Loss of data within notes - a fatal flaw?

[donboek 0]

After a couple of years using and greatly enjoying Evernote, I am beginning to look for alternatives. The reason is that even when I carefully re-enter and save data within a note, it sometimes disappears. I noticed in part because I work across two platforms, an iphone (Apple) and a chromebook (Google.) I sympathize with Evernote trying to bridge those worlds, but that doesn't help me.

Here's the situation: I enter data daily onto a running list. I sometimes use my iphone (an easier interface, with no need to click to save), sometimes my laptop (a click to save - or you'll be sorry - check mark on screen.) Yesterday, I accidentally erased three days worth of data while making an entry on the chromebook. They are just single line entries, so that kind of thing happens occasionally.  I could not undo - there's no 'curvy arrow' for undo, I was surprised to realize. I checked my phone, and the missing data was still up. I copied it back into the chromebook version (and onto the 'regular' data spreadsheet in another program) and checked save. All good, right?

Wrong. This morning, both laptop and phone Evernote versions have reverted to the 'lost data' copy - with no sign of the 'corrected' version from yesterday restoring the missing data. Plus, yesterday's new entry has disappeared as well.

Somehow, the slip of a finger was all the Evernote program retained. My attempts to rectify the situation did not work, and my data went missing. I wonder how many times that's happened - I've noticed missing things before, but thought "oh well, it's my memory - that's why I use Evernote!' Uh huh.

So, I guess I'm not going to trust Evernote. It's been a great run! But I will need to limit my uses, and move data to other programs - and start saving any archived sensitive notes or items I want to keep. 

Last comment. I searched the forum for similar complaints and found plenty of them. I wanted to simply comment on an existing thread, but the protocols Evernote uses for forums made that pretty clunky, so I simply wrote a new note. I noted with regret that the tone of the moderator in several cases was pretty dismissive, even when users were calmly stating the problem they faced. A universal 'fix' suggested is to use the "History" feature. Sounds clunky, and users generally replied that it did not work well for them. 

In any event, I wanted to share my experience. If Evernote is aware of this issue and has come up with a solution, though, I'd like to know.

 

[CalS 5,280]

Typically these issues are a result of human error editing a note followed by sync sequence.  If you have a copy of the accidentally deleted data on another device you are better off copy/pasting it into a new note.  Otherwise, the subsequent syncs may take the original error note and propagate it.  As you are aware by your post, best practice is to sync when entering/leaving a platform.  But not if you are trying to recover something.

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,938]

Hi, @donboek, and welcome to the forums. Just WRT the note history feature, this history is retained for all accounts, regardless of subscription level. It's possible to upgrade to Premium for just one month, access your note history, then drop back to Basic when you're done. It costs something, but then it was user error that erased the data, as I understand it. Whether the note history works well depends on the circumstances. The history does not record every edit, but is taken at certain regular intervals. Since you lost 3 days' worth of material, I'd guess that there would be at least one note history entry that would have captured much of that.