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HOWTO: Stop Evernote from loading automatically on startup


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So far I enjoy using Evernote on the Mac. I don't use it nearly as much as some of the people here and the one that really kills me is that every time I open Evernote it adds the "EvernoteHelper" application to my user startup items. I don't user Evernote all day long so I have no problem launching the app when I need to use it and I especially don't need the Evernote icon in the task bar. I have searched through the preferences and there doesn't seem to be a way to stop Evernote from adding the helper app to my startup items each time I open the application. I did find the option to not show the icon in the task area but that doesn't seem to stop the app from running. Am I missing something? Anyone have any idea how to stop this from happening?

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The EvernoteHelper app is needed for the following:

1) To allow global shortcut keys to work when Evernote isn't running

2) To have the Elephant icon in the menubar when Evernote isn't running

3) To help the Safari clipper plugin do its work when Evernote isn't running.

That being said, there is currently a bug where if:

All global shortcut keys are disabled, "Show Elephant in Menubar" is unchecked, and the Safari clipper plugin is disabled, the EvernoteHelper app is launched anyway.

We plan to fix this. In the meantime, if it's any comfort, I can assure you that it's not spying on you. :D

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I'm not worried about it spying on me. I just have no use for the shortcuts and the clipping stuff for Safari. I open the app when I need to save a quick note and that's about it. I just don't need it starting up with the machine. Just more resources, however small, that I don't feel like giving up. Thank you for clearing that up for now.

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  • 4 months later...

Is there anyway to keep evernote from adding itself to the startup items, every time I activate the app it adds evernote to startup at login, every time i notice it i manually remove it, however the next time I start EN its back. If theres not a way to do this, anyone know of a workaround to block EN helper from starting up at login. Or how about implementing the ability to disable it in future versions. :D Im not talking about the menubar icon, Im talking about in system preferences>accounts>login items>evernote helper. I know what EN helper does, I don't need to know why I need it.

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  • 1 month later...

Did anything ever change with this problem? It is wrong to force us to run EvernoteHelper without the option of turning it off. I don't want the universal keyboard shortcuts and Yet Another Process chewing up cycles, I don't care how low-impact it is claimed to be. We need to have the choice to turn this off.

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  • 3 months later...

Personally, I feel this is unacceptable. *I* should be able to choose what I want to run at login --- even if this means I lose some functionality. For instance, I don't use the clipper or shortcuts -- so why should I be forced to auto start it? Additionally, I have found that on my Mac the battery depletes faster if the helper app is running (during sleep)*. As such, I have found two ways to stop this from happening -- hopefully Evernote will eventually give us a legitimate option to turn it off.

*this may or may not be true for everyone.

Preferred method of disabling startup of the evernote helper:

OSX stores a user's startup items in a file. If this file is locked (get info -> check mark locked) then the startup items cannot be updated. The file in question is located here:

/Users/your_username/Library/Preferences/loginwindow.plist

Just lock this file and evernote cannot update the login items. Two important notes:

1. The evernote helper will continue to run after you exit evernote but can easily be killed (and won't be added)

2. If you need to modify your startup items then you will have to unlock this file.

I think this is a better solution (at least until evernote fixes this problem) than the next option below.

More drastic option:

Rename the evernotehelper to evernotehelper.disabled. Now it is not added back to login items every time evernote is started. Obviously I no longer get global shortcuts and the menubar icon but I am OK with that --- as I do not use them. Your mileage can and will vary though. Note: this could interfere with program updates.

The helper can be found here:

Applications -> evernote -> contents -> resources

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  • 3 months later...

Yes, it is a very old and odd bug in my humble opinion.

Because I don't want to use evernote until I really need!

There is a good example: Alarm Clock Pro, which you can set if you want to add the helper into user login item.

Please add this for user's sake.

post-23921-131906066784_thumb.png

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  • 7 months later...

I just got the update to 2.0.4 and it asked me at the end if I wanted to use the helper app. The honest answer wasn't on one of the buttons: "I don't know."

I have a lot stuff in my login items and I'm trying to keep it trimmed down. What exactly does the helper app do? If I don't activate it, will I unable to use the menubar menu or the firefox plugin (both of which i use a LOT). Or is this something that really does something esoteric and rare. How vital is it, and what features will I lose if I turn it off.

Thanks.

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The "helper app" is needed to make the elephant icon in the menu bar work ... this supports making screenshots and pasting directly into Evernote from the OS.

hey Dave, in Podcast #25 you mentioned that you might be including the web clipper function as part of the helper app, to overcome the need to download a separate pugin for Safari, which is required for the App Store binary given the strict rules imposed by Apple.

Can you elaborate a bit on this development? Os it only going to be for Safari? Will we see Firefox too? Will the Firefox clipper also include the PDF function like the Safari clipper?

Thanks, Luca

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  • 10 months later...
  • Level 5*

It is there for a reason to show you that Evernote is running and to allow you to create notes etc without having to go back to the app. However, to avoid offending your apparent 'tackiness' sensibilities, you can hide it by looking in the General section of Preferences.

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For some reason, that option was greyed out until I turned "Keep EH running in the background when I quit EN." I had to turn that option on, then turn the other two off, and then turn off the "keep EH running" thing again.

Weird interface cues there, for sure. Somebody needs to fix that.

As for the "to show you EN is running," I'm pretty sure that's what the Dock is for. The growing Mac app tendency of "hey, let me stick something in the Menu Bar by default" is even more obnoxious than Win apps longstanding tendency to drop icons on the desktop without asking.

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  • 1 month later...

Hello,

I have just downloaded Evernote and every time I start up my Mac it loads automatically. How can I stop this from happening?

Also is there anyway that I can have some of my notes password protected?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Gemma

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  • Level 5*

Do you mean the Evernote elephant in your menubar? Or the application itself?

If you mean the menubar then take a look in Evernote Preferences - the General tab, Evernote Helper. If the application is starting up then look in your OS X System Preferences Users and Groups and Login Items for your user.

You can encrypt text within a note, you can't password protect the whole note. There is an awful lot of discussion on the board on the subject if you have a search.

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You can also Check this to.

Right click on the icon on the Dock, then Options, if a check mark is on the OPEN AT LOGIN, click on it to uncheck it.

FYI, This is for the program it self, not the RV Helper. If it's that read what Browncoat wrote to fix that.

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  • 1 year later...

I think that I am asking the same thing ... when I start my mac, I see an ugly elephant in my menu bar.

I have two issues ... 

  1. That is what the dock is there for
  2. I am not running EN !!! even after a restart the elephant is there!

Point 1 is just intrusive (poor) design.

 

Point 2 however suggests that some part of EN is loading when my mac starts; without my permission .... how do I stop EN launching any process at start up (not just hide the elephant)?

 

Looking through the EN preferences I can see something about EN helper running in the background (an emphatic off!).

Looking at my system preferences, EN is not listed in my login items ...

Is there somewhere else that I should look to prevent EN from launching any processes?

 

 

 

I see that a bug report was filed 12 months ago ... any news on a fix?

 

Thanks.

 

 

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  • Level 5*

I think that I am asking the same thing ... when I start my mac, I see an ugly elephant in my menu bar.

I have two issues ... 

  • That is what the dock is there for
  • I am not running EN !!! even after a restart the elephant is there!
Point 1 is just intrusive (poor) design.

 

Point 2 however suggests that some part of EN is loading when my mac starts; without my permission .... how do I stop EN launching any process at start up (not just hide the elephant)?

 

Looking through the EN preferences I can see something about EN helper running in the background (an emphatic off!).

Looking at my system preferences, EN is not listed in my login items ...

Is there somewhere else that I should look to prevent EN from launching any processes?

 

 

 

I see that a bug report was filed 12 months ago ... any news on a fix?

 

Thanks.

Hi. Welcome to the forums. The elephant in the menu is the helper, and it facilitates actions like making a quick note with a shortcut key command even if Evernote is not running. Handy for some, but maybe not for others. If the helper is off,, it shouldn't be there. If a developer doesn't drop i, I'll flag the problem.

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  • 3 weeks later...

How do I stop Evernote from automatically logging in when i turn on my computer?  I tried the suggestions, I do not have it set to "open at login" when I right click on the icon, and when I checked System Pref / User groups/login items it is not listed.

 

Any other suggestions?

 

Also, can we password protect notes yet?

 

thanks!

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  • 1 month later...

How do I stop Evernote from automatically logging in when i turn on my computer?  I tried the suggestions, I do not have it set to "open at login" when I right click on the icon, and when I checked System Pref / User groups/login items it is not listed.

 

Any other suggestions?

 

. . .

 

thanks!

 

[This is in OS X Mountain Lion with Evernote ver. 5.2.0] 

To stop Evernote from loading the Evernote helper app at startup (i.e., stop the loading of the Evernote elephant in the menu bar), go to the Applications folder in the Finder (pretzel-shift-A on the keyboard) and launch Evernote.app.  In Evernote, under the Evernote menu, go to Preferences.  On the General tab in Preferences, in the subsection Evernote Helper, uncheck all of the boxes.  Close the Preferences pane, quit Evernote, and restart the computer.  The helper app should not load when your machine restarts.

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  • 1 year later...

I too am having the problem of the Evernote webclipper webpage automagically opening everytime I fire up Safari after having cleared its history/cache, which I do daily. Most annoying and I am hoping there is a fix other than having to disable webclipper. This began happening only after updating the OS and Safari.

 

I am running Evernote 5.6.2 with Webclipper 6.2.4 on a MacBook Pro with Yosemite 10.10 and Safari 8.0.

 

Thanks for any help the community can provide.

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  • 2 months later...

I have tried everything to stop Evernote opening by itself and switching my desktop screen.

 

it has been disabled from opening at login and automatic syncing has been turned off

 

I quit the app return to working on whatever it is I am doing, only for the application to open itself again within two minutes and insist on showing me the start up screen for Evernote.

 

I sent a support request to Evernote 5 days ago and have had no response. The app works fine on my iPad and iPhone, but i have had to delete it from my Macbook air as it just stops me from working effectively.  Am I alone with this issue or have others experienced the same issue?

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  • 1 year later...
  • 2 months later...

The only way for me to stop Evernote 6.10 from launching automatically was to open the application folder and rename Evernote into EvernoteX. But after starting Evernote one again, it was there again. Deleting Evernote seems to be the only way for me ...

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