This is true when I choose “File:Close Project” or “Scrivener:Quit Scrivener” menu items. I am not using any of the Project Settings, project specific options for my Backups.
I use the default backup location. I don’t archive the backups because Scrivener creates them much faster when it doesn’t have to compress them into .zip files. I have created an Automator Folder Action that is triggered any time a new document appears in the backup folder. That action creates a copy of the document in another folder (not in Documents or Desktop or anywhere near iCloud), appends a “_ScrivenerDoc” to the name, and then archives it and moves it to a folder in the Documents folder (on iCloud). A copy of that dated, renamed, archived document is then placed on in another folder in my User folder (not on iCloud). These non-iCloud backups are periodically dragged to a backup external disk. The reason for all of this? Well it happens in the background. I am not aware of it. It doesn’t interfere with the performance of Scrivener or my writing. And, yes I have been burned by Scrivener’s sad use of a document file format that is incompatible with iCloud. In the Zipped form, my Scrivener Document files are unaffected by this problem. PS. My original live files are stored on the free version of DropBox. When I start a new Scrivener Project, I save it on DropBox, I launch and work on these files in Scrivener from those DropBox saved files. This whole backup solution is fast (because Scrivener doesn’t do the archiving) and I can limit the number of non-archived Scrivener backups (with the “only keep x most recent backups”). I might set things up so that my automation caps the number of zipped backups saved to iCloud, but saves all backups to my non-iCloud folder (for periodic archiving onto external drive). That way I have near instant access to the last x-many backups, and can access my entire project backup history from my external drive. That will keep my iCloud storage size to a minimum.
I use DropBox to store my live project files because I use several Macs to work on them. I have set up DropBox so that it I can access and store files on it even when not online.
As I have said here, Everything works great, backups are created, if I manually save, and when project is opened. But Backups on project close isn’t reliable, doesn’t always happen. Scrivener must handle close project differently than open project or manual save.
Interesting. What is your backup location? Do you have permissions for that location? What is now in that folder (using macOS finder to see).
I backup to
~/backups/scrivener
Also I notice you don’t zip the backups. I always backup as zip files so that the entire backup is in one file instead of a macOS packages–so that I don’t confuse backups packages with my project packages.
Not at the computer at the moment to give the exact command, but if you look in Projects > Project Settings, there’s an option to override the general backup for this project ONLY
So the first thing to check is whether this has been set to off for this project. If not, does this happen on every project?
Note that a backup will not be created if the project has not changed. So if you open a project to look something up, then immediately close it, there won’t be a new backup.
Oh, didn’t know that. But here is the thing… Backup with each manual save causes a backup when no changes have been made to the project, as does Backup on project open.
Backup on project open takes place before Scrivener even knows whether the project has changed. It’s intended to capture changes made by tools other than Scrivener – for instance from an external folder or a Dropbox sync operation. It also ensures that there is a current backup if Scrivener fails to open.
Backup on manual save is a “user knows best” operation. If the user explicitly says they want a backup, Scrivener will dutifully make one.
I use the default backup location. I don’t archive the backups because Scrivener creates them much faster that way. I have created an Automator Folder Action that is triggered any time a new document appears in the backup folder. That action creates a copy of the document in another folder (not in Documents or Desktop or anywhere near iCloud), appends a “_ScrivenerDoc” to the name, and then archives it and moves it to a folder in the Documents folder (on iCloud). A copy of that dated, renamed, archived document is then placed on in another folder in my User folder (not on iCloud). These non-iCloud backups are periodically dragged to a backup external disk. The reason for all of this? Well it happens in the background. I am not aware of it. It doesn’t interfere with the performance of Scrivener or my writing. And, yes I have been burned by Scrivener’s sad use of a document file format that is incompatible with iCloud. In the Zipped form, my Scrivener Document files are unaffected by this problem. PS. My original live files are stored on the free version of DropBox. When I start a new Scrivener Project, I save it on DropBox, I launch and work on these files in Scrivener from those DropBox saved files. This whole backup solution is fast (because Scrivener doesn’t do the archiving) and I can limit the number of non-archived Scrivener backups (with the “only keep x most recent backups”). I might set things up so that my automation caps the number of zipped backups saved to iCloud, but saves all backups to my non-iCloud folder (for periodic archiving onto external drive). That way I have near instant access to the last x-many backups, and can access my entire project backup history from my external drive. That will keep my iCloud storage size to a minimum. PS: I use DropBox to store my live project files because I use several Macs to work on them.
All of this makes perfect sense. But my tests don’t show that backup on project close is consistent. Sometimes, it seems to be performing the backup, and sometimes not. Note that I am testing it on a project that I am not changing or making any edits to.
Another quick question: What is the expected behavior when a user quit’s Scrivener when the “Backup on project close” setting is activated? Is a backup created even if Scrivener is quit without specifically closing the project first?
To me, what you are doing sounds all too complicated, perhaps risky, and not as recommended in the Scrivener documentation. However, TL;DR, sorry.
I store projects at Dropbox to enable syncing between one macOS, and two macIOS devices.
Dropbox/Apps/Scrivener
Zipped backups created automatically on close. I store zipped backups, keeping 25 copies. Zipped simplifies dated storage and no confusion about what’s live and what’s backup. Store at
~/Backups/Scrivener
Only one third-party synch service involved. TimeMachine and Arq doing system backups.
Nothing like you are doing so I can’t figure out what you are doing. Sorry.
