Unable to remove unused tags remaining from old shared notebooks

[Mirra 2]

Hi guys,

 

I am using Evernote since a few years, and have thousands of notes in it. Today I decided to remove some of the shared notebooks (shared with me by 3rd persons), because they were not anymore relevant. However, now I am stuck with a huge bunch of unused tags that these notebooks contained, and the problem is that I cannot remove them! When I right-click on these tags with my mouse, the option "delete" is not even highlighted, the only thing it allows me to do is add the tag to the shortcuts. 

 

Is there any solution to it?

 

I'm using Evernote for Windows, v 5.6. (premium account)

 

Thanks for your help in advance!

Mirra

[gazumped 11,663]

Hi.  Try signing out of Evernote completely and signing back in.  Worst case - uninstall and reinstall Evernote.  (Backup your database first!)

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

Hi guys,

 

I am using Evernote since a few years, and have thousands of notes in it. Today I decided to remove some of the shared notebooks (shared with me by 3rd persons), because they were not anymore relevant. However, now I am stuck with a huge bunch of unused tags that these notebooks contained, and the problem is that I cannot remove them! When I right-click on these tags with my mouse, the option "delete" is not even highlighted, the only thing it allows me to do is add the tag to the shortcuts. 

 

Is there any solution to it?

 

I'm using Evernote for Windows, v 5.6. (premium account)

 

Thanks for your help in advance!

Mirra

 

Before you take the drastic action of a full reinstall (which I'm not sure would help), you may want to try the following procedure, given to me by Evernote Support:

(Note:  I have NOT tested this myself, but it did come directly from Support)

 

To be safe, you might want to do a full backup of your Evernote database/folder before you start.

 

 You need to do a local database optimization and reindex.

 

1.  Please exit Evernote (File>Exit)

2.  Open the Windows Start Menu (you can hit the windows key on the keyboard)

3.  Type Run <enter>

4.  In the Run Dialog please type:

evernote.exe /debugmenu

(note the space between .exe and /debugmenu)

 

After doing that, the Evernote app will launch with a special Debug Menu to the right of the Help Menu. 

1.  Open the Debug Menu

2.  select "Fix Business Tags" (even though they're technically shared tags, this should help to remove these as well). 

 

If you have any questions, or something doesn't look right, don't hesitate to ask.

[Mirra 2]

I just reinstalled the whole programme, and the tags are still there. The funny thing is that on the web application they are not.

 

Wil try the debug option, now that I have all the backups in place.

[Mirra 2]

Thanks, JMichael, just tried what you suggested and it does not seem to do anything at all... Will see if I can optimize the database, as you suggest. 

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

Thanks, JMichael, just tried what you suggested and it does not seem to do anything at all... Will see if I can optimize the database, as you suggest. 

 

Mirra, it was gazumped that suggested the reinstall -- not me.  

 

I hope the optimize database/fix business tags works for you.  If not, please let me know.

[Mirra 2]

Ok, I found the solution! JMichael, thanks a lot, I did not know about this debugging option, and it did indeed solve the problem.

 

When you launch the Evernote with Debug menu, you need to press Ctrl + and press Help, then you will see one of the options "remove unused linked tags" or something like this. I selected that, and voilá, all my linked tags are gone! 

[Markus Gasser 1]

Ok, I found the solution! JMichael, thanks a lot, I did not know about this debugging option, and it did indeed solve the problem.

 

When you launch the Evernote with Debug menu, you need to press Ctrl + and press Help, then you will see one of the options "remove unused linked tags" or something like this. I selected that, and voilá, all my linked tags are gone! 

Thanks Mirra, that was the solution for me.

[hogg-rob 1]

Thanks from me too.

 

This was bugging me for ages but is now fixed!

[Morticia 193]

Last year I drag them to the trash by anger and it works...

[karenjs 35]

Wondering what the procedure is on a Mac?

 

 

I have the same problem - TONS of unused "legacy" tags from no-longer-shared notebooks. They've lasted through several version upgrades and fresh downloads. (A quick search shows a recent note that says there's no database tools on the EN-Mac side). Support ticket?

 

Thanks -

[gazumped 11,663]

Unless the Mac experts around here can suggest a better alternative (Windows-only,  me) I'd suggest logging out of your account and back in.  The next level would mean uninstalling Evernote completely and rebuilding the database from the server,  but that seems like probable overkill unless the issue is really bad - so: support ticket!

[karenjs 35]

Thanks -- I've logged out & in many times and have fresh installed many times (not necessarily to solve this problem, but over the course of the many months I've had it, I've done those actions.) Support ticket it is! I'll post any helpful followups. 

[CalS 5,280]

Random thought, how about trying nesting some of the unwanted tags under a new temporary parent tag and then deleting the parent.  Sometimes smoke and mirrors works.

[karenjs 35]

Very sneaky, @csihilling!! I tried it and it didn't work, unfortunately. It deleted the parent, but not her 100 empty children. 

It DID however give me a way to clean up the unsightly mess and make the tag view actually usable again! I simply hadn't thought of nesting as a way to at least clean it up. So, thank you! :-)

[CalS 5,280]

You are welcome.  I guess a partial fix/workaround is better than nothing at all. 

[Bruno Chanel 1]

About the Debug Menu, now you don't need to open with command line, it's more simple, juste press CTRL and click on the Help menu and you have automatically 13 new options, 

[Hulett 1]

On 6/15/2015 at 10:57 PM, Morticia said:

Last year I drag them to the trash by anger and it works...

Morticia, thank you! This worked perfectly and is SO SIMPLE. 

I'm using windows desktop,  - go to the Tags folder, click drag and drop into the Trash folder under Notebook on the left hand menu. Confirm : delete Tag and you are done.

Works perfectly for me.

[karenjs 35]

This got me so excited, but it doesn't work on a Mac (or at least, doesn't work on ver 6.9 beta 1) -- Can't drag tags to the trash, the trash doesn't recognize that it should accept them. If I let go on it over there in the sidebar (right over trash) it adds the tag to the shortcut list way at the top. Lucky Windows users! 

[Hulett 1]

Hi Karen, how frustrating. I sympathise. Hope you sort it eventually.

H

[jefito 5,589]

21 hours ago, karenjs said:

This got me so excited, but it doesn't work on a Mac (or at least, doesn't work on ver 6.9 beta 1) -- Can't drag tags to the trash, the trash doesn't recognize that it should accept them. If I let go on it over there in the sidebar (right over trash) it adds the tag to the shortcut list way at the top. Lucky Windows users! 

You should really ask your question in the Mac Help forum here: https://discussion.evernote.com/forum/219-mac-help/, as this is the Windows Desktop Help forum. You're probably more likely to get a Mac user to help you there.