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I need to totally restore from Time Machine - how?

PeterLondon

Asked by PeterLondon,

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PeterLondon

PeterLondon 34

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Posted

My tags have become very corrupted - and I have hundreds. Both the Mac desktop database and the online web database are corrupted. ie: the online web EN has the same issue.

I have a Apple Time Machine backup, and I know where the EN folder is stored in Library and how to replace it with the Time Machine recovered EN folder.

I have read this in the Knowledge Base:

https://support.evernote.com/ics/support/KBAnswer.asp?questionID=1281&hitOffset=281+280+108+107&docID=858

But it does not tell you how to do a full recover - tags, notebooks, notes, searches - the lot.

So I can get Mac desktop database back up, but I'm concerned that when it attempt to sync with the online database, issues will arise. How do I tell EN to use only the desktop database and overwrite the online web database?

Should I go online and delete everything, and then sync? Or will this just delete everything on my Mac?

I'd really appreciate some help. I have emailed EN support, but they are taking their time, and I really just need an answer to the above.

Thanks.

14 replies to this idea

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  • Level 5*
Metrodon

Metrodon 2,188

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  • Level 5*
Posted

As far as Evernote is concerned, the web is the source of truth - if you restore your back up and then sync then you will download any 'bad' data that resides in the service.

I'd wait for a detailed instruction list from support but if you really can't wait and completely at your own risk.

Disconnect from the web

Delete all the notes, tags etc on your Mac

Restore from your TM backup

Check that everything is as you want it

Close the app

Reconnect to the web and login to the evernote web.

Delete all the notes, tags etc

Start the app on your Mac and cross your fingers that everything syncs up OK

PeterLondon

PeterLondon 34

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks Metrodon - that's what I was thinking of doing!

But I think that then the God of EN would "see" the deletions on the web being later then the dates of everything on the backup, and thus will just sync and then delete everything!

Hopefully EN will get back to me soon...

heather

heather 604

Posted
Posted

Unfortunately, as you've synced to our server, we can only restore the version that is currently on our server, but if you perform the following steps exactly, you can manually restore your organizational structure without excessive difficulty.

To restore from a Time Machine Backup:

  1. Close Evernote
  2. Replace the Library/Application Support/Evernote/data directory with the Time Machine's cache
  3. Take the Mac off the network (Turn off Wireless/Airport)
  4. Start Evernote
  5. If your notebooks are the problem, create a new tag for each notebook with the Notebook's name, and "Tag" every note in that notebook with that Tag. If the tag already exists, create a *New*, *unique* tag.
  6. If your tags are the problem, following the previous step will preserve the original (correct) tag data.
  7. Right-click on the All Notebooks notebook to use the Export function to export the notes to an enex file (export tags as well).
  8. After doing that, make a Local notebook on the Mac client
  9. Move all of your notes into that Local notebook
  10. Connect to the network
  11. Click the "Sync" button.
  12. Evernote should sync down to the server with your notes to rebuild your database.

Once you are in sync, you can then move the notes back from the Local notebook to their synchronized notebook based on the tags you created.

BurgersNFries

BurgersNFries 2,407

Posted
Posted

Unfortunately, as you've synced to our server, we can only restore the version that is currently on our server, but if you perform the following steps exactly, you can manually restore your organizational structure without excessive difficulty.

To restore from a Time Machine Backup:

  1. Close Evernote
  2. Replace the Library/Application Support/Evernote/data directory with the Time Machine's cache
  3. Take the Mac off the network (Turn off Wireless/Airport)
  4. Start Evernote
  5. If your notebooks are the problem, create a new tag for each notebook with the Notebook's name, and "Tag" every note in that notebook with that Tag. If the tag already exists, create a *New*, *unique* tag.
  6. Right-click on the All Notebooks notebook to use the Export function to export the notes to an enex file (export tags as well).
  7. After doing that, make a Local notebook on the Mac client
  8. Move all of your notes into that Local notebook
  9. Connect to the network
  10. Click the "Sync" button.
  11. Evernote should sync down to the server with your notes to rebuild your database.

Once you are in sync, you can then move the notes back from the Local notebook to their synchronized notebook based on the tags you created.

Thanks, Heather. I've Evernoted this. Although I'm not Mac, it seems the logic would be the same for Windows?

heather

heather 604

Posted
Posted

Somewhat. For Windows, it's:

  1. In Evernote, go to Tools > Sign Out
  2. Go to Evernote > Options
  3. Click on the "Open Database files folder" button
  4. Move the file with your username (ending in "exb") to a different location.
    For example, move it to your computer's desktop.
    This is extremely important:
  5. *Take your computer off the internet (if plugged in, remove the network cable. If wireless, disconnect.)*
  6. Move your "old" file into that directory.
  7. Open Evernote
  8. Sign in by entering your username and password
  9. If your notebooks are the problem, create a new tag for each notebook with the Notebook's name, and "Tag" every note in that notebook with that Tag. If the tag already exists, create a *New*, *unique* tag.
  10. If your tags are the problem, following the previous step will preserve the original (correct) tag data.
  11. Right-click on the All Notebooks notebook to use the Export function to export the notes to an enex file (export tags as well).

Once you're done -

  1. In Evernote, go to Tools > Sign Out
  2. Go to Evernote > Options
  3. Click on the "Open Database files folder" button
  4. Move the file with your username (ending in "exb") to a different location and restore the one you had moved to the desktop in the first "step" above.
  5. *Put your computer back onto the internet (if plugged in, replace the network cable. If wireless, reconnect.)*
  6. Open Evernote
  7. Sign in, entering your username and password

You can now import under File->Import the .enex files you exported from the other database. Keep it "unsynchronized" so it will stay local, or you'll end up with crazy duplicates and going over your limit. Move the notes back from the Local notebook to their synchronized notebook based on the tags you created.

PeterLondon

PeterLondon 34

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks Heather,

Here are two big questions, which I've been trying to get EN tech support to answer - but to no avail. Note that the only problem I have is messed-up tags. My notes are fine.

Q: In number 9. you say: "Move all of your notes into that Local notebook". What do you mean by "move"? Do you mean to import my exported notes? In which case I would have TWO sets of notes? Or you do mean that I never import the exported notes, and that I am "moving" my existing notes?

Q: Will the procedure mean that my unassigned tags are still present and OK?

I do hope you can give me an answer to these two simple questions - this is this 4th time I have asked EN the 2nd question!

P

BurgersNFries

BurgersNFries 2,407

Posted
Posted

Q: In number 9. you say: "Move all of your notes into that Local notebook". What do you mean by "move"? Do you mean to import my exported notes? In which case I would have TWO sets of notes? Or you do mean that I never import the exported notes, and that I am "moving" my existing notes?

Move by selecting the notes & dragging & dropping them to the other notebook. This does not affect tags on the notes that you move. This does not create a second set of notes.

PeterLondon

PeterLondon 34

Posted
  • Author
Posted

So you never re-import the exported notes?

The only reason you export them, is to effectively change the modify date on all the notes, so those are the ones that used when the sync happens?

Thanks, P

heather

heather 604

Posted
Posted

You're exporting them just in case this whole thing screws up and they get overwritten anyway. Exporting them will preserve your tags, but kill your notebook structure.

I always err on the side of caution.

  • Level 5
JMichaelTX

JMichaelTX 4,120

Posted
  • Level 5
Posted

Unfortunately, as you've synced to our server, we can only restore the version that is currently on our server, but if you perform the following steps exactly, you can manually restore your organizational structure without excessive difficulty.

To restore from a Time Machine Backup:

  1. Close Evernote
  2. Replace the Library/Application Support/Evernote/data directory with the Time Machine's cache
  3. Take the Mac off the network (Turn off Wireless/Airport)
  4. Start Evernote
  5. If your notebooks are the problem, create a new tag for each notebook with the Notebook's name, and "Tag" every note in that notebook with that Tag. If the tag already exists, create a *New*, *unique* tag.
  6. If your tags are the problem, following the previous step will preserve the original (correct) tag data.
  7. Right-click on the All Notebooks notebook to use the Export function to export the notes to an enex file (export tags as well).
  8. After doing that, make a Local notebook on the Mac client
  9. Move all of your notes into that Local notebook
  10. Connect to the network
  11. Click the "Sync" button.
  12. Evernote should sync down to the server with your notes to rebuild your database.

Once you are in sync, you can then move the notes back from the Local notebook to their synchronized notebook based on the tags you created.

Heather, I'm confused as to how this is restoring your Notes from you Mac Time Machine backup.

In Step #9 you move ALL of the Notes that you restored into a NEW Local NB.

This leaves the NBs that are synced to EN Cloud EMPTY.

In Step #11, you sync with EN Cloud.

This downloads ALL Notes from the EN Cloud to EN Mac.

However, the Notes you restored from Time Machine are NOT in the synced Notebooks.

So what have you accomplished?

BurgersNFries

BurgersNFries 2,407

Posted
Posted

Unfortunately, as you've synced to our server, we can only restore the version that is currently on our server, but if you perform the following steps exactly, you can manually restore your organizational structure without excessive difficulty.

To restore from a Time Machine Backup:

  1. Close Evernote
  2. Replace the Library/Application Support/Evernote/data directory with the Time Machine's cache
  3. Take the Mac off the network (Turn off Wireless/Airport)
  4. Start Evernote
  5. If your notebooks are the problem, create a new tag for each notebook with the Notebook's name, and "Tag" every note in that notebook with that Tag. If the tag already exists, create a *New*, *unique* tag.
  6. If your tags are the problem, following the previous step will preserve the original (correct) tag data.
  7. Right-click on the All Notebooks notebook to use the Export function to export the notes to an enex file (export tags as well).
  8. After doing that, make a Local notebook on the Mac client
  9. Move all of your notes into that Local notebook
  10. Connect to the network
  11. Click the "Sync" button.
  12. Evernote should sync down to the server with your notes to rebuild your database.

Once you are in sync, you can then move the notes back from the Local notebook to their synchronized notebook based on the tags you created.

Heather, I'm confused as to how this is restoring your Notes from you Mac Time Machine backup.

In Step #9 you move ALL of the Notes that you restored into a NEW Local NB.

This leaves the NBs that are synced to EN Cloud EMPTY.

In Step #11, you sync with EN Cloud.

This downloads ALL Notes from the EN Cloud to EN Mac.

However, the Notes you restored from Time Machine are NOT in the synced Notebooks.

So what have you accomplished?

Like I said...

Her subsequent instructions seem isolated to the OP's particular problem. /

That OP had dramatically changed their tags & synced.

Since OP wants his desktop notes (restored from his Timemachine backup) to overwrite what's on the EN servers, new GUIDs need to be assigned to the notes. Moving to a local notebook, syncing, then moving back to a synced notebook will do this. This is not a part of the actual restoration from Timemachine, which is step 2.

chandrahla

chandrahla 0

Posted
Posted

hi Heather,

this sounds like a plan, the weird thing though is that the Evernote program was unopenable (it had a big question mark upon the elephant icon)

then all i could find were the aliases, so i think that Evernote Program is not even on my computer anymore. so i wondered if redownloading it

might help. i was thinking that the data cannot be read if there is no program...but oddly i was just using it yesterday and then poof it disappeared.

i just don't want to ***** up any chances of recovering this data. any further thoughts?

Nicole

PBANERJEE_ACE

PBANERJEE_ACE 2

Posted
Posted

MAC OS - OSX. Local Notebook Solution (May apply to Online notebook also). Main purpose is to recover the notes. This applies to all lost notes.

 

None of the paths of Chris or other paths of the member replies applied in my case. This is how I resolved it & I felt to share my experience.

I have organised it into steps

 

Oki I have gone through this hassle & the below are my steps. Downloaded Evernote from APPLE. My TM Backup & Current OS are OSX so this is not a post for different OS Backup & Restore

 

Make sure you have installed fresh evernote from Apple on your laptop. If not backup all your notes via export.

 

First goto terminal & fire the below 2 commands in sequence (this will unhide the folders & files & you wont have the hassle of the option key)

1) defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES

2) killall Finder /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app

 

Dont open Evernote application or ensure it is closed & not running

 

On you MBP open finder Go to View -> "Show Path Bar" (if its done good if not enable it, a small bar will appear on the finder below showing the path)

On your laptop i.e. MBP

Then goto

1) Machintosh HD/Users/<Username> - You should find Library Folder there in a greyed out state i.e. hidden

2) Click on Library folder (Double clicking will not let you access the folder, atleast it didnt for me)

3) You should see Library Folder appearing on the path bar below -> Double click on that Library (again on the path bar not on the window icon)

4) You should have entered the Hidden Library folder

5) You should see "Containers" folder there - Double click & go inside

6) You should see the com.Evernote.Evernote Folder (Backup this folder)

7) Delete/drag to trash the folder com.Evernote.Evernote (after you have backed it up)

7) Keep this finder window open

 

On you TM Backup repeat the above steps

1) "TM Backup - Latest Backup (I am not writing the whole name i.e. backup blah blah) "/Users/<Username> - You should find Library Folder there in a greyed out state i.e. hidden

2) Click on Library folder (Double clicking will not let you access the folder, atleast it didnt for me)

3) You should see Library Folder appearing on the path bar below -> Double click on that Library (again on the path bar not on the window icon)

4) You should have entered the Hidden Library folder

5) You should see "Containers" folder there - Double click & go inside

6) You should see the com.Evernote.Evernote Folder

7) Just copy that entire folder "com.Evernote.Evernote" onto the desktop

8) Copy the folder onto the above open finder window from the desktop

 

Open Evernote from Application

Login with the account where your notes are stored

Fingers crossed if everything goes well then you notes should show in the Evernote

Select all the notes & export it, save it, back it up whatever.

Done

 

Post steps which I did to ensure nothing is corrupted

 

Removed the Evernote app from my MBP

Did a fresh install/download from Apple

Imported the notes back

 

Open terminal again

1) defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles NO

2) killall Finder /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app

 

Hope this helps

PB

 

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