No matter how many times I read the manual, I don’t understand the backup process. My computer is swimming in versions of my projects.
Hi.
In the Options / Backups panel, set your backups to be zipped and timestamped. That’ll clear any potential confusion.
And set the backup folder to be somewhere specific not directly where you otherwise have your projects.
You can also set a limit as of how many backups is the system to keep for a said project.
Lastly, configure when is the automatic backup to occur.
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Welcome to the Scrivener forum. I am a human and not AI. I do hope you haven’t been using AI to figure this out.
As to why you have backups “swimming” around, I don’t know. Caused by Scrivener backup settings changing and only can be changed by you.
Start at the beginning. Look at Scrivener Setting → Backup (Button). This folder MUST be different than where you put your Scrivener projects, and if you put them into the same folder, Scrivener will complain with a dialog box.
Here is my setup. I put all backups in my home folder. You can use the default folder if you prefer. The point is to pick a place and KEEP it there.
Does yours look any different?
- Are all these old backups useful enough to be retained, or can you start fresh after getting properly setup?
- are you able to distinguish between backups and source projects?
- what folder do you use to keep projects?
- once setup, worthwhile to do a test to see if you can restore a backup zip file and put into your projects folder
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You’re kind to reply. If you still have patience: Why does the name of my project change with each backup?
It should not, without human intervention. Why do you think it does?
What about my questions? What specifically confuses you?
I’m trying a short test project. You’re re-set is working for me, and thank you. I don’t know how to fix the previous mess without copying files and starting absolutely over. At least it’s not the entire Oxford English Dictionary …
Nice to hear things working. The reason I asked if those other files are useful (as backups or maybe “swimming” projects source files that you don’t want to lose) was that if NOT useful … then just delete and start over. Up to you.
Like Scrivener Backups, I put all my Scrivener Projects in ONE folder–but separate folders, of course.
Sorry, haven’t the foggiest idea what you mean here. 
Just noticed this comment. Please note that the backup settings are NOT on a per-project basis. The backup settings are applicable for all projects.
What I do (again). One folder for all backups, and one folder for all projects.
I don’t understand:
- why it save many more backups when i’ve set it for only the most recent 3
- the difference between .bak and .scriv files.
- why my project is renamed after the date on the backup rather than simply the name of the project. Is that usual?
I’ve deeply screwed up something here, no idea what.
Left over from past? Check file dates.
Scrivener does not make .bak files. If you have them, made by something other than Scrivener. If you don’t select making ZIP files, then Scrivener saves the project “package” and puts “-bak” at the end of the package root file name.
As mentioned above, better to make Zip files, and use dates in the file name. From your question, my hunch is you have not done that. And make absolutely certain your project folder different than backup folder.
Scrivener does not rename projects. If your Scrivener projects are being renamed, some other process doing that. Or are you confusing backups with projects? You’ll have to describe better why you think it is. I do not understand what you see.
See my questions above. Still unanswered. Perhaps you can show a screen shot of your backup settings, of if permissions not yet available to you to upload screen shot attachment, describe in detail each setting.
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Also see in your project settings that this project doesn’t use a “different” location.
I’ve never tested the following, but possibly that if set to the same location than in the options, automatic backups act a tad differently as far as managing previous versions is concerned. (??)
(Uncheck the option for a different location if checked in the project settings and you have no reason to want that.)
But whatever you do, start by setting your backups to be zipped. It’ll spare you a lot of potential confusion and/or errors.
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You have to admit that @rms and me we’re not so bad, for droids. 
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I’ve upped your trust level so you can post screenshots.
If you create a new project, you’ll get a whole new set of backups for that project. That can happen inadvertently if you are opening a backup file rather than the original project file, or if you use the Save As command to create manual backups in addition to the ones Scrivener makes automatically.
It’s also possible that other software on your system is creating additional backups.
Incorporating the date in the name of a backup is configurable behavior. If you’re seeing the date in a project name, then you’re probably opening a backup inadvertently. (Which would also explain the proliferation of backups, see above.)
“bak” indicates a backup copy, and is added by Scrivener precisely to avoid this kind of confusion. Unless you are explicitly trying to restore a backup, .scriv is what you want. If you configure Scrivener to make .ZIP backups, it will be more difficult to open them accidentally. (You’ll have to unzip them first.)
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THAT is exactly what happened: inadvertently opening a backup. I’m in deep email talks with a Scrivener person trying to undo the mess I made.
You all have been very helpful. It’s hard to explain something to somebody who doesn’t even know where to begin, and you’ve done a good job of it.
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Here is a link to one of a series on backing up Scrivener.
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