Evernote for Outlook add-in reports "Add-in error"

[tracy@thehayfords.org 5]

Last week (possibly after I cleared my browser cache), the Evernote for Outlook add-in began report "Add-in Error  Somthing went wrong and we couldn't start this add-in.  Please try again or contact your system administrator.

I reported this to Evernote support and 34 minutes later received a (canned) repsonse that they had "investigated this thoroughly" and couldn't reproduce it.  They closed the ticket without resolution.

I noticed on Reddit that some others are have this issue.  Anyone on the forum seeing this?  Is anyone on the forum NOT having issues with the add-in?

Thanks,

Tracy

 

[agsteele 2,997]

I think that there may have been an Outlook update which no longer supports the Evernote add-in.

If that is correct then you will be waiting for the release of an updated version.

[tracy@thehayfords.org 5]

That's possible.  The interface looks a bit different.  Thanks for the feedback.  Do you work for Evernote?

[agsteele 2,997]

No, just another user like you. These forums are largely user-to-user support. Staff all have Staff label.

[Rick Elliott 0]

I noticed several days ago that the add-in stopped loading.  Now I just get the same error that tracy@thehayfords.org has posted

Both on Firefox and Edge

A big part of my workflow, and why I still use Evernote...so I hope it's being looked at by someone with the means to fix this!

[agsteele 2,997]

I believe that Microsoft made changes so now you wait for whatever response is possible.

I suspect it will be some time, if ever, that the Outlook add-on will be updated.

Personal view. No inside information.

[robertsapiro 0]

Having similar symptoms! Get the following series of error messages

[agsteele 2,997]

As advised before. No expectation of a change in the near future.

[tracy@thehayfords.org 5]

Too bad that Evernote (non)Support ignores issues like this.  SmartFiling is another thing that hasn't worked for 10 months now (at least not for me).  Evernote marks every support request about that "Closed" and indicates that it works fine.  With their outrageous price increase last year, I'm looking for a more cost-effective solution that doesn't include Evernote.

[PinkElephant 8,346]

As mentioned the changes were done by Microsoft, so why don’t ask them ? Meanwhile you can send any email to your EN account. That should do.

[tracy@thehayfords.org 5]

I understand that something may have changed on Microsoft's side but the responsibility to update software to be compatible rests in Evernote's hand, not Microsoft.  Evernote should be working on this incompatibility, not ignoring it.

Emailing to my account does work but that's a multistep process to file appropriately, instead of the efficient way that was possible previously.

The important part of this issue is that Evernote's response to every reported problem that I've submitted is either "It works" or "We can't reproduce it".  There was a time when Evernote support was responsive and problems got fixed.  Now, they're responsive but don't attempt to correct problems with their software.  Instead we keep getting minor feature additions while major features no longer work.

[lparsons 4]

I'm getting the same error. A response from an Evernote staff member would be much appreciated. It would serve to let us know that Evernote's development team is aware of the issue at least. Ideally, they could provide their initial assement of the issue and tentative plans to resolve it. 

Integration with Outlook and Gmail is a big reason I continue to use Evernote. Losing this would push me to search for alternatives.

[VincentC 280]

For what it's worth, I just checked, and the add in for Outlook is currently working on my Win 11 laptop with Outlook from Office 365.  

(I had to check because I stopped using the add-in some time ago.  I always found it flaky and eventually figured out, that for me, either forwarding an email to my Evernote email address or saving an attachment to my Evernote import folder was just as efficient.  Mostly the problems I've had with the add-in involved the add-in not loading correctly or Outlook complaining about something about it and disabling it.)

Vinnie

[tracy@thehayfords.org 5]

I noticed that in the desktop app for Outlook 365, the add-in does work fine.  The error that I'm getting is in the web interface for Outlook.

[leftie12 4]

I'm having the same problem that probably started at about the same time as you first reported it.

[Adam Grochowski 0]

I am having the same problem.  I have submitted my logs to Evernote but no reply other than automated reply with general help suggestions.

[DMM110 0]

Same problem, any news on the update?

[agsteele 2,997]

What update? None has been promised.

 

[gigon 0]

I faced the same problem working on safari and add-in isn’t working on the iOS apps.

that´s a real drama as it mean filing to Evernote no longer possible from Outlook what crashes the whole workflow.

that means a real thread that I and others will leave Evernote 

[DMM110 0]

Any news on a “promised” update to fix this ? 

[agsteele 2,997]

There is still nothing promised. Only hoped for. There is nothing reported for the hope either

 

[gigon 0]

Thank you. 
🤔

[pjb2621 0]

On 1/9/2024 at 11:51 PM, gigon said:

I faced the same problem working on safari and add-in isn’t working on the iOS apps.

that´s a real drama as it mean filing to Evernote no longer possible from Outlook what crashes the whole workflow.

that means a real thread that I and others will leave Evernote 

Hi

 

I have the same problem.

As a long-term user of Evernote (going back to its very early days) I find its current trajectory problematic consequently I have been toying with other products - either as a direct replacement or additional software to re-automate my workflow. I've not found a satisfactory solution to date, but when one shows itself, I'll be off I think.

The addin for GMAIL works but it is so slow it not worth using. Similarly with the addin for iOS outlook.

Peter

 

[EricBen 30]

Same problem for me - just started when I upgraded to the new version of Outlook (which my company mandated). Very frustrating, because it was the only saving grace when the web clipper stopped working with Gmail. 

Any workarounds? I guess just forwarding the email to evernote, rather than clipping. Yuck.

Anyone know if Notion has an Outlook add-in?

E

[VincentC 280]

EricBen, I'm curious, why yuck?  I use email forwarding from Outlook multiple times each day and it meets my needs just fine.  On the other hand, the Outlook add-in doesn't work as well for me.  Somehow, while leaving outlook and arriving in Evernote, all the formatting is lost, so what I get in Evernote is a pile of words with no paragraph spacing, blank lines, etc.  Forwarding meets my needs so I haven't spent any time trying to figure out why the formatting is gone.

Vinnie

[tracy@thehayfords.org 5]

@VincentC, the primary reason I feel the Outlook add-in was a better solution (back when it worked) was that it was a one step process to save to Evernote and file in the appropriate folder.  Many times, the "Smart-filing" picked the appropriate folder automatically based on previous notes saved.  Initially, Smart-filing stopped working altogether making the add-in much less useful but still, it was possible to select a folder while saving.  On the other hand, forwarding the message to Evernote via email requires multiple steps.  Several steps to forward as an attachment and enter the email address, then open evernote and navigate to the folder receiving emailed messages and then individually selecting messages and moving them to the appropriate folder.  That's just a lot more effort (particularly back when Smart-filing worked).

[VincentC 280]

@tracy@thehayfords.org,  Thanks for taking the time to respond and for your perspective.  I understand the improved efficiency.  For me, "smart filing", whether with the Outlook add-in or with web clipper, has never been very smart, so I learned the hard way to send everything to my default inbox and move the note from there.  Only takes a second using the shortcut and I go through the inbox notes and move them when I have a few minutes for low brain-power activities - like during numerous boring Zoom sessions!

I thought I might set up some kind of macro to take care of the repetitive step to complete the forward, but I decided to turn around and exit that rabbit hole when it started to become its own major project.  I bet such a think would be child's play for one of the many technical wizards here, but not me!

 

Vinnie

[tracy@thehayfords.org 5]

Thanks for the comments, as well.  I have a device called a StreamDeck that I'm considering using to send keystrokes for common tasks like this. 

[agsteele 2,997]

I use my Stream deck for a number of Evernote actions. It works well.

[ahward84 0]

Since Evernote clearly likes to raise prices while failing to keep up with software updates, I can see why it's literally impossible to talk to anyone from there since there's no phone number (and what can only be described as an impotent response to inquiries). Archiving work emails to Evernote is an enormous part of my daily workflow. If they can't maintain that simple task, I'm moving on. Anyone have recommendations for other similar products that actually function? Evernote should be issuing pro-rated refunds for the lost time of functionality from their failure.

[tracy@thehayfords.org 5]

Amazingly (and with no notice related to previous support cases), the add-in for Outlook on the web started working again a few days ago.  If you haven't tried it lately, check it out and see if it works for you.