Please make the dictionary work

[emmgee 39]

I am constantly adding the same words to the dictionary.  This was fixed once and now it's broken.  Also, where is the custom dictionary stored?  I would like to see what is in it.

[gazumped 11,664]

Hi.  I have a user.dic file in C:\Users\<user>\Evernote\Dict - Win 10 / EN 6.15.  If you don't have anything similar a search of your system for that file might help...  and for the future,  you could take a regular backup in case an update deletes the original.

[emmgee 39]

I looked in the obvious places before posting this.  In my c:\Users\<user.\Evernote folder I do not have any folder with "Dict" or "Dictionary" in it.  I used the Windows 10 search function to look for "user.dic" and it didn't find anything.  

I'm less concerned about backing up the custom dictionary and more concerned that after I right-click on a word and add it to the dictionary that the next day I don't have to do it all over again.  I've recently started trying the beta versions in hope that some of the lingering Evernote issues will be fixed.  The dictionary function was broken bad for a while in production releases, then it seemed to work, then it broke.  I can't remember the exact history, all I know is that a product as old as Evernote shouldn't be struggling with this kind of functionality.  I wish they would fix it and it would stay fixed.

[gazumped 11,664]

Hmmn.  I'm using the 6.15 beta Evernote Windows Desktop,  and I have a working dictionary.  A couple of the Gurus here have mentioned dictionary issues,  but AFAIK I've never suffered from them.  (The issues,  not the Gurus...)

Evernote isn't 'struggling' with a dictionary issue that I'm aware of,  but as a premium subscriber you can get a bit of tlc from Support if you wish on https://help.evernote.com/hc/requests/new, or https://twitter.com/evernotehelps if that link won't work for you. 

Meantime I'd suggest uninstalling / restarting / reinstalling to clear out any 'old' Evernote drivers and logs you have to see if matters improve.  It's a good idea to backup your database to make sure nothing happens to your data,  though everything (except Local Notebooks) will still be backed up on the server.  Copying the databases folder to the desktop is easy and quick.

[emmgee 39]

Thank you for the guidance.  I'll give it a try.  I had my laptop reimaged a few months back and had to install Evernote freshly at that point.  So I don't have years of detritus to contend with.  I set my preferences to my liking and it's always hard to remember exactly what I did.  So reinstalling isn't for the faint of heart in a way.  Maybe Evernote isn't struggling with the dictionary, but I'm struggling and it’s a pain in the backside.

[Liam Gretton 86]

The custom dictionary is broken for me in 6.15 beta too, but I know it used to work. I'll test with 6.14 tomorrow.

To reproduce: add a new nonsense word to the dictionary. Exit Evernote, restart. It will mark the word just added as being misspelled.

I have a user.dic file in C:\Users\user\Evernote\Dict but it doesn't get updated.

Just another feature that gets mysteriously broken like so many others.

[CalS 5,280]

4 hours ago, emmgee said:

I am constantly adding the same words to the dictionary.  This was fixed once and now it's broken.  Also, where is the custom dictionary stored?  I would like to see what is in it.

I filed a bug report on this.  Response is "Thanks. I'm seeing this too. It appears that they're not saving to the dictionary at all on 6.14.15.  We're currently working on prioritizing a fix.

[emmgee 39]

Thanks for letting me know.

[CalS 5,280]

23 minutes ago, gazumped said:

Hmmn.  I'm using the 6.15 beta Evernote Windows Desktop,  and I have a working dictionary.  A couple of the Gurus here have mentioned dictionary issues,  but AFAIK I've never suffered from them.

If you want to live on the wild side, try a File - Exit and see what happens upon your return.  You are truly blessed if your dictionary sticks.  ?

[CalS 5,280]

Just now, emmgee said:

Thanks for letting me know.

 

You are welcome.

[gazumped 11,664]

2 hours ago, CalS said:

If you want to live on the wild side, try a File - Exit and see what happens upon your return.  You are truly blessed if your dictionary sticks.  ?

Hmmn.  I sit corrected - just invented a word and added it to the dictionary.  The file date and time jumped to now,  so it has been accessed somehow,  but the word doesn't appear to be there... 

[jefito 5,589]

I was under the impression that user.dic was dead:

 

[CalS 5,280]

2 hours ago, gazumped said:

Hmmn.  I sit corrected - just invented a word and added it to the dictionary.  The file date and time jumped to now,  so it has been accessed somehow,  but the word doesn't appear to be there... 

 

28 minutes ago, jefito said:

I was under the impression that user.dic was dead:

Revolution 9.

[Ron Bauerle 31]

I moved this to the bug report forum as its about a bug, also wanted to mention that we know about it and can reproduce it, and developers are working on a fix.

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,958]

I've updated to v. 6.15, and the dictionary seems to be working well. New words are added (no longer red-lined). I have two files that seem to be involved in this: C:\Users\{username}\Evernote\LocalStorage\Custom Dictionary.txt, which seems to hold new adds today; and C:\Users\{username}\Evernote\Dict\user.dic, which seems to have my previous adds. Don't know how it coordinates, but it works, and these are both plain-text. Maybe editable (when Evernote is not running, of course), but I haven't tried that yet.

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,958]

21 hours ago, Dave-in-Decatur said:

I've updated to v. 6.15, and the dictionary seems to be working well. New words are added (no longer red-lined). I have two files that seem to be involved in this: C:\Users\{username}\Evernote\LocalStorage\Custom Dictionary.txt, which seems to hold new adds today; and C:\Users\{username}\Evernote\Dict\user.dic, which seems to have my previous adds. Don't know how it coordinates, but it works, and these are both plain-text. Maybe editable (when Evernote is not running, of course), but I haven't tried that yet.

Well, I spoke way too soon, and too optimistically. The user.dic file is indeed plain text. But apparently Evernote doesn't use it at all! I actually opened it, copied a number of words out of it and pasted them into a note, and they all got red-underlined. When I right-clicked and chose Add to Dictionary, they were saved--but into Custom Dictionary.txt with its accursed checksum, which prevents a person from taking a list of words and just pasting them in there. So: new words are saved; there can be no mass adding of words; and F7 spell check still doesn't work.

[emmgee 39]

I don't notice any difference.  The words I've "added to the dictionary" in the past still get a red underline when I add them to a note today.  I've just gotten used to it I guess.

Lately we've seen a lot of press about the exit of key executives and reduction in staff.  I hold out no hope, to be honest.  I read the current CEO's blog recently saying that all is well and they have a new "brand" and all that BS.  Yes, the new green elephant on a white background really helps my productivity. 

All the pretty words in that blog that were ghost-written by a well-paid marketing consultant sound good on the surface.  But at the end of the day I don't want to use a "brand" – I want to use software that does the basics well, is reliable and fast, and doesn't have goofy bugs like a dictionary that is just a pretender.

Evernote – if you're listening – please fix the dictionary.  Please.

[CalS 5,280]

I've noticed with 6.15 that any words I add to the dictionary now stick.  Still have to click on word or line to see it is misspelled, but once added it is staying there.  You do have to exit/enter the note if there is more than one occurrence of the word being added.