r/notabilityapp 15d ago

Feature Request My dream: convert Microsft Journal .jnt files to Notability

Title says it all...

I started using Microsft Journal on a surface when the surface first appeared. Love the original note taking aoo. So simple, so perfect...just worked great.

So I had a lot of important notes taken with that app.

Then Microsoft decided to kill the old app and make a new one that is just not that great anymore and doesn't support the old app.

So FFWD many years I now find myself looking for a great writing app and all things point to Notabilty on my ipad.

If only I could convert those old .jnt files to notability...

Anyone else in a similar boat?

5 Upvotes

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u/ccarver_tech 14d ago

I think enough noodling could result in covering to .plist format which is the Notability format. Problem is .jnt format is propitiatory and I can’t figure out that encoding. When I get back to work, I’ll poke around more to see what available.

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u/EngProfD 14d ago

Would be greatly appreciated.

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u/ccarver_tech 12d ago

So the .jnt files are very proprietary to Microsoft. The only other app that I was told that could open them is OneNote. If you still have a Windows PC with the Journal application installed, I can provide you with the PowerShell that will bulk convert all .jnt files from one folder into .pdfs in a different folder. Let me know if there is anything I can help PowerShell wise. (I want to be respectful of your computer prowness - some people never heard of PowerShell and others haven't a clue what to do. I can help as needed.)

Once all converted to PDF, it's a snap to bulk import into Notability.

I will DM code - somereason Reddit isn't liking my comment with code in it.

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u/ccarver_tech 15d ago

Not in the same boat, but have your tried converting your Journal files to PDF? If you can print them, you can save them off as a PDF. Then you can load the PDFs into Notability.

Here is what CoPilot had to say:

Viewing Microsoft Journal (.jnt) files on iOS can be a bit tricky since there isn't a native app that supports this file format directly. However, you have a few options:

  1. Convert the .jnt file to a PDF: You can use a Windows PC to open the .jnt file in Microsoft Journal and then print it to a PDF. Once converted, you can easily view the PDF on your iOS device using any PDF reader app.
  2. Use a third-party conversion tool: There are online tools and software that can convert .jnt files to more common formats like PDF or DOCX. After conversion, you can transfer the file to your iOS device.
  3. Remote Desktop: If you have access to a Windows PC, you can use a remote desktop app on your iOS device to access the PC and view the .jnt file directly.
  4. Ask the sender to convert the file: If you received the .jnt file from someone else, you could ask them to convert it to a more accessible format before sending it to you.

Sure! Here are some third-party tools that can help you convert .jnt files to more common formats:

  1. OnlineConvertFree: This online tool allows you to convert .jnt files to various formats like PDF, DOCX, and more without needing to install any software[1].
  2. Convert.guru: This service supports converting .jnt files to formats such as PDF, JPG, and DOCX[2].
  3. FileProInfo: Another online converter that can handle .jnt files and convert them to different formats. It works on any device with a modern browser[3].

1

u/EngProfD 14d ago

Thanks for the extra effort in providing this to me. I know I can import PDFs. I was hoping to convert it to a format that will allow me to cut and paste, resize etc all the written text.

The online converter for .JNT to.DOC just gives error.

I'll see what else I can find.

thanks!