Crashing [when attempting to access some research content]

Scrivener Scrivener for Windows
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I am using Scrivener for Windows Version 3.1.6.0 (2862669) 64 bit (02Sept 2025)

I have been using this for ages and have noticed that when I am writing my Manuscript if I want to look up something in my Research Folder, when I move the mouse over the binder window and click the research folder - Scrivener instantly crashes! It has happened just now and I do not know if I have lost what I have just been working on for the last 4 hours.

I keep checking for updates but it is nearly a year since there was one and I am getting concerned that Scrivener is not being maintained as it should - I mean what has happened to the Android companion to this?

I Can open Scrivener straight back up but now if try to ‘Save and Rebuild Search Indexes’ Scrivener instantly crashes again!

When I say crash - it just vanishes off the screen and disappears instantly. Just goes back to my laptop desktop screen.

Can Support deal with this please ASAP as it is very annoying and makes Scrivener untrusty as an application.

Thanks in advance for quick support.

Fanflame

2

Not detracting from the fact that your project has a bug, Scrivener autosaves after every 2 seconds of inactivity. I’ve had crashes and run Scrivener on a battery until my PC died during load-shedding and my projects always loaded back to within a word or two of where I last worked.
Do you have backups? They are key to preserving your projects.
An Android companion version would not save your project and likely cause you a syncing headache under the circumstances.
Open your project. Do a manual backup.
Then under File > Options > Warning, turn on Show internal log console.
Close the project, restart it and see if errors pop up.
If it does, enquire here and tech support will advise a way forward.

1 Like
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The other issue is it one project, or every one.

If one project, then do the warning log or create a new blank project and import the corrupt project in and see if it works. If it does the project is corrupted.

4

Thanks I’ll try looking into any specific error reports tomorrow. I triple backup regularly. I’m a retired IT Manager so backing up is paramount to me.

Thanks for your advice. It is appreciated.

Fanflame

1 Like
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I believe only one of the two open projects but I’ll try tomorrow thanks Goalie!

Fanflame

6

To confirm, so that you don’t lose 4 hours of work again, you have set your automatic Scrivener saves (happens on inactivity) to 2 seconds (default) and no longer? Inactivity means that a a save will occur when you stop typing, step away for coffee, or simply pause writing to think. Anything longer than 2 seconds IMHO, is risky and not useful.

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Hello, I have just set File > Options > Warning, turn on Show internal log console.

Restarted it and found the following ‘mentions’ and ‘warnings’ in loading:

Info: Loading Icon Manager icons.
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile **Note: this is written about 20 times

**Then in the loading fonts section:

Info: Could not parse font file: “C:/Users/brian/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Fonts/cafepop.ttf”

**Then again when loading the project file:

Info: Loading project: “O:/Users/brian/Documents/Scrivener/Love Letters From Afar.scriv”
Info: “TimeCounter: SCRBinderReader::readProject needed 0.006 sec”
Info: “TimeCounter: SCRProject::initProject needed 0.339 sec”
Info: “TimeCounter: SCRProjectFolderFormat::openProject needed 0.362 sec”
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Warning: QtToolBarManager::restoreState(): cannot find a QAction named ‘Speech’, trying to match using ‘text’ instead.
Warning: QtToolBarManager::restoreState(): cannot find a QAction named ‘Project Targets’, trying to match using ‘text’ instead.
Warning: QtToolBarManager::restoreState(): cannot find a QAction named ‘Spelling’, trying to match using ‘text’ instead.
Warning: QtToolBarManager::restoreState(): cannot find a QAction named ‘Dictionary’, trying to match using ‘text’ instead.
Warning: QtToolBarManager::restoreState(): cannot find a QAction named ‘Project Settings’, trying to match using ‘text’ instead.
Warning: QtToolBarManager::restoreState(): cannot find a QAction named ‘Statistics’, trying to match using ‘text’ instead.

** near to the bottom of the log it notifies me:

Warning: License server started.
Debug: Starting communication.
Debug: Communication enabled.
Debug: Sending command: “Configure”
Info: Message sent to server, waiting for reply.
Info: License Server reply received.
Debug: Sending command: “Product”
Info: Message sent to server, waiting for reply.
Info: License Server reply received.
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile
Info: Checking for documents to unload.

Thanks for any support. I do not generally use png files, but that doesn’t mean to say that in my past research - which has been going on for the last decade I haven’t downloaded an image that has an old iCCP profile? The only image I can actually see that is Scrivener related is a default picture of a Litrature and Latte book front??

Fanflame

1 Like
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So further to this I have spent the last hour selecting ALL my text whether in my research folder(s) or in my manuscript (70,000 words); and I selected to view all Hidden Formatting (see Invisibles) then I have run the Document/Convert/Text to Default Formatting feature and this has made changed to my research folders where I linked to online documents and also copied and pasted in interesting ‘stuff’. I have removed several broken links and deleted old items that I no longer require.

After doing another Triple back-up to my USB Drive | 2nd HDD and online folder; I restarted and it loaded very fast - as of old - I was able to run the “Save and Rebuild Search Indexes” - which I have not been able to run for a while with out it crashing. Re-backed up and restarted again.

I have also replace one TTF Font that was showing a non-parse in the previous warning log.

The new log looks better but still has the warning about png’s:

Info: libpng warning: iCCP: known incorrect sRGB profile

not sure on that one to be honest - Advice?

Fanflame

9

If your project no longer crashes, the warnings may be irrelevant to the safety of your project.
Also, turn off the warnings, they tend to affect unanticipated things on Scrivener 3 for Windows, if left on all the time.

By way of example, I just switched mine on and they warn met about fonts I don’t use, lots of them.

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Thank you, will do. All the Best.

Fanflame

1 Like
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The software itself uses PNG images extensively, such as in the toolbar, binder icons, various graphical buttons in footer/header bars, etc. By and large though, if the log line begins with “Info” or “Debug” it’s not really something to worry about. These can be useful when looking into bugs, but do not convey any kind of malfunction worth noting on their own, like warning or error lines would.

As to the original problem, from the way you describe the fix, it may be that some text was pasted in at some point with advanced formatting the software couldn’t handle, and clearing it out fixed it. Any action that might need to read the impacted file, such as rebuilding the index, compiling, or of course trying view it in the editor, can trigger such issues. Glad it was relatively easy to fix in this case. Sometimes it requires rooting around in the source files to pull out the unruly storage file directly.

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Thanks Amber, Yes I have sorted this now with help of those in this thread. I did download the ImageMagick app and run the command line clear up tool on all my folder but it was/is the inbuild PNG Icon that Scrivener itself is using that is causing the warnings/info. Scrivener Devs need to sort that one out for their next release - hopefully.

Anyway I was able to sort this and it was my research folders where there are internet urls, links and images that caused the crash. Basically it was the various text variations and invisibles that came with copying and pasting in my early days with Scrivener that eventually 5 years on caused the issue. When I had turned all invisibles ‘on’ I could see the issues and manually all text via the ‘reset to default text’ tool.

Scrivener is now running smoothly and I was able to run deindexing again today without an issue.

Thank you for your reply.

Fanflame

1 Like