past when my system was really slow, not recently though.

Do you have the version from the Evernote site, or from the Windows Store?  If the latter, maybe try the former and see if it makes any difference. 

There are slight differences between both versions, so who knows.

[Cezille07 0]

I finally got a screenshot after N months... 

Quote

Do you need to close EN several times a day, and restart ?

It's not that; I disabled start on log in. I open Evernote just when I need it, which isn't all the time, since I use a different set of notes for work, non-work projects, and other stuff.

This little "Opening database" is the window I was talking about that appears when it launches. I understand that it needs to do this to sync, but all I'm saying is that it doesn't need to grab focus to do that. I don't want it to steal focus from where I'm working. It's bad UX.

 

 

 

[PinkElephant 8,077]

About the box: This IMHO is good UI - if it would not appear, folks could think the app has crashed, or else, because it would appear frozen while in the background it is loading.

For how long does the loading box stay ?

[Cezille07 0]

I suppose the window itself existing is fine, but I really don't want it popping up and switching focus from wherever else I'm working.

Yesterday it stayed for at least 10 seconds (laptop is admittedly old and slow at this point, and it's been a while since I last used EN). Today, when I opened it again, less than 2 seconds. I don't care how long it's there, how long it takes to open up, but it shouldn't switch the active window to itself. 

[PinkElephant 8,077]

Not much we can do about it here in the user forum:

Maybe reorganizing the database can speed things up a little: Hold the ctrl/Strg-key while clicking on the Help menu. Below the usual stuff there will be new options to sort out database issues. Try them, maybe the loading will be accelerated.

Even when the laptop is old, a new SSD instead of a turning disk will make it run again. Prices have come down a lot, 500GB are currently at 60-70€/$, 1TB is in the 110-120.€/$-range. Replacement should be pretty simple, you find how to in Google or YouTube. Even when you get a new computer one day, you can run the SSD as an external drive in a 2,5“-case.

Both will not stop the window from popping up. But on my windows computer (from 2012) I hardly ever notice it when opening EN.

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,938]

On 1/6/2020 at 3:15 AM, Cezille07 said:

It's not that; I disabled start on log in. I open Evernote just when I need it, which isn't all the time, since I use a different set of notes for work, non-work projects, and other stuff.

This little "Opening database" is the window I was talking about that appears when it launches. I understand that it needs to do this to sync, but all I'm saying is that it doesn't need to grab focus to do that. I don't want it to steal focus from where I'm working. It's bad UX.

 

11 hours ago, Cezille07 said:

Yesterday it stayed for at least 10 seconds (laptop is admittedly old and slow at this point, and it's been a while since I last used EN). Today, when I opened it again, less than 2 seconds. I don't care how long it's there, how long it takes to open up, but it shouldn't switch the active window to itself.

It's interesting to think that 10 seconds (the amount of time it took me to type the words before this parenthesis) has come to seem an unendurable time to wait--I know that I am that way myself. I understand that it's not so much the time as the need to restore focus to your working area that's aggravating. But the fact is that that is how Evernote works when it first starts up, so that the user will know what it's doing; and an information popup that popped up behind other windows wouldn't be much use. Most users do choose to have EN start on login and keep running in the background; doing otherwise may make sense given your hardware and workflow, but this is the price of admission for that choice.

Off topic: My wife likes to watch old Westerns on TV. I don't (and they last a lot longer than 10 seconds). Price of admission--I'll have to keep that in mind.