Notes disappeared

[clivehorlor]

Help

All my notes seem to have disappeared. This happened on my wife's iPad last week and I thought it was just her ! This morning all my notes except some early ones from a year ago have gone. They contain a lot of login info and are really important to me. I have just bought a Mac pro laptop and have been setting that up. Is there something I could have done to make them disappear. This makes me loose trust in the iPad as this is important data to me. Any ideas would be very helpful.

 

[twerppoet]

If you set up Mail in your MacBook, noticed a folder called Notes, and deleted (moved) the contents. That's what happened. That folder is where Notes will sync when using iCloud. Same thing for GMail.

If that is what you did, you might be able to find your notes in one of the Trash folders in Mail on the MacBook. Just drag them back to the Notes > iCloud (or GMail) folder where they used to be.

If you are not syncing your notes, I recommend you do so. That's your only backup. Notes was notorious for spontaneously loosing local content before iOS 5.

For logins and passwords, I really recommend you get a secure password app. I like 1Password, mostly for the way it integrates with my Mac and iPad (and the supper cool things it will do on the Mac and the browsers on it).

For other note taking tasks I prefer Evernote.

I rarely use Notes as anything but a big clipboard for gathering and editing info before I put it somewhere more permanent.

 

[maleaco]

Im wondering, is there like a data recovery program for the iPad that can help with situations like this?

Cheers

 

[Bumbleb]

I am having a problem with Evernote as well. When I open a note to add to it, it comes up blank. If I don't hit cancel my notes get deleted. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[twerppoet]

I am having a problem with Evernote as well. When I open a note to add to it, it comes up blank. If I don't hit cancel my notes get deleted. Am I doing something wrong?

Have you tried these usual fixes? If they fail try deleting and re-downloading the app.



When you have problems with an app it's a good idea to clear it from RAM.

Close/Clear the app: With the problem app closed, double tap on the Home button to get the multitask bar. Tap and hold on any icon in the bar until they jiggle, then tap the minus sign on the problem app. This will remove it from RAM and insure a clean start the next time you launch the app.

If that does not work try a restart,

Restart: Hold down the power button until the power off slider appears. Slide it off. When the iPad finishes shutting down, hold down the power button again until the Apple logo appears. Apple recommends you restart the iPad at least once a month.

and then a reset if that does not work.

Reset: Hold down the power and home buttons until the Apple logo appears. The iPad will reboot. This usually takes a bit longer than a restart.

 

[twerppoet]

Im wondering, is there like a data recovery program for the iPad that can help with situations like this?

Cheers

If you are doing your backups in iTunes, and you have not chosen to encrypt them, then there are a couple of backup recover tools available. I've never used them, so I won't vouch for their effectiveness.

. . . !

And apparently I've deleted the links I had to them. You'll have to find them using Google, or maybe someone else with a better memory and advice will happen along.

 

[Bumbleb]

Have you tried these usual fixes? If they fail try deleting and re-downloading the app.

When you have problems with an app it's a good idea to clear it from RAM.

Close/Clear the app: With the problem app closed, double tap on the Home button to get the multitask bar. Tap and hold on any icon in the bar until they jiggle, then tap the minus sign on the problem app. This will remove it from RAM and insure a clean start the next time you launch the app.

If that does not work try a restart,

Restart: Hold down the power button until the power off slider appears. Slide it off. When the iPad finishes shutting down, hold down the power button again until the Apple logo appears. Apple recommends you restart the iPad at least once a month.

and then a reset if that does not work.

Reset: Hold down the power and home buttons until the Apple logo appears. The iPad will reboot. This usually takes a bit longer than a restart.

Clearing RAM and restarting did not do it but updating the app did! Thanks for the suggestions it was making me crazy.

 

[twerppoet]

No problem. Glad to help, even if I don't remember recommending the update.

 

[Gran2zach]

Same thing happened to me. Nowhere on Notes or settings does it say you have to back them up or they will just go away on their own. I'm sure the manual says, but I'm not one to read a manual page by page. I do screenshot now.

 

[twerppoet]

Same thing happened to me. Nowhere on Notes or settings does it say you have to back them up or they will just go away on their own. I'm sure the manual says, but I'm not one to read a manual page by page. I do screenshot now.

Well, they are not supposed to go away just on their own; so the manual isn't going to tell you that they will. All programs and computers are subject to failure, some more than others, of course. Backing up is always wise, no matter what you use.

These days I use Evernote for just about everything. I used the free account for a long time, happily, until I deleted (my mistake) an important note. The paid account allows you to access your note history, and retrieve not just deleted notes, but older versions. Then there was the time I embarrassed myself by saying, "I've got that right here" and whipping out my iPhone, only to find out my internet connection was too slow to pull the PDF note. The paid account lets you keep all or selected notebooks synced locally.

I decided the price of a coffee or two (or large chai latte in my case) once a month was worth the extra features.

I recommend trying the free Evernote account, and getting familiar with all the features. If you like it, you can continue to go free until you find a good reason to upgrade, like I did. If it's just to get a note back, you could spend $5 for a single month, then let it laps back to the free account. Kind of like the deductible on an insurance policy, if policies were free.

 

[thewitt]

Evernote is brilliant.

I do use the regular Notes app too, and have never lost a note. Open the same notes on my Mac, iPad and iPhone, creating and editing wherever convenient.

 

[twerppoet]

Evernote is brilliant.

I do use the regular Notes app too, and have never lost a note. Open the same notes on my Mac, iPad and iPhone, creating and editing wherever convenient.

And with Evernote's included personal email address you can send a Notes note to Evernote whenever you want.

I created a special contact just for Evernote (in the Contacts app), so that whenever I want to email something there all I have to do is start to enter Evernote in the To field, and it pops right up.

Lately I've had some exercise reports/shares that I want to send to Evernote on a regular basis, and I'd rather not have them end up in the Inbox. Evernote lets you specify the notebook in the subject line of the email with an at sign like this; "@notebook"; and add tags with the hash sign like this; "#walk". I've set up a couple of shortcuts so that I can send my Moves app shortcuts quckly.

I type "ev" in the subject line and pick the email address; then I type mvd (moves daily) in the subject line and it expands out to "Moves Daily : 0000 : @Exercise #walk". Double tap on the 0000 and edit the steps. Tap Send.

The Runmeter app is even better, sort of. It can be set up to email a report when you are done with a walk or run. I just send that straight to Evernote. Can't customize the Subject line though, so I have to move it from the Inbox in Evernote later, at my convenience.

Anyway, it would be fairly easy to do the same thing(s) to send various Notes to Evernote. So even if you prefer Notes for your notes, a free Evernote account can become your backup for the important ones, with just a few steps.

Anyway, as you've probably noticed, I really like Evernote and tend to go on and on about it. I should probably create a new thread just for tips and trick with Evernote. I'll think about it anyway.

Sorry for drifting a bit off topic; but at least it's related.

 

[thewitt]

Yes, the email feature is brilliant as well.

I've recently been using it for tables as well, sometimes importing spreadsheets into notes to keep a handy multi platform reference available.

It really is a great app. Worth a subscription.

 

[twerppoet]

Yes, the email feature is brilliant as well.

I've recently been using it for tables as well, sometimes importing spreadsheets into notes to keep a handy multi platform reference available.

It really is a great app. Worth a subscription.

If you'd like, I've created that thread I said I'd think about, and would love to hear more about what and how you are using Evernote.

http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-apps/105051-evernote-how-do-you-use-tips-tricks.html

 

[ricklu54]

Mine disappeared while in the notes folder on my mac as well! I thought they would be safe there. Finally just saved them to a mail folder. Stopped using notes, but if IOS6 fixes this problem, I will start using again. Any thooughts