RC5: Problem with projects stored on network server?

Scrivener Windows Beta (Archived)
1

I’ve got a little home LAN, consisting of desktop, laptop, and server, all Windows 10, 1903 or 1909. In general, I store work that I do on the server, which is accessible to both the laptop and the desktop, and which gets backed up regularly and automatically. When I need to take work on the road, I sync my laptop to the server, and re-sync when I get back home. This scheme has worked well for me, but it seems like it may not work with Scrivener 3.

At least, that’s my guess as to why the problem happens. The problem is this: Yesterday, I left a Scrivener 3 project open overnight on the desktop, The project is stored on the network server. On trying to close the project today, the program became unresponsive, with a whited-out window and a circling arrow. I then ended Scrivener via Task Manager, started it again, and attempted to load the same project from the same location. Again, an unresponsive, whited-out Scrivener with a circling arrow.

It looks like the project got corrupted. Fortunately, I’ve got good backup, and the affected project in this case is the Scriv3 tutorial, not my personal work. I actually ran into this problem several Betas ago, but I wasn’t sure what was going on and I didn’t know enough to report anything. Since then, I’ve made a point always to close Scrivener each day. Until yesterday, that is.

I realize that I could store my projects on the desktop (or laptop), but then syncing becomes a bit of a nuisance. It’s nice having my work stored in a single, central location with dependable scheduled backup.

But, maybe I’m wrong about the cause of this problem being where I store projects. I welcome any advice and suggestions. Also, if L&L desires, I would be happy to upload the corrupted tutorial project for inspection,

2

I know I’m a Mac user and also am not home-server-knowledgable, but I’d immediately look in Options > General > Automatic Quit. That was introduced with Version 3. Is it set and could Scrivener be trying to quit automatically but losing track of the server?

:slight_smile:

Mark

3

This sort of issue is likely to happen periodically because the connectivity of NAS is not guaranteed to be constant. The same issue applies to source code revision software (GIT, Subversion, MS Source Safe), which I work with every day. Several people on my team, despite my warning that they shouldn’t check out working copies on their network shares (which allowed them to move from desktop to laptop without checking in their work), but when we started working remotely, via VPN, they started having major issues when trying to work. Once they moved their work to a local drive, the reliability of this programmer’s tool went back to being rock solid.

Scrivener has the same issue as these sophisticated programmers tools, despite it’s lack of similar functionality. Because it doesn’t load the entire project to RAM upon opening it, any interruption in connection to your network, no matter how brief, can lead to corruption of your project. It’s a problem inherent in the design that makes Scrivener so powerful and flexible, and it’s why working on network drives, or with some cloud sync software, is ill advised.

With that in mind, is there a way that you can sync from a copy on your local drive to the network drive, instead of from the network drive to your local drive? If it’s easy to do in one direction, I’d think it’s easy to do the other way.

4

Thank you for your responses, xiamenese and rdale.

Good thought, xiamenese, but no, my Scriv3 was/is not set to auto quit.

OK, rdale, you have convinced me. I have to find a new way of doing things. Your experience with and advice against network/cloud storage of working projects makes good sense. And, your recognition that Scrivener works with an intricate complex of files, rather than loading all of a project into RAM at once, is the final convincer,

My other apps and projects tend to be the monolithic all-in-RAM type. So, I hadn’t experienced this same problem with them. I don’t understand what Scrivener is doing with an open project in the wee hours with no human interaction going on, or why a broken connection might corrupt things, but if that’s the way it is, then so be it.

“With that in mind, is there a way that you can sync from a copy on your local drive to the network drive, instead of from the network drive to your local drive?”

Indeed. I need to adjust, both my check-in/check-out procedures and my mindset. If yesterday’s convenience becomes today’s problem, not adjusting is…, well, I deserve what I get. Thank you for setting me straight. Or, should I say, thanks for setting me local.

I’m guessing from your signature, Mr. Obscure, that you are one who appreciates irony. Your cogent explanation of the perils of network/cloud working storage slapped me upside the head with this ironic thought. Nothing is going on in the wee hours, except… BACKUP. What if my open Scrivener project loses connection with my sever BECAUSE my server is doing the very thing that I am counting on it to do, namely its early-a.m. backup? <Insert D’oh! emoji here>

Ken