Working with Excel files stored in Evernote

[mlu 25]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but I find the way Evernote and Excel (2016) integrates quite useless to my workflow. An example:

1) I create an Excel file named EN.xlsx and store this in Evernote

2) When I open it the file is named for example "Xl0000029.xls [Read-Only] [Compatibility Mode]", and is not saved back into Evernote.

Then I cannot open the file from Evernote, make changes and then save back to Evernote using Evernote like for example Dropbox. Isn't this what you were supposed to be able to? As far as I remember this worked fine with older releases of Excel.

[CalS 5,280]

@mlu

It works fine for me.  I created a spreadsheet named EN.xlsx and dragged it into a new note, image of the icon below.  What name do you see in the icon for the spreadsheet?

[mlu 25]

Thanks csihilling. This works exactly the same for me, but the problem is when I doubleclick the attached Excel file to open and edit - then the name changes to for example "Xl0000029.xls [Read-Only] [Compatibility Mode]". 

When I open for example a pdf in Adobate Acrobat X, edit it and closes, the changes are then saved back into Evernote. But not for MS-Excel files for some reason, and further to this the file opens as Read-Only and in Compatability mode. Makes this quite useless to store excel files in Evernote and edit from here.

[CalS 5,280]

Is it an older Excel file format than your current version of Excel?  Anything in the properties of the Excel file that is opening it protected?  Does this happen with all Excel files particularly any new ones that you create? 

[mlu 25]

No, I am using Excel 2016, and I created the mentioned file from scratch within this new version of Excel. Then I imported the file into Evernote and gets the results indicated.

Are you able to open, edit and save back? It could indicate that something is incorrectly configured in my Excel, although I cannot see any settings that could be misconfigured. But in general I struggle a lot with files opening in protected mode which is a huge annoyance for me  

[CalS 5,280]

I can open, edit and save.  I make it a point to click the save icon before I close the spreadsheet just to be sure.  

Out of left field, are there any protection settings on the folder(s) in which you store the attachments, or any other security considerations?

[mlu 25]

There is no protection whatsoever. Just tried to create a new file, save it into another folder, and then dragged it into Evernote. Opens as "Xl0000032.xls [Read-Only] [Compatibility Mode]". As this seems to be an issue related to my MS-Excel I'll try to ask in a Microft Excel forum unless you have any immediate ideas. But thanks so far for clarifying that it works correctly at your end

[CalS 5,280]

1 hour ago, mlu said:

There is no protection whatsoever. Just tried to create a new file, save it into another folder, and then dragged it into Evernote. Opens as "Xl0000032.xls [Read-Only] [Compatibility Mode]". As this seems to be an issue related to my MS-Excel I'll try to ask in a Microft Excel forum unless you have any immediate ideas. But thanks so far for clarifying that it works correctly at your end

You are welcome.  Post back when you determine the issue.  

[NewUser201509 1]

I have the same/similar issues, though perhaps with some different specifics. 

Normally: I am able to open Excel file from a note, by double-clicking the file icon in the EN note, make changes and hit Save or close the note, selecting Save Changes when prompted. No problem. This works both on my PC, running Windows 10 and Office 2013 Pro Plus and Evernote app on my PC, AND on my Android phone, running Android 5.0 and using a paid version of Docs to Go app to open and edit the Excel file from the Evernote App on my phone.

Today/Issue: My laptop is at the shop (grrr), so I'm using my old laptop, running Windows 10, Evernote app and Excel 2003. When I try to open the same file from the same EN note, the file named EN.xlsx opens with a name similar to "EN[3].xlsx  [read-only]". (Note, when testing this again for this comment, I received a pop-up warning that the file was opened as read-only since created in a newer version of Excel and some conditional formatting is not supported in the older version of Excel that I am using. I did not get this message earlier today.)  As mlu indicated, I am not able to edit the file and save it back to the note without, I assume, saving to my hard drive with a new name, deleting the original attachment and uploading the newly named file to the note. This is very annoying.

csihilling, or anyone else, I'm glad you don't have the same issue, though that is as helpful as when my girlfriend says the same thing when other things don't work as I hoped at home. Can you offer some constructive suggestions on how to work around this issue more effectively than I assumed, above?

 

 

[CalS 5,280]

2 minutes ago, NewUser201509 said:

Can you offer some constructive suggestions on how to work around this issue more effectively than I assumed, above?

It would appear this is an Excel version issue.  You should be able to open the file and do your work if you like, but if you do I would suggest saving to a different file name before you put it back in EN.  Or wait until you get to the machine with the new version of Excel.  The message says some of your formatting will be lost if you open in the older version of Excel.  At least that's all I can tell from the error message.

[NewUser201509 1]

Thanks. I agree. 

Since my original note, I've continued to play-around with ways to work around this version issues, with some progress, though not conclusive, yet.

To avoid having to use the old version of excel, I was able to download the file from the EN note and upload it to my Microsoft OneDrive (Cloud). Once on OneDrive, I appear to be able to edit it using Excel Online (an app available from within OneDrive and that I also presume is closer to being a most current version of excel. Unfortunately, I don't yet see how to add the attachment (with a new name or the same name) from OneDrive to the EN note. Therefore, I may have to download it to my hard drive before attaching to the EN note. Though clumsy, this may work in my particular case while I wait for my repaired laptop with Excel 2013.

However, in the interest helping more people in more scenarios, I have to wonder if I'm missing guidance on how my solution my be extended to apply to other scenarios when one does not have access to their personal PC and normal version of Excel. For example, when traveling and using a hotel or friends PC, phone or tablet to access EN Online and need to be able to open and edit various file types with cloud- or web-based applications, like OneDrive and Excel Online, to avoid using friend's or hotel's local application versions and drives. 

Thoughts? Insights on working more efficiently with web-based applications to edit attachments, if that is an option?

[CalS 5,280]

You are welcome.

You could add a file link to the spreadsheet from the local folder to a note in EN.  If you click the link in EN it should open the file with the local version of Excel.  You would just have to remember to go to the web version when using any other device.  With this method however you lose the ability to search the contents of the spreadsheet from within EN.  Also, would take away any of the concurrent user capabilities of OneDrive. 

Not a particularly elegant solution but does keep similar usage in EN and web access whenever you might need it.  Assuming the web Excel is fully compatible with your local Excel. 

Full disclosure, I've done something similar with DropBox.  Not so much for software currency, but for the incremental backups provided by DropBox and it solves a niggling issue in EN where spreadsheets with Pivot tales sometimes don't clean themselves up in the Attachments folder of EN.  So I have a link to the spreadsheet in EN, click it and Excel opens on my machine, do my thing, save it, and then the new version gets backed up to the web.  FWIW.

[mlu 25]

I managed to solve my problem by repairing MS Office. Seemingly something was wrong in the installation - works perfect now.

[NewUser201509 1]

csihilling,  Thanks! That makes sense and should help.

mlu, can you elaborate on how you repaired MS Office and how it helped?

[CalS 5,280]

5 minutes ago, NewUser201509 said:

csihilling,  Thanks! That makes sense and should help.

You are welcome.

[kalewatkins 0]

using Android, I try to open a linked excel file (stored on my PC) but it doesn't work.

It seems when I try to click the file, it doesn't behave like a link.

I was able to do this previously in the same version but suddenly it stopped working.

Any suggestions?

 

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,938]

1 hour ago, kalewatkins said:

using Android, I try to open a linked excel file (stored on my PC) but it doesn't work.

It seems when I try to click the file, it doesn't behave like a link.

I was able to do this previously in the same version but suddenly it stopped working.

Any suggestions?

 

I'd suggest starting a new thread about this in the Android help forum. This forum is really for Windows-based issues.

[CalS 5,280]

1 hour ago, kalewatkins said:

using Android, I try to open a linked excel file (stored on my PC) but it doesn't work.

It seems when I try to click the file, it doesn't behave like a link.

I was able to do this previously in the same version but suddenly it stopped working.

Any suggestions?

 

You won't be able to use a link in Android to get to your PC.  If you put the spreadsheet in DropBox and put that link in a note you should be able to get to the spreadsheet by "proxy" assuming everything is synced with DropBox.  I use this method for larger spreadsheets I don't want to store in EN.  And you can access the actual spreadsheet if it is an attachment in EN..

[kalewatkins 0]

csihilling, thanks.

I stored the excel files directly to EN and that works.

 

[CalS 5,280]

You are welcome.