Import Folders Do Not Work

[mbw_fox1 3]

I've had this issue for a couple of years now and I'm really tired of it. It looks like people have had similar trouble in the past and no solution. I think it's ridiculous that Evernote has not addressed it even though multiple users have encountered it. My guess is that there was an update around the 2021 timeframe that caused it.

My import folders used to work fine. They worked fine for a couple of years. Then one day they just stopped working. When I save a file to one of the imported folders, nothing happens. Evernote does not sync it to the Evernote app. I need to delete the connection to the folder then reconnect to it. It will work for that session but the next time I go to use it I have to go through that whole process again. It's so annoying. My life would be so much easier if this function worked the way it used to or the way it's intended. Anyway, has anyone else come across this and found a solution?

 

Macbook Pro - Monterey 12.7.1

Evernote Desktop for Mac:

10.68.2-mac-mas-public (20231212182238)
Editor: v176.42.0
Service: v1.83.1

[gazumped 11,740]

14 hours ago, mbw_fox1 said:

Anyway, has anyone else come across this and found a solution?

My (windows) import folders work fine.  My suggestion would be to delete the original folders and make new ones,  and if that fails carry out a 'clean' reinstall of the app using Appcleaner to remove all current traces and downloading the latest version from Evernote.com.

[mbw_fox1 3]

Yeah I already tried all of that to no avail. Have to delete and reconnect to each folder every time which defeats the whole purpose. 

[PinkElephant 8,242]

My folders got lost a few times, always after an update was installed. Not with every update, just maybe 3 or 4 times in total.

When it happened, I reconnected, and it worked again.

[s2sailor 2,278]

1 hour ago, mbw_fox1 said:

Have to delete and reconnect to each folder every time which defeats the whole purpose. 

Any chance you are logging out and back in that is triggering the need to reconnect?  Just a guess ..

[mbw_fox1 3]

16 hours ago, s2sailor said:

Any chance you are logging out and back in that is triggering the need to reconnect?  Just a guess ..

Logging out from the app on my Macbook? Not at all. I never have to sign back in. 

[mbw_fox1 3]

Bump

[gazumped 11,740]

2 minutes ago, mbw_fox1 said:

Bump

Please don't do that.  If any of the other users in the Forums have any useful suggestions they will make them - possibly after the holidays...

[IainF 1]

MacOS 14.1.2, Evernote for Mac 10.68.3-mac-mas-public (20231218124244) Editor: v176.42.0 Service: v1.83.1
My Import folder works OK until Evernote is updated and then it forgets the folder and I have to delete the import folder and set it up again.

Evernote is updated pretty frequently (great) but losing the import folder functionality (it still shows in the setup dialog) is just an irritation and it'd be nice if Evernote sorted this out.

Cheers

Iain

[mbw_fox1 3]

On 12/27/2023 at 1:35 PM, IainF said:

MacOS 14.1.2, Evernote for Mac 10.68.3-mac-mas-public (20231218124244) Editor: v176.42.0 Service: v1.83.1
My Import folder works OK until Evernote is updated and then it forgets the folder and I have to delete the import folder and set it up again.

Evernote is updated pretty frequently (great) but losing the import folder functionality (it still shows in the setup dialog) is just an irritation and it'd be nice if Evernote sorted this out.

Cheers

Iain

It's annoyingly frustrating. And there really is no support on this. I still have this issue. Every time I save a file to an imported folder it doesn't update in Evernote. Every single time I scan a file into the import folder, I need to go into Evernote, delete the import folder, then recreate the import folder. I'm very close to just canceling my Evernote subscription but it's becoming worthless. I'll just save all of my files in the folder directly without this app. 

[VincentC 274]

Will this work in the meanwhile?  If you click the three dots to the right of the "new note" button, a submenu drops down.  You can click on attachment and import your note that way.

Vinnie

Screen shot:

[PinkElephant 8,242]

For me the Import Folders stop working from time to time after updates got installed. Not every time, but occasionally. The I reconnect, the missing content imports, and it continues to work again for a while.

From the version number I think this is the AppStore version of the EN Mac client. I think the problems are related to this - the AppStore version has frequently hiccups with OS side functions. 

Uninstall it, install the direct download from the EN website.

[hewins 3]

I am having the same issue on Mac. 

Import Folders only work once. 

When I drop another file in the folder it does not import. 

I need to go into the Evernote settings, remove one of the folders, then add it back and then all will import – once. Then it stops working.

This needs a fix or the feature should be removed.

[s2sailor 2,278]

4 minutes ago, hewins said:

This needs a fix or the feature should be removed.

Please submit a problem ticket if you want Evernote to be aware of the issue.

[hewins 3]

47 minutes ago, s2sailor said:

Please submit a problem ticket if you want Evernote to be aware of the issue.

done –thanks

[PinkElephant 8,242]

Just for the record: Just had a reason to import some files, and used my Import Folder on my Mac mini (M1).

Worked like a charm.

[mbw_fox1 3]

On 3/4/2024 at 11:07 AM, VincentC said:

Will this work in the meanwhile?  If you click the three dots to the right of the "new note" button, a submenu drops down.  You can click on attachment and import your note that way.

Vinnie

Screen shot:

I don't want to have to do it that way. The whole point of the sync feature is that I don't have to do this. Evernote has a feature that flat out doesn't work. I'm still having this issue. Every time I try and scan a pdf to a synced import folder Evernote fails to sync it. Every time I need to go into Import Folders, Delete the folder, then re-add it. It's absurdly pointless. 

[PinkElephant 8,242]

You say you scan to the import folder.

Please explain what you do - I think the problem may be rooted there.

[mbw_fox1 3]

4 minutes ago, PinkElephant said:

You say you scan to the import folder.

Please explain what you do - I think the problem may be rooted there.

I use Epson scansmart to scan PDFs into a folder on my Mac. The folder that it saves to is set to import in Evernote. For example, I have a folder on my mac titled "Scan to Evernote'. Inside of that folder I have subfolders, for example Medical. Epson saves the PDF directly in the Medical folder. I can see the PDF on my Macbook. No different than just doing a file save as. 

My Evernote is set to import the Medical folder attachments and go into the Medical Notebook that I have in Evernote. It's pretty darn straightforward if you ask me. 

Edit: Once I delete the import folder in Evernote and re-add it it will bring in the attachments. Why do I need to do that?

[PinkElephant 8,242]

That‘s what I thought when I read your posting again.

Let me share my experience with my Fujitsu ScanSnap: When I scanned into the Import Folder, I got several notes created, all with a damaged pdf. Only the last note contained a valid pdf, that was readable. The problem was that the scanner builds the file while it scans. But it already appears in the folder.

The Import Folder can‘t know the file is not ready yet. So it tries to import, and either fails or ends up with a corrupted, premature file.

Conclusion: Don’t use an import folder as the direct target of scanning.

What I do now is this: The Scanner scans into another folder, and opens the file in the Scanner software. There it runs the OCR and saves the pdf as an OCRed pdf. I check the document (for example removing empty pages, rotate those pointing in a wrong direction etc.), and then give it a „good“ file name. Since the file name will become the notes title this saves me later rework.

And the I save from there into the Import folder.

Works like a charm.

[VincentC 274]

19 hours ago, mbw_fox1 said:

I don't want to have to do it that way. The whole point of the sync feature is that I don't have to do this.

That's fine.  But if I may respectfully offer another suggestion: adding a few words like "... but thanks for taking the time to offer the suggestion..." would go a long way to encouraging me and others to help you out on this and other problems in the future.

 

Vinnie

[s2sailor 2,278]

19 hours ago, PinkElephant said:

The Import Folder can‘t know the file is not ready yet. So it tries to import, and either fails or ends up with a corrupted, premature file.

I don’t directly use the import folder either for this reason.  If they can’t tell when a scan is complete, this is also probably why they don’t auto delete.

It seems like if they added a minimal delay between when a new file is detected and when it actually imports it, they could avoid this problem for most cases.

[gazumped 11,740]

20 hours ago, PinkElephant said:

What I do now is this: The Scanner scans into another folder, and opens the file in the Scanner software. There it runs the OCR and saves the pdf as an OCRed pdf. I check the document (for example removing empty pages, rotate those pointing in a wrong direction etc.), and then give it a „good“ file name. Since the file name will become the notes title this saves me later rework.

Exactly what I do too.

1 hour ago, s2sailor said:

It seems like if they added a minimal delay between when a new file is detected and when it actually imports it, they could avoid this problem for most cases.

It's a problem for all developers that Windows tends to lock files far longer than it should when they're accessed by an app such as your scanner.  There's no standard delay - the file might be available as soon as your scanner starts another job,  or if that's the last one you process,  the lock might stay until you close down the device. 

The only easy answer is to have a 'scan to' folder and move files from there to the Import folder when you're ready.  As @PinkElephant says,  I also take the opportunity to do any file management tasks and just check I got what I wanted in case the scanner has a mad moment.  I have a file management tool I can ask to move the contents at a keystroke,  and being super-nervous I also copy imported files to an external backup archive in case Evernote has one too.

[PinkElephant 8,242]

Actually a minimal delay wouldn’t do the job in all cases. Since it first scans and then runs the integrated OCR software, the necessary delay would be several seconds.

And it would still not have a good file name, which means a bad note title as well. I found the solution to make it a 3 step process (scan-define file-Save) better and more efficient.

[s2sailor 2,278]

46 minutes ago, PinkElephant said:

Actually a minimal delay wouldn’t do the job in all cases.

I had said in "most" cases.  

50 minutes ago, gazumped said:

the lock might stay until you close down the device

Could be, but I would find that surprising.

It is an interesting problem and I bring it up since I don't recall this issue in Legacy.  My current workaround is fine since I also use this opportunity to let OCR complete and rename the file. Still, those just migrating from Legacy will experience a change that I believe Evernote could fix.

[gazumped 11,740]

48 minutes ago, s2sailor said:

It is an interesting problem and I bring it up since I don't recall this issue in Legacy.  My current workaround is fine since I also use this opportunity to let OCR complete and rename the file. Still, those just migrating from Legacy will experience a change that I believe Evernote could fix.

Nope - that's one of the first tickets I ever raised in legacy 15+ years ago,  and the explanation was from the 'old' Evernote team then.

[PinkElephant 8,242]

2 hours ago, s2sailor said:

I had said in "most" cases.  

„Most cases“ only leads to endless posts in this forum (and likely support tickets) along the lines of first „this must be a bug“ and then second „why me“. This especially when the delay is ill defined - it may be working with a simpler if larger pdf in one go, and fail with a more complex but smaller in the next execution. And nobody can reproduce why sometimes it seems to work, and the next time fails.

Applying 80/20 is in general a good thing, but horrible with algorithm execution.

[s2sailor 2,278]

41 minutes ago, PinkElephant said:

Applying 80/20 is in general a good thing, but horrible with algorithm execution.

Maybe direct this comment to Evernote instead.  In most cases is how their current fix for the note updated problem works.

[mbw_fox1 3]

On 3/8/2024 at 4:43 PM, PinkElephant said:

That‘s what I thought when I read your posting again.

Let me share my experience with my Fujitsu ScanSnap: When I scanned into the Import Folder, I got several notes created, all with a damaged pdf. Only the last note contained a valid pdf, that was readable. The problem was that the scanner builds the file while it scans. But it already appears in the folder.

The Import Folder can‘t know the file is not ready yet. So it tries to import, and either fails or ends up with a corrupted, premature file.

Conclusion: Don’t use an import folder as the direct target of scanning.

What I do now is this: The Scanner scans into another folder, and opens the file in the Scanner software. There it runs the OCR and saves the pdf as an OCRed pdf. I check the document (for example removing empty pages, rotate those pointing in a wrong direction etc.), and then give it a „good“ file name. Since the file name will become the notes title this saves me later rework.

And the I save from there into the Import folder.

Works like a charm.

My scanner doesn't "build the file" while it scans. The epson software scans the docs first. There you can edit and delete pages as you wish. Then you decide how you want the resulting file saved. I then give it a name and save the file as a pdf in specific folders that I have setup to sync long after the files have finished scanning. The file doesn't seem to get created until this process is complete. Why do I say this? Because if I go to the folder after I have saved it, the file doesn't show up immediately. Once it does I'm able to open it right up without any issues. 

I'm still having this issue and nothing seems to be working. 

[mbw_fox1 3]

On 3/9/2024 at 11:55 AM, VincentC said:

That's fine.  But if I may respectfully offer another suggestion: adding a few words like "... but thanks for taking the time to offer the suggestion..." would go a long way to encouraging me and others to help you out on this and other problems in the future.

 

Vinnie

Thank you all for working with me here. If I don't sound appreciative of the efforts then I do apologize. The input is appreciated. Just quite frustrating that there is a feature that would be absolutely ideal if it worked, and the alternatives are kinda horrible. But I do thank you. 

[mbw_fox1 3]

On 3/8/2024 at 4:43 PM, PinkElephant said:

That‘s what I thought when I read your posting again.

Let me share my experience with my Fujitsu ScanSnap: When I scanned into the Import Folder, I got several notes created, all with a damaged pdf. Only the last note contained a valid pdf, that was readable. The problem was that the scanner builds the file while it scans. But it already appears in the folder.

The Import Folder can‘t know the file is not ready yet. So it tries to import, and either fails or ends up with a corrupted, premature file.

Conclusion: Don’t use an import folder as the direct target of scanning.

What I do now is this: The Scanner scans into another folder, and opens the file in the Scanner software. There it runs the OCR and saves the pdf as an OCRed pdf. I check the document (for example removing empty pages, rotate those pointing in a wrong direction etc.), and then give it a „good“ file name. Since the file name will become the notes title this saves me later rework.

And the I save from there into the Import folder.

Works like a charm.

I just tested saving the file into a non-synced folder and afterwards moving it to a synced folder and no luck. Evernote does not recognize that a new file was added to the synced folder. It was worth a shot. 

[VincentC 274]

Thank you for the gracious note.  I understand the frustration of needing to actually get things done and then not having tools work the way you think they should.  Not just software, BTW -- nothing like having parts of my motorcycle scattered in pieces on the garage floor and then my ratchet gives up the ghost!

I save scans to my import folder regularly without issue.  My setup is different, but here's how it works for me.

I use the scanner on an HP all-in-one printer.  I do not use the HP software.  Instead, I use NAPS2, which is a free, open source scanning tool available for Windows and Mac.  Like what you describe, I scan and the program builds a file.  I click on the "save as  pdf" option, and direct it to my Evernote import folder.  A few seconds later, the file is in a new note in Evernote.  No duplicates.

The one time I had duplication was when I had my laptop open with Evernote running and my desktop open with Evernote running too.  Then I got a duplicate.  I think the issue is that Microsoft Onedrive saw the file show up in my Desktop Evernote import folder, and then mirrored it to the Evernote import folder on my laptop a second later.  Evernote saw what looked like a new file show up in my laptop import folder, and dutifully put that file in a new Evernote note as well.  A second later, with real time sync running, I had a duplicate note.

I guess, at the end of all of this, my suggestion is to look at NAPS2 and see if that will meet your needs and work around your problem.

 

Vinnie

[mbw_fox1 3]

Thanks, @VincentC. Going to give this a shot now. 

[mbw_fox1 3]

7 minutes ago, VincentC said:

Thank you for the gracious note.  I understand the frustration of needing to actually get things done and then not having tools work the way you think they should.  Not just software, BTW -- nothing like having parts of my motorcycle scattered in pieces on the garage floor and then my ratchet gives up the ghost!

I save scans to my import folder regularly without issue.  My setup is different, but here's how it works for me.

I use the scanner on an HP all-in-one printer.  I do not use the HP software.  Instead, I use NAPS2, which is a free, open source scanning tool available for Windows and Mac.  Like what you describe, I scan and the program builds a file.  I click on the "save as  pdf" option, and direct it to my Evernote import folder.  A few seconds later, the file is in a new note in Evernote.  No duplicates.

The one time I had duplication was when I had my laptop open with Evernote running and my desktop open with Evernote running too.  Then I got a duplicate.  I think the issue is that Microsoft Onedrive saw the file show up in my Desktop Evernote import folder, and then mirrored it to the Evernote import folder on my laptop a second later.  Evernote saw what looked like a new file show up in my laptop import folder, and dutifully put that file in a new Evernote note as well.  A second later, with real time sync running, I had a duplicate note.

I guess, at the end of all of this, my suggestion is to look at NAPS2 and see if that will meet your needs and work around your problem.

 

Vinnie

No luck. I do like the simplicity of the NAPS2 software though and may use that instead of the Epson software. But Evernote isn't updating with the new file. I even tried moving a PDF out of a separate folder on my Mac and into the sync folder and nothing. So not even using a scanner. I think the issue is more related to the connection between Evernote software and the folder on my Macbook. Because again, when I delete the import folder from within Evernote settings, then re-add it back, those new files that I just added will then pop up. 

[VincentC 274]

Sorry it didn't work. I can't help with MAC stuff since I've always been on Windows.  I notice that way up in the thread, @PinkElephant mentioned that you might be on a version downloaded from the Apple store.  Did you ever try a version downloaded directly from the Evernote website?  That's the last thought I have...

Vinnie

 

[mbw_fox1 3]

11 minutes ago, VincentC said:

Sorry it didn't work. I can't help with MAC stuff since I've always been on Windows.  I notice that way up in the thread, @PinkElephant mentioned that you might be on a version downloaded from the Apple store.  Did you ever try a version downloaded directly from the Evernote website?  That's the last thought I have...

Vinnie

 

I think that was an excellent suggestion and to be honest I had some hope because the version seemed to be a few newer than the one from the Apple app store. Unfortunately after downloading and scanning in another file it still doesn't work unless I remove the specific imported folder than re-add it back. Appreciate all of the suggestions. Think I'm probably just going to stop using Evernote for my attachments and probably just scan my attachments directly into Google Drive and cancel my Evernote subscription. 

Again, thanks for your effort and appreciate all of the suggestions. 

[VincentC 274]

Sorry I ran out of ideas! Good luck with your new workflows!

 

Vinnie

[mbw_fox1 3]

6 minutes ago, VincentC said:

Sorry I ran out of ideas! Good luck with your new workflows!

 

Vinnie

Actually all hope isn't lost just yet. Didn't realize that I would need to re-point all of my import folders again. Time will tell because it usually works after I re-point the folders. I will report back after some time to let you know if it works. Fingers crossed. 

[PinkElephant 8,242]

If the import folder was unconnected by an update, it won’t import. This happened to me twice after a regular update.

It was easy to notice (oppps, where is the new note I expected …?) and easy to fix: Just reestablish the import folder again in EN settings. In both cases reconnecting made the missing files import by themselves.

When I save a file into an import folder, it is recognized and imported. No fail, works always. To prepare it first and then save it info the import folder has the advantage I can give it a „good“ file name. Since the file name will become the note title, it scraps rework in EN to create a good file name first.

[poopall 4]

Ok I have had a similar issue, and the solution (if you can all it that) you cannot have 2 Evernote apps say on 2 difference computers connected to the same import folder, ie I have noticed that once it has been imported once, regardless it wont import a second time. This was an issue when using a network share. Only one evernote app must be connected to that folder, and no more. I assume it may calculate a hash for the file so that it does not continue to import the same file from that folder a 2nd time. I now use different import folders for difference computers, and not a shared folder and that seems to have resolved my issues.

Dont know if that throws some light on this subject 

[PinkElephant 8,242]

Good observation - my Import Folders are on my desktop, and the desktop is shared through iCloud between my Macs.

On the other hand I always had one import folder per device - I have 3 import folders on my desktop, each named after the Mac to which of it belongs.

Maybe I once dropped a file into the wrong one, this I can’t reproduce. I will keep an eye on it.

Thanks for sharing your insight.

[gazumped 11,740]

Am I missing something?  Surely if one import folder is importing to one account on one device,  all other devices connected to that account are going to sync up to any imports automatically... ?  Why the need for multiple imports?

[PinkElephant 8,242]

It is not about multiple imports.

We were wondering why Import Folders sometimes stop to work. One explanation was that maybe an update killed the setting.

This here is another explanation - the trigger that decides what to import get‘s confused when the Import Folder is a shared folder, that exists on several devices. Kudos to @poopall for digging - will try later myself.

[poopall 4]

12 minutes ago, gazumped said:

Am I missing something?  Surely if one import folder is importing to one account on one device,  all other devices connected to that account are going to sync up to any imports automatically... ?  Why the need for multiple imports?

Yes I agree, but there may be a shared folder that another computer with evernote on a difference device shares.  In my case while upgrading PC's I had the old and the new computer sharing the same folder, its logical that it would only upload once. What I am saying is don't share upload folders as there may be unpredictable results. 

What I am saying is even though evernote app appears to be off on one device it is still active in the background, and uploads the file anyway, so you may be wondering why the other computer did not show a message of a new file having been uploaded. Until a refresh happens you may not be aware and think that the file has not been uploaded

[PinkElephant 8,242]

There is no hidden „off“ with the app running in the background. When you close the main app window, it IS still running. You just closed a window, not stop the app.

When you quit it from the menu, all processes are terminated, and the app is really closed.