I’m still using Scrivener v1.54, and want to try v2.3 via the free trial.
What precautions do I need to take (prior to launching 2.3) to be sure I can revert back if I choose not to upgrade?
There isn’t much that you need to do, in fact. The new version uses its own preference file and registration files, so using the demo will not conflict with your existing installation. When you first run the demo you’ll be instructed on what will happen with any custom 1.x project templates you’ve created. If you’ve never made your own templates you won’t need to worry about it at all.
That leaves your projects. They will need to updated to the new format, and doing so will render them impossible to open in the old version. However a part of this update process is creating a backup of the 1.x version alongside it, so this is safe to do. If you want to play it extra safe, you can duplicate your working projects that you intend to play with during the demo to another location first. Just remember that any actual work you do in these will be inaccessible without exporting the material to normal files, should you decide to go back to the old version.
As for the program itself, when you download the demo, drag it to Downloads instead of Applications, first. Once it copies there, change the name of it to something other than just “Scrivener”. Now drag it into Applications. This way you won’t overwrite your existing installation. They each have their own distinctive icon, so its easy to have them both in the Dock and know which one to click on. Note that once you run the new version, all “.scriv” project associations will load in the new software when you double-click on them, rather than the old one. If you wish to continue working in the old version for real work, use the Open command from within it, or drag the project to its icon in the Dock, instead.
Thanks much, Amber. Very happy it creates its own prefs. That makes it a lot easier to test.