Possible to save/back-up each and every note/notebook in EN?

[Kwitel 9]

I have become very reliant on my EN account.

 

I am terrified of a random hack or some other issue that could destroy the data EN is storing for me.

 

I know I can save/export a local .enex but what good is that if something happens to the company?

 

Is there a way to locally save ALL of the data in my account, including the names of each note/notebook and how they are arranged?

 

Im basically looking for the most comprehensive method for saving all my info.

[CalS 5,280]

Export your notes by notebook to ENEX files, using the notebook name for file name.  Take screenshots of your notebook hierarchy if you like.  Make a copy of your EXB file as well if you like.  Do all of this on whatever schedule works for you. 

 

If EN goes paws up you will at least have the HTML/XML versions of your notes.  You would be able to use the desktop client for some period of time should something happen to EN.  There would be no syncing obviously.  FWIW.

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

See Evernote Backup and Restore Options

[gazumped 11,656]

Always good to know what OS you're using - Windows has an advantage in this context in that all the database content is saved in one location - see Evernote (Win) > Tools > Options > General for the folder.

 

Copy/ zip that folder somewhere else,  and you have a complete record of ll your content in one location.  Better,  keep 'proper' multiple grandparent / parent / child copies as backups.

 

As long as you have access to Evernote software you can use that database folder independently of whether the server version is available.  (The database uses a standard format so in an extreme the content would be available even without Evernote to open it.  There are enough technical users that I'm sure other solutions would quickly become available.)

 

You will always (within reason) have access to the app through online archive sites like:

 

Mac
http://filehippo.com/mac/download_evernote_for_mac/

Windows
http://filehippo.com/download_evernote/history
http://www.afterdawn.com/software/desktop/notes/evernote_for_windows.cfm#all_versions
http://www.oldapps.com/evernote.php
 

Hope that helps.

[Kwitel 9]

This is great; thanks to all for your replies.

[CalS 5,280]

You are welcome.

[Kwitel 9]

On 7/2/2015 at 10:03 PM, csihilling said:

Export your notes by notebook to ENEX files, using the notebook name for file name.  Take screenshots of your notebook hierarchy if you like.  Make a copy of your EXB file as well if you like.  Do all of this on whatever schedule works for you. 

 

If EN goes paws up you will at least have the HTML/XML versions of your notes.  You would be able to use the desktop client for some period of time should something happen to EN.  There would be no syncing obviously.  FWIW.

The moment I add a new note though, I have to re-back up that whole folder again.

Is there anywya to set this up automatically so that all notebooks are individually backed up say, on a weekly basis?

[DTLow 5,736]

18 hours ago, Kwitel said:

The moment I add a new note though, I have to re-back up that whole folder again.

Is there anyway to set this up automatically so that all notebooks are individually backed up say, on a weekly basis?

My backups are scheduled to run each morning (Mac Scheduler and AppleScript)
- Weekly, a full backup, only one version kept (enex format)
- Daily, incremental backup, notes changed the previous day (both enex and html format)

Window users might look at ENScript (for a sample, see how-to-backup-your-evernote-notes-regularly/)
or the app Backupery
                  -  It doesn't do incremental backups, but they're looking at it.
                  - discussed at discussion.evernote.com/topic/89276-backupery-backup-evernote-data 

For non Mac/Window users, the only backup solution I've seen is the CloudHQ service

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

57 minutes ago, Kwitel said:

Is there anywya to set this up automatically so that all notebooks are individually backed up say, on a weekly basis?

What versions of OS and Evernote are you running?

In either case, IMO it is overkill to backup ALL notes on a weekly basis.  Do a search on "backup strategy" to better understand what data to backup when.  Here is one good one:

Your Organization's Backup Strategy 

Quote

Understanding Types of Backup

With most backup solutions you can choose to back up all of your data (a full backup) or just parts of your data (an incremental or differential backup).

• A full backup is the most complete type of backup. It is more time-consuming and requires more storage space than other backup options.
• An incremental backup only backs up files that have been changed or newly created since the last incremental backup. This is faster than a full backup and requires less storage space. However, in order to completely restore all your files, you'll need to have all incremental backups available. And in order to find a specific file, you may need to search through several incremental backups.
• A differential backup also backs up a subset of your data, like an incremental backup. But a differential backup only backs up the files that have been changed or newly created since the last full backup.

However, if you are a Mac user, you don't have to be concerned about types of backups.  The Mac Time Machine (TM) makes a backup of changed files once/hour, yet keeps weekly backups easily for years while not using much storage space.  It is a very efficient, unique backup system.

IMO, if you are a Windows user, a full backup once a quarter, or at most once a month, should be more than sufficient.

• Then do a daily incremental backup of Notes created/updated since last incremental backup.
• This ensures that all of your new/changed notes are backed up at least once a day.
• To do this in Windows, you will need to write your own script using ENScript, or buy a 3rd party product like Backupery (they are working on providing incremental backup)

For more info see:

• There are two major backup strategies that can be used with Evernote
• Simplest would be to keep a backup of the .EXB file.
• Exporting Notes by Notebook Using Windows ENScript
• Evernote Backup Options
• Mac Time Machine Backups -- How Often & Available How Long

[DTLow 5,736]

14 hours ago, JMichaelTX said:

However, if you are a Mac user, you don't have to be concerned about types of backups.  The Mac Time Machine (TM) makes a backup of changed files once/hour, yet keeps weekly backups easily for years while not using much storage space.  It is a very efficient, unique backup system.

IMO, if you are a Windows user, a full backup once a quarter, or at most once a month, should be more than sufficient.

I decided not to back up the database files.  Instead I rely on enex/html exports.

1. Restoring the database file is a difficult process because the master copy of Evernote data is on the Evernote servers, not on your device.  The automatic syncing will undo a resore operation on your device,
2. A single small change for a note will cause a larger change to the database and backup size. 
   This happens on the Mac, but is more significant in Windows which has a single .exb data file
   Instead, an export can be eaily targeted so only the changed note is exported (incremental backups) 

[CalS 5,280]

16 hours ago, Kwitel said:

The moment I add a new note though, I have to re-back up that whole folder again.

Is there anyway to set this up automatically so that all notebooks are individually backed up say, on a weekly basis?

Per @JMichaelTX if you search the forums you will find many of suggestions of how to backup/restore.  I think there may be one where someone automated an ENEX backup process  for Windows EN using ENscript.  Don't know if that still works.

I suppose I should have automated my own process of backing up by now, but haven't.  Probably,haven't because the personal pain of manually doing the backups isn't enough for me to want to fix it.  Personal use case for sure. 

I don't have many notebooks so it is simple enough for me on a weekly basis to manually create the ENEX files by notebook and make a copy of the EXB file.  Sometimes more often if I have a heavy note create/update week.  It takes about 10-15 minutes for a 14GB data base with 7 notebooks of merit, 4 sycned and 3 local.  Typically I clean up email during the backup time.  FWIW.

If you find an easy way to automate the process please post back.  If it is easy enough it might push me over the edge to do it myself. 

[Kwitel 9]

Thanks to all who posted but frankly, I am lost. I think i'm just overwhelmed by the optionality listed above.

Am I correct in assuming there is only one thing that needs to be backed up and thats the EXB file?

Other than that, I can if I wanted to backup each and every notebook as ENEX files too (which would likely happen far less often as it would be more time consuming).

Other than those two things (and how often one might backup each and/or how to manage the individual processes), is there anything else I am missing?

[DTLow 5,736]

1 hour ago, Kwitel said:

Other than those two things (and how often one might backup each and/or how to manage the individual processes), is there anything else I am missing?

The final step in your research is the restore process.  

What steps to take with the backup exb/enex file?  

You will want to minimize any down time to access notes

This might also impact your backup method choice

[CalS 5,280]

You should consider that It is easier to restore a note from an ENEX backup.  The few times I used my backups were to recover an accidentally deleted note.  The history function is good for recovering older versions of notes but does not help with deleted notes. 

[Kwitel 9]

1 hour ago, csihilling said:

You should consider that It is easier to restore a note from an ENEX backup.  The few times I used my backups were to recover an accidentally deleted note.  The history function is good for recovering older versions of notes but does not help with deleted notes. 

Are you referring to ENEX backups of each and every notebook or everything at once?

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

3 hours ago, csihilling said:

The history function is good for recovering older versions of notes but does not help with deleted notes. 

That's what the Evernote Trash is for.

I make a point of changing the title to empty, or TEST for every note I delete on purpose.
Then, when I review the EN Trash before emptying it, it is easy to spot any accidental deletions.

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

3 hours ago, Kwitel said:

Thanks to all who posted but frankly, I am lost. I think i'm just overwhelmed by the optionality listed above.

There a number of choices, and a number of opinions about the best backup method.
But no one can decide for you.  A lot of it has to do with your personal risk tolerance.

If you are looking for someone to hand you a simple answer, I would advise against it.
Understanding both the backup and recovery process is important to understand now when things are calm.  I suggest finding some quiet time and reading through the posts/topics referenced above until you get comfortable with the subject matter.  Keep asking questions as needed.

You can get started now with just backing up your EXB database file daily using whatever backup software you are using to backup the files on your PC.
Just make sure that you have ample storage space on your backup device.  If your storage space is very limited, you can start with saving only 1 weeks worth of backups (7 daily backups).  Within a week you should be able to understand the backup options, and make your decision on what is best for you.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

[DTLow 5,736]

4 hours ago, csihilling said:

You should consider that It is easier to restore a note from an ENEX backup.  The few times I used my backups were to recover an accidentally deleted note.  The history function is good for recovering older versions of notes but does not help with deleted notes. 

 

54 minutes ago, JMichaelTX said:

That's what the Evernote Trash is for.

I make a point of changing the title to empty, or TEST for every note I delete on purpose.
Then, when I review the EN Trash before emptying it, it is easy to spot any accidental deletions.

I implemented my own note history for that reason - Evernote drops the note history when the note is deleted.

My process is to export notes changed the previous day, executed each morning.

[CalS 5,280]

11 hours ago, Kwitel said:

Are you referring to ENEX backups of each and every notebook or everything at once?

By notebook is how I do it, it would work either way.  But again, I don't have that many notebooks, each with a broad purpose, so not that hard to remember which notebook contained the note.

[CalS 5,280]

9 hours ago, JMichaelTX said:

That's what the Evernote Trash is for.

I make a point of changing the title to empty, or TEST for every note I delete on purpose.
Then, when I review the EN Trash before emptying it, it is easy to spot any accidental deletions.

Good method, hadn't thought of that.  May need to create me a PhaseExpress hotkey...

[DTLow 5,736]

12 hours ago, Kwitel said:

Are you referring to ENEX backups of each and every notebook or everything at once?

EIther way (full or notebook) ENEX backup is easier to restore than an EXB backup

You lose the notebook information in an ENEX backup, so that would be a reason for separating your backups by notebook

[Kwitel 9]

10 hours ago, JMichaelTX said:

There a number of choices, and a number of opinions about the best backup method.
But no one can decide for you.  A lot of it has to do with your personal risk tolerance.

If you are looking for someone to hand you a simple answer, I would advise against it.
Understanding both the backup and recovery process is important to understand now when things are calm.  I suggest finding some quiet time and reading through the posts/topics referenced above until you get comfortable with the subject matter.  Keep asking questions as needed.

You can get started now with just backing up your EXB database file daily using whatever backup software you are using to backup the files on your PC.
Just make sure that you have ample storage space on your backup device.  If your storage space is very limited, you can start with saving only 1 weeks worth of backups (7 daily backups).  Within a week you should be able to understand the backup options, and make your decision on what is best for you.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

You mention "7 daily backups", implying each of these backups is saved separately.

Wouldn't I just overwrite the previous days backup with the present day's one?

[DTLow 5,736]

1 hour ago, Kwitel said:

You mention "7 daily backups", implying each of these backups is saved separately.

Wouldn't I just overwrite the previous days backup with the present day's one?

When I only want one version (weekly backup), I use a static name, and it gets overwritten each week
When I want to save different versions of backup files, I add a date to the filename

 

[CalS 5,280]

23 minutes ago, Kwitel said:

You mention "7 daily backups", implying each of these backups is saved separately.

Wouldn't I just overwrite the previous days backup with the present day's one?

If the note(s) you needed were in Tuesday's backup you would loose the ability to recover them if you put Wednesdays backup in the same place.

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

9 hours ago, DTLow said:

EIther way (full or notebook) ENEX backup is easier to restore than an EXB backup

I'm not sure that is correct.  For sure, the combination of backup and restore is NOT easier with ENEX.

If you need to restore a note from ENEX backup, then you will need to locate which ENEX file the note is in.  This can be time consuming, depending on how may ENEX backups you have.

Whereas, with a EXB restore, you just restore the EXB file, and use the powerful Evernote search to find your Note, export it to ENEX, restore the original EXB file, and import.  Easy enough.

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

9 hours ago, Kwitel said:

Wouldn't I just overwrite the previous days backup with the present day's one?

You could, but this would be risky.  

For example, if on Tuesday, you do a backup where the Note is good.
On Wed, the note gets deleted, corrupted, etc, and then you do another ENEX backup.
The Wed backup overwrites the Tue backup, and you have no recovery for your note.

Very often, you may not discover a delete/corrupted Note until days, even weeks, after the event.

So that is why the best backup strategy keeps daily backups for a week, weekly backups for a month, and monthly backups for a year or longer.  With this strategy, you are assured of finding a backup where the file/note is good.

[DTLow 5,736]

On June 1, 2016 at 5:17 PM, JMichaelTX said:

I'm not sure that is correct.  For sure, the combination of backup and restore is NOT easier with ENEX.

If you need to restore a note from ENEX backup, then you will need to locate which ENEX file the note is in.  This can be time consuming, depending on how may ENEX backups you have.

Whereas, with a EXB restore, you just restore the EXB file, and use the powerful Evernote search to find your Note, export it to ENEX, restore the original EXB file, and import.  Easy enough.

You forgot to mention some of the steps

For a full database file restore

Mac/Windows device required

- log into your Evernote account,

- disconnect from the internet to avoid a mass syncing 

     you just restore the EXB file, and
     use the powerful Evernote search to find your Note,
     export it to ENEX,
     restore the original EXB file, and
    import.

- move selected restored notes to the correct notebook

- reconnect to the internet

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

On 6/1/2016 at 7:23 PM, DTLow said:

You forgot to mention,

[1[ Mac/Windows device required
[2] - log into your Evernote account,
[3] - disconnect from the internet to avoid a mass syncing 
[4]- move selected restored notes to the correct notebook
[5] - reconnect to the internet

I added numbers  in brackets to the steps for ease of reference.

1. Not unique to my process. Required for any process
2. Same as #1
3. Takes about 2 seconds to click on my Mac Wi-fi and turn off
4. Same for any ENEX import, including yours
5. Sames as #3

Bottom line -- all the stuff you added is irrelevant.

Meanwhile, you are doing work everyday to backup to ENEX, which I only have to do IF, and ONLY IF, I need to restore a note, which is very unlikely.

If you prefer to backup to ENEX, then fine, go for it.  But it is certainly NOT faster, or more efficient, or time-saving, than just backing up the EXB file, or allowing Time Machine to do its thing without any effort on my part.

 

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

On 5/31/2016 at 8:33 AM, DTLow said:

1. Restoring the database file is a difficult process because the master copy of Evernote data is on the Evernote servers, not on your device.  The automatic syncing will undo a resore operation on your device,
2. A single small change for a note will cause a larger change to the database and backup size. 
   This happens on the Mac, but is more significant in Windows which has a single .exb data file
   Instead, an export can be eaily targeted so only the changed note is exported (incremental backups) 

@DTLow:  Please check your facts.  You are spreading a lot in incorrect information.

We all get it that you prefer to backup using ENEX.  But that is just your preference.  Quit twisting the facts to try to convince others to follow you.

I have said it several times, and I'll say it again:  One valid method of backup is  using export to ENEX.
But it is NOT inherently better.
Each user can choose either backup to ENEX, OR, database backup, or both.

Now, about your "facts":

1. Restoring the database is NOT difficult at all.  
   1. Just rename the existing database, and restore from backup source.
   2. Simply turn off your wi-fi on your computer (one click on a Mac) before you start the restore process.
   3. Then the EN Cloud will NOT overwrite your backup.
2. A single small change for a note will NOT cause a materially larger change to the database and backup size.
   1. The Note content in the database (or file on EN Mac) is simply updated with your change, in both EN Win and EN Mac
   2. No big deal
   3. You clearly don't understand how Mac Time Machine works.
      1. It backs up ONLY the changes.
      2. So, if you change a note, it will backup only a few files associated with that Note.

OTOH, if you are doing a "full backup", an export of ALL your Notes to ENEX every week, then you are consuming far, far, more storage space than Mac Time Machine would, even though TM is doing a backup once/hour.

[DTLow 5,736]

On June 3, 2016 at 0:03 AM, JMichaelTX said:

all the stuff you added is irrelevant....

You clearly don't understand how Mac Time Machine works....

Please check your facts.  You are spreading a lot in incorrect information.

If I have have posted anything incorrect, I apologize and will work on correcting my posts.  
Despite the accusation, I haven't experienced many errors; mostly differences in opinions.
What specific points do you believe are incorrect?

>>We all get it that you prefer to backup using ENEX.  But that is just your preference. 

We all get it that you prefer to backup using a database file backup and Time Machine
But this is just your preference; and not available for the Non Mac users

The various backup methods have good and bad points.
 I will continue to point out the pro and con of each and assist users where possible.

--------------------------------------------------

In my post, I was attempting to outline the steps for a full database file restore.
This was a continuation of your post, but I thought you had missed some steps

----------------------------------------------------

>> 1. Not unique to my process. Required for any process (Mac/Windows device required)
Then we agree, you need a Mac/Windows device for a full database restore; this is not an option on the other platforms.
I can use my iPad to create/use .enex files but only small files (like a single note); I use my Mac for large files.  
Note - my incremental backups are small files

>> 2.  Same as #1 ( log into your Evernote account)
I believe this important to mention because after you disconnect from the internet, you will not be able to initiate a new login; this requires an internet connection

>> 3. Takes about 2 seconds to click on my Mac Wi-fi and turn off.
         (disconnect from the internet to avoid a mass syncing)
No argument, but I believe this is an extremely important step and needed mentioning if you are replacing your entire database file
I usually don't disconnect since I'm woking with smaller backup files and the import is directed to a unique notebook

>>Meanwhile, you are doing work everyday to backup to ENEX, which I only have to do IF, and ONLY IF, I need to restore a note, which is very unlikely.
My backup process is scripted (Applescript on a Mac) so it runs automatically hands-off.  
No work required.
I recommend to all users that you automate your backup process

>>if you are doing a "full backup", an export of ALL your Notes to ENEX every week, then you are consuming far, far, more storage space than Mac Time Machine would, even though TM is doing a backup once/hour.
I do incremental backups; only notes that have changed.  I do a weekly full backup, but I only keep a single version

>>If you need to restore a note from ENEX backup, then you will need to locate which ENEX file the note is in.  This can be time consuming, depending on how may ENEX backups you have.
Its even worse if you're doing incremental backups
Fortunately, .ENEX files are searchable.  I also do a matching HTML backup, so I have a display of the backup'd note, and the note title is used as a filename

>>A single small change for a note will NOT cause a materially larger change to the database and backup size.
I prefer to simply backup the changed note (incremental)
I know Mac Time Machine will attempt to reduce backup file sizes by only backing up the changed database files.  
Not sure what Window users can do, since the entire database is contained in one .exb file.  I think there is incremental backup software but it's expensive.  Generally, you have to backup the full database for each version you keep.

 

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

On 6/3/2016 at 7:33 AM, DTLow said:

We all get it that you prefer to backup using a database file backup and Time Machine
But this is just your preference; and not available for the Non Mac users

Yes, that is my preference, but I don't try to force other users to follow it.

I have consistently stated there are two primary Evernote backup strategies, and each user is free to choose what works best for him/her.

The primary thread for Evernote Backup/Restore is:
Evernote Backup and Restore Options

In that thread I provide complete details, which I do NOT try to duplicate in this thread, or other threads.

I urge all readers to refer to that thread, rather than relying on anything posted here.