(Archived) Evernote Database Size

[sparrowlight 14]

Hi all,

 

I use Evernote on multiple platforms but Mac is my primary. I am reviewing my space usage on Disk Inventory X and I have a ton of space taken up by Evernote -- to the tune of over 50 GB!! I know I put a lot into Evernote but that is a lot of data. Is this normal? Is there any way I can find out the "true" size of my data within Evernote and see if this oversize footprint needs fixing?

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

Hi all,

 

I use Evernote on multiple platforms but Mac is my primary. I am reviewing my space usage on Disk Inventory X and I have a ton of space taken up by Evernote -- to the tune of over 50 GB!! I know I put a lot into Evernote but that is a lot of data. Is this normal? Is there any way I can find out the "true" size of my data within Evernote and see if this oversize footprint needs fixing?

Hi. I'm afraid this is an outstanding issue that hasn't been resolved yet. I have under 2 GB uploaded, but my database is about 8GB on my local drive. In my experience, two to four times the "actual" size isn't uncommon. Sorry.

I've put in a request for selective syncing of notebooks and Evernote has said that such a feature is inevitable, but I am afraid we don't know how long we have until it comes to the desktop (mobile devices have it already). Selective syncing would enable you to keep some notebooks on the cloud and just download the titles and snippets without putting the note content and attachments on your drive.

Unfortunately, Apple stuff doesn't have much storage, so you may need to create one account for the cloud and another for your local stuff (this is what I do).

[sparrowlight 14]

Thanks for the info, GrumpyMonkey. I wasn't aware of the size issues as a known problem. It's a bit concerning since I have a LOT of Evernote data but no real way to parse out the actual database size versus how much space it takes up on Mac. I'm not really keen on having two accounts so I guess I'll have to be vigilant about making sure my hard drive can handle the application. 

[menevets 2]

I'm not at 50 GB, but 15 GB and am thinking of offloading mp3 files to cloud storage. Or eventually, a hard drive upgrade.

[sparrowlight 14]

I'm not at 50 GB, but 15 GB and am thinking of offloading mp3 files to cloud storage. Or eventually, a hard drive upgrade.

 

I'm currently using iTunes Match, which has been very helpful in cleaning up my music storage space -- I'm deleting a lot of my local files since I have wifi access 99% of the time that I would listen to music anyway. 

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

I moved my iTunes database onto my external hard drive. I loath that app and I am especially annoyed by how it gobbles up space on my drive. I think your plan with iTunes Match is a good one. You might also want to consider moving it off your local drive as well.

[sparrowlight 14]

I moved my iTunes database onto my external hard drive. I loath that app and I am especially annoyed by how it gobbles up space on my drive. I think your plan with iTunes Match is a good one. You might also want to consider moving it off your local drive as well.

 

I've done that to some extent with movie and TV show files -- they are on an external drive. I'm winnowing more music every day and sending to the cloud. 

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

Hi all,

 

I use Evernote on multiple platforms but Mac is my primary. I am reviewing my space usage on Disk Inventory X and I have a ton of space taken up by Evernote -- to the tune of over 50 GB!! I know I put a lot into Evernote but that is a lot of data. Is this normal? Is there any way I can find out the "true" size of my data within Evernote and see if this oversize footprint needs fixing?

 

I don't use a Mac but I think this should work, if you were really wanting to clean up the EN database.  First, make sure all your notes in sync'd notebooks are sync'd to the cloud.  Export (to enex) any notebooks in local (non-sync'd) notebooks.  Either apply a tag with the notebook name first, or do one export per local notebook.  Fully exit EN.  Rename your local database folder.  (I say rename b/c I hesitate to delete things unless I'm absolutely, positively sure I no longer need it.)  Invoke EN.  You will be asked for login credentials & a new database will be built by downloading everything from the cloud.  After all notes have been sync'd down, you can import the enex file(s).  You will need to search the board for specifics such as folder names & such, since I can't be more specific because I don't use a Mac.

[sparrowlight 14]

 

Hi all,

 

I use Evernote on multiple platforms but Mac is my primary. I am reviewing my space usage on Disk Inventory X and I have a ton of space taken up by Evernote -- to the tune of over 50 GB!! I know I put a lot into Evernote but that is a lot of data. Is this normal? Is there any way I can find out the "true" size of my data within Evernote and see if this oversize footprint needs fixing?

 

I don't use a Mac but I think this should work, if you were really wanting to clean up the EN database.  First, make sure all your notes in sync'd notebooks are sync'd to the cloud.  Export (to enex) any notebooks in local (non-sync'd) notebooks.  Either apply a tag with the notebook name first, or do one export per local notebook.  Fully exit EN.  Rename your local database folder.  (I say rename b/c I hesitate to delete things unless I'm absolutely, positively sure I no longer need it.)  Invoke EN.  You will be asked for login credentials & a new database will be built by downloading everything from the cloud.  After all notes have been sync'd down, you can import the enex file(s).  You will need to search the board for specifics such as folder names & such, since I can't be more specific because I don't use a Mac.

 

 

I'm actually doing this right now because I am switching from the Mac App Store of Evernote to the direct download version since I want inline docs (the Mac App store version for 5.2.0 has a bug). Still seeing a HUGE database size that doesn't match my actual notes.

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

In my case, wiping the app from my local drive and reinstalling doesn't affect the outcome. I still end up with a database about 4 times the size of the actual notes I have. This is a longstanding problem that I first began reporting about a year ago. Unless you are willing to do some radical reorganizing (an account you only access through the Web and another one you have on your local drive) there is nothing that the end user can do until we get selective sync for our notebooks.

As for the Mac direct download, that is definitely the way to go.

[DavidUK 0]

I am using Evernote on a Mac and have a large database/collection of notes. I hope to get a small iPad soon, but don't want to sync everything to it when I set up Evernote. What do you think are my best options? I want something like the old Windows "briefcase" idea?

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

I am using Evernote on a Mac and have a large database/collection of notes. I hope to get a small iPad soon, but don't want to sync everything to it when I set up Evernote. What do you think are my best options? I want something like the old Windows "briefcase" idea?

Hi. Welcome to the forums. By default, the mobile versions only sync "headers," and not the content of your notes, so even with tens of thousands of notes, it won't take up too much room. If you are a Premium member, you can designate some notebooks for "offline" access. The notes in them will be downloaded onto your device. This is kind of like the briefcase idea. In other words, you have nothing to worry about

[DavidUK 0]

 

I am using Evernote on a Mac and have a large database/collection of notes. I hope to get a small iPad soon, but don't want to sync everything to it when I set up Evernote. What do you think are my best options? I want something like the old Windows "briefcase" idea?

Hi. Welcome to the forums. By default, the mobile versions only sync "headers," and not the content of your notes, so even with tens of thousands of notes, it won't take up too much room. If you are a Premium member, you can designate some notebooks for "offline" access. The notes in them will be downloaded onto your device. This is kind of like the briefcase idea. In other words, you have nothing to worry about

 

 

That's great news. Many thanks.

[tweveruser 1]

It's not normal, i have over 500 notes in my Evernote, only takes up to 1.2GB.

[Colin 13]

my calculations suggest that note sizes depend on the nature of the content.  As an everyday user who keeps lots in EN I also noticed the database size is definitely related to note content.  My database had increased to 6.5 Gb (5,500 notes).  However some comments in these forums got me thinking about one aspect of my notes.  I was a heavy user of "folder import" and was pulling my photo stream into EN.  I had just over 2,000 photos at 2.2Mb per pic.

 

I deleted them all, optimised the Db and now am at 2.5 Gb.  So the Db reduced by almost precisely the size of the pics (4.4 Gb).

 

So EN is not a good solution for photos.  Since advent of smart phones with decent cameras, a better solution is to rely on icloud or equivalent, and not EN.  The increase in size from photos is exponentialy greater than from text or pdf notes because of size and volume of new notes.