[How to create and open projects after...] Installing Scrivener

Scrivener
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1

I thought I had it installed but it looks like I still am on the tutorial. did I miss something?

2

Hi.
The tutorial is just a project like any other. You should be fine. Just load or create a project of yours.
(You probably currently have Scrivener set to load last project on startup, so that’s why it “takes you” to the tutorial automatically. Once you work on something of yours, that’s what will auto-load on startup, assuming you’ve got that ticked in the options.)
If the app asks for your serial on startup, input it. Else, the trial version is fully usable for 30 non-consecutive days.

3

Thanks. I did purchase it. I hadn’t started a “new project”. What does it mean when it says to find a place to put it. I saved it to Dropbox, but this notice keeps coming up.

4

Do you have a good reason to save it to dropbox ?
Like : a second computer you want the project to sync to ?
If not, save it on your hard drive normally.
And if you save it to dropbox, make sure the project’s folder (or package – Mac) is set to be available offline. Otherwise it won’t work.

5

@Vincent_Vincent’s advise is spot on.

Take care setting your project locations.

  • If you need to sync with an iOS another Mac, make a special folder in Dropbox folder structure, called, say “Scrivener” projects and put all the projects packages there. Only reason to do this is for synching, not backups.

  • if you are not syncing with another device, I’d suggest ~\Documents\Scrivener as the target folder.

  • keep the automated Scrivener backup “zip” files in a different folder. I’d suggest ~\Backups\Scrivener.

Your TimeMachine backup will get all of the above in routine system backups (unless you exclude these folders, and that not a good idea).

6

This may be a silly question and I apologise if it is, but you’re not creating a new project each time?
Are you opening a project you have already saved?

If the first case is true, that would explain why you’re being asked where to save it each time.

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7

To open a new project, you first choose a template from either the ‘splash’ screen, or, if Scrivener is open, select new project (not at my computer to give you the path, but you can search for any menu command from the search box that is located at the top center if your Scrivener screen. )

Once you select the template (blank, or whatever), then you’ll need to name your new project and save it on your computer just like any other text document. The advice of @rms is spot on. :blush:

EDIT Re tutorial - when you opened the tutorial, a copy is saved wherever you tell it to save - this is so you can ‘play’ with it and it keeps your changes, or use it as a throw-away project that you can delete. You can always create a new tutorial project if needed.

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