I have been using Scrivener since 2013 and I have never used the Snapshop feature preferring the use of Beyond Compare for my backups and separate files within the Scrivener project for drafts. In using Beyond Compare I often see Snapshots folders at either at the project,scrivx folder or the project.scrivx\Files folder. I decided to look into it and since 2013 there have been 1,853 Snapshots folders and files created occupying 3gb of space. I have searched the manual, menu, and forums for an explanation as to how they are created. I would like to know how they were created and how to prevent them from being created in the future. Thank you.
There are a few settings that create automatic Snapshots for extra security, butyou have to turn them on manually. On syncing with mobile devices, for example, you can save Snapshots, and on Syncing with an External folder. Set those settings to off, to prevent Scrivener from creating them.
Also , check the default Keyboard Shortcut for creating a Snapshot. You may have pressed that by accident.
Thank you for the reply. The Keyboard Shortcuts of CTRL+Shift+5 or CTRL+5 aren’t likely to be pressed by accident and I just looked again and found the ‘Take snapshots of updated documents’ on the Options-Sharing-Sync tab and it is off. I looked again at the dates of the Snapshots and it has been several months since the last one was made. Perhaps I turned the option off but I don’t recall doing it but I deleted all 3gb of files and folders with no ill effects. I consider this issue closed and many thanks for the information.
The other place they could be created was in options > general > Saving you the option to take snapshots of changed text documents on manual save, so if doing manual saves you could have clicked this checkbox and that could account for some.
You can go Documents > Snapshots >Snapshot Manager. when see snapshots on the left can mass delete by holding the shift key and enlarging the panel, or it appear Ctrl + A may select all snapshots in the Manager so could mass eliminate if so desire.
Thank you. I didn’t know about that option but it is off.
One thing you can do is enable Options > Snapshots > Show notification when snapshots are taken.
Then, if a snapshot ever gets inadvertently taken, Scrivener will tell you. 
Best,
Jim
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