I have several scrivener files that are combination of outlines, notes, etc… A couple of days ago, I noticed that when clicking on a couple of them, scrivener would load, appear on the taskbar (windows 11), but no actual window with the document would pop up. Nothing I do allows me to see that document. BUT I can open that document in Scrivener for Mac (I have both versions), and I can use my scrivener in Windows to open a couple of other files. But those two documents? Completely unopenable in windows. The thing is that I was able to do this up to a few days ago, and I didn’t really add anything much. These documents are mostly text, nothing fancy.
Anyone can help? How can I force scrivener to actually open the window of the document in windows?
What are you loading? A project??? If so then did the documents inside open in and earlier version of the project. You don’t open a text file with Scrivener so I’m confused.
I copied the scriv. file and the associated directories via a LAN. The Mac can open the files just fine. On Windows, the program loads in the task bar but I can’t access the window. I tried opening the files on the Mac and re-saving them back onto the windows machine, but still no luck.
I save the files on a LAN disk that is accessible by both machines. I can see the files from both machines, but the Mac version can open the file and then I can see the window and open it. The Windows version will load the file, but does not display an actual window (just the name of the file on the taskbar). This happened first with one file, then another, but so far just two files. The rest are accessible by both windows and Mac. I normally don’t access the files from the Mac, I was just doing it to check if the file was corrupted or if it’s a Windows Scrivener problem.
The file path is basically /network_drive/writings/filename.scrivx
Can’t tell for sure from here, of course, but I think the files on the non-functioning Windows machine are not complete and/or corrupted. Is cause from the source or target or transport … dunno.
Another idea. On macOS machine, ensure the project files not in a synced location or macOS “optimise disk space” is not set “on”, then take a Scrivener backup then copying the zip backup from the configured location to the macOS Desktop. Copy that file across the network with macOS Finder (not Scrivener) to the Windows machine. Unzip the file into the target directory. then try with Scrivener to open the projects.
Edit:
I’m guessing you want the Scrivener project to be on the local Windows machine AND macOS machine and not on a shared network drive. Yes? Accordingly, I was curious the local file/folder paths on both machines as sometimes that telling. If you are opening the Windows copy via the network to itself (?) may be at cross purposes.
That’s not what you want. You should have /network_drive/writings/projectname.scriv/projectname.scrivx
The .scriv folder should also have several other subfolders.
If all you have is the .scrivx file, you haven’t got a complete project.
@rms’s suggestion about testing with a ZIP file is a good one.
Following up on Kewms it should look like below on a windows computer and you should see all the other files with the Scrivx file. If not the project is incomplete and will not open properly.
