I haven’t been using Scrivener much since I bought it for my Mac and for iOS. Because I get errors all the time, while working. Somehow there is trouble when Scrivener tries to make backups, because Scrivener ends up in a loop, bringing up an error message after a while. It says Scrivener reacting, which was obvious, and all I can do is force a stop. Tiresome. I want to give it another try. Will a reinstall help? Can I set iCloud as my go to directory, or is it still Dropbox only? I hope after this many years I can still find my account information for a new setup.
Without knowing what the underlying issue is, it’s impossible to say whether a reinstall will help.
Scrivener itself does not use an external server, and expects your projects to be available locally. So if you are encountering “server errors,” the underlying cause lies outside of Scrivener.
I can open Scrivener, work in it, but when I go to ‘File’ and click on it, it takes a while and then it comes with the message that it cannot reach my NAS. But the NAS is connected and working. All I can do is shut down Scrivener. I have followed the helpful steps I found on this website, removing com.literatureandlatte.scrivener3.plist from the preferences folder, rebooting my Mac Mini, but with no result. Now I want to do a reinstall, but can’t find my account information anywhere. I have mailed the support people about all this as well. Hope they can help me towards a solution.
These issues with your server connection have nothing to do with Scrivener and a reinstall will not fix these problems with your network and/or NAS.
You can bypass these problems if you store the Scrivener projects and Scrivener-created backups on the local drive, each in a separate folder. All this described in the Scrivener Manual. Might be some briefer FAQs available on the L&L website—I am unable now to look for you.
I store zip backups in ~/backups/scrivener/ created on close and keep 25 copies.
I store projects in ~/documents/scrivener/
Use the NAS for backups of your system. You can direct TimeMachine backups to the NAS.
Thank you for your help. I have moved to my local drive, two folders, one for the documents, one for backup. I have rebooted my Mac. Problem still exists. Error message: There has been a problem with XXX (NAS). Server does not exist or is not available. Check server name or IP address of server, check network connection, and try again. Everything checks, retrying is a dead end. I am not a tech wizzard, but also not an amateur. This problem drives me nuts. Why does it keep on trying to reach my NAS? I have pulled away from the NAS a long time ago. But I have read somewhere - a few years back - that the problem arises when installing Scrivener. That first reference to a disk cannot be changed, if I understood correctly. Hence my question about reinstalling.
Wild a… guess: by chance is Scrivener application stored on the NAS?
if yes, that is wrong. It indeed should be reinstalled local.
If no, then I cannot think what is happening.
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Assuming Scrivener itself is not stored on the NAS, you can open Scrivener without any projects by holding the Shift key when the program starts. That will ensure that it isn’t trying to load a project that has since moved.
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No no, it’s on my HD. NAS is strictly for files.
Ultimate frustration. It sounded like a good approach. Unfortunately the result is the same. This puzzle really drives me crazy. This is why I settled for Ulysses in the past.
Well, I’m pretty certain it’s not Scrivener, but I can’t prove it. Sitting at computer could probably figure it out. Dunno, for sure. “Accidental” install of Scrivener, or any parts, on NAS?
What is your backup location set to under Settings > Backup?
You may have your backups stored in a separate location to your projects, but does Scrivener know that?
On Mac, when you establish that it will keep you away from your File menu (unlike Windows) that are giving you the runaround and may resolve your challenge.
If that doesn’t work, go beyond your original query. Uninstall Scrivener and reinstall it. It won’t affect your projects or their backups. So, at least you would have satisfied yourself that you followed that option.
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I had my scriv files on the NAS, in the beginning. That’s all.
Thanks for that tip. Backup was set to Dropbox. I have set it to local HD, but still no improvement.
I updated my suggestion.
You said above backups were as I suggested, ~/backups/scrivener. But in fact on Dropbox? Are the Scrivener projects file local as I suggested, or also on Dropbox? Call me “confused”, now.
As @Kevitec57 says, maybe a re-install will fix (but based on symptoms presented, we’ll have to see).
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Using Finder, start a project from the folder where your projects are stored on your HD. That should kill any (internal) reference to NAS.
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Thanks. I will reinstall. I just casn’t find my license code anywhere.
Sorry for the confusion. It is all the result of my own confusion and the frustration that nothing seems to solve the problem. My files are on local HD now, so is my backup folder as you suggested. I’m getting ready to delete and reinstall.
The program stores your licence “elsewhere” in your system files, i.e. it will pick it up.
If purchased through L&L you can always query them for your code, based on your email address, just not through the Forum, though.
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Thank you. Will do.
I started up Scrivener by opening a project on my local HD, but still it links to my NAS somehow. I’ll reinstall.
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