Lost my project!

Scrivener
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This is the error message I got: I have been working and editing this project with no issue.

The document “Good on Paper” could not be opened.

The project at “/Users/gillianshure/Desktop/Good on Paper.pdf” seems to be of an older format, but no binder.scrivproj file could be found inside it. It may be missing or corrupt, possibly because of a problem with the device on which it is stored, or because of a synchronisation problem.

Try ctrl-clicking on the project in the Finder and selecting “Show Package Contents”, then look for a file entitled ‘binder.scrivproj’. Ensure it has not been renamed by a backup routine. If it does not exist, try restoring from a backup.

HELP HELP HELP!!!

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Are you sure that this is your Scrivener project?

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As noted, a Scrivener project should end with .scriv. If you are indeed trying to open a Scrivener project, the most common cause of this error is incomplete synchronization. Dropbox (or another service) “helpfully” “optimizes” your disk so that part of the project is stored exclusively on their server, where Scrivener can’t access it.

Since it’s in your Desktop folder, iCloud is the most likely culprit. Ensure that iCloud has been instructed to make the project available offline.

1 Like
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Welcome to the forum!

“Good on Paper.pdf” is your problem. It’s not a project file. All projects end in “.scriv” .

  1. Quit Scrivener if it’s open.
  2. Then, hold down the shift key while you open Scrivener. This will keep it from trying to open a project when it starts.
  3. From the File menu, select “Find All Projects in Spotlight” This will display a window in Finder listing all your Scrivener projects.
  4. If there’s only one “Good on Paper.scriv”, great! Double-click on that, and you’re done.
  5. If there’s more than one, single-click on each in turn.
    1. look at the bottom of that window. There should be a “path” showing where the project is saved.
    2. Double-click on the project that is shown as being where you expect it to be. Done.
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That said, @kewms is absolutely correct that a project in the Desktop folder is vulnerable to being placed only in the cloud. This fouls up Scrivener mightily.

Are you using MacOS 26 (Tahoe)? Apple has moved this setting from where it used to be in System Settings. The new location is:

  1. Open system settings
  2. Click on “General” in the sidebar.
  3. Click on “Storage” in the right-hand pane.
  4. Click on the “Store in iCloud” button.
  5. Turn “Documents and Desktop” OFF.
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I’ve just been advising my collaborator who is moving from Windows to Mac, and I recommended:

  1. Open System settings;
  2. Scroll down to iCloud;
  3. Click the Drive tab in Save to iCloud;
  4. Enable Sync this Mac
  5. Disable Desktop and Documents Folders
  6. Disable Optimise Mac Storage.

Comes to the same thing in the end!

:slight_smile:
Mark

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IT’s not showing up there

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But I’m not moving from windows to mac, so does this apply? Also it warned me that things could be erased so didn’t go through with this.

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I’ve been in Scrivner working on this, editing for weeks, and the only projects that are coming up are old. I made an entire new projects with a new name and it’s not being found.

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And none of the files listed show any work done in the past few weeks. It’s like it’s a ghost file.

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Try changing the extension from .pdf to .scriv ?
(Make a safety clone of the .pdf file first.)
… Who knows what actually happened… Maybe for some obscure reason that IS your project, just with the wrong extension.
. . . . . . . .

If it is the project folder > .scriv
The project file > .scrivx
(On Windows)

Else :

I’d go by @kewms’ reply.
(Others as well, they’re all good – or at least look so –, actually. A cloud service is very likely the issue here.)

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Open Scrivener and create a new project. When you get to the point where it asks you to name it it should have a window open, which provided you haven’t been mucking around with Save As (don’t!) or anything else, should have the drive/folder where you have beens saving previous projects. That’s a good point to start looking for the project.

save location
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As mentioned above, the other option, open Scrivener and in the File Menu select Find All Projects in Spotlight. That will show all projects on your device.

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These two remarks make me wonder if you are relying (solely) on the Recents Menu to open your projects. Is this true? Because, if so, that might be the complete basis of your problem.

Untitled
Untitled1792×1102 173 KB

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