Hi, I am not yet subscribed to Scrivener due to all the reports of lost or corrupt data.
I would be mortified if I lost some of my work!
So my question, is Scrivener a safe repository for my work?
I will be using a MacBook and iCloud.
What exactly must I do to ensure no data loss or corruption.
This is my biggest concern that prevents me moving forward.
I have watched various online videos about some of the issues surrounding Scrivener and iCloud, but others report loosing data just by opening a file after an update etc.
The information thatâs available is sometimes spread over numerous years and versions.
If not needed, then keep the project local not in any cloud synced folder, and backup local. Keep auto save on inactivity at default 2 sec. Keep automatic backups. Backup entire machine with Time Machine or equivalent. System crash more likely than Scrivener data loss. All bets off if using cloud services for no good reason and is misconfigured causing cloud serviceânot Scrivenerâto lose or corrupt data. No need to use any cloud service unless a reason.
In more than a decade of use i have never lost data. The reports here are often from people who mis-use cloud sync thinking they are reliable and/or good for backups.
As it happens, I sync via iCloud without problems.
What exactly must I do to ensure no data loss or corruption.
Same as you do for all other data. Thereâs nothing exceptional about Scrivener in that regard. Indeed, Scrivener creates its own backups, so provides you with added protection.
If you use a cloud service, ensure that it is configured to make all Scrivener projects âavailable offline.â Incomplete synchronization is by far the most common cause of missing data.
Check Scrivenerâs automatic backup settings to make sure they match the way you work. If Scrivener stays open for days at a time, an automatic backup that only runs when Scrivener closes wonât help much. Do not rely on a synchronization service as your only backup.
Have at least one backup that is under your exclusive control. If youâre a Mac user, configure a Time Machine Drive.
I intentionally crashed Scrivener (with a test project) many, many times. Thatâs not easy because Scrivener (mac) doesnât actually crash. Anyway, Iâve never lost a word. I donât think Iâm an exception.
What âall reportsâ? There have been a very small number of people claiming to have lost data and from what I see the overwhelming majority are due to users not following basic rules of data protection that apply regardless of the app you use.
L&L have provided detailed information on how to use cloud services, yet we still see people ignoring that advice.
If you consider there are over 33,000 members of this forum (and how many 10âs of thousands of Scrivener users not on here?) and thereâs 10-20 people a year complaining of data loss that is most often traced to user action/inaction, thatâs insignificant statistically (thought still devastating for the user)
If you follow the basic rules for using cloud services as outlined by L&L and have the minimum data backup in place there is almost no risk of losing work. I say almost because sometimes sh.t happens regardless of what app and what processes you have in place.
Hi. Thank you for taking time to answer my request.
The reason I would like to use icloud is simply that it should add a layer of protection and not pose a risk.
Itâs sort of akin to being an offsite copy but also for convenience that I can read my work (pdf export) in the middle of the night or wherever I am. Inspiration does not work to a schedule.
I can make notes in apple notes to append later.
Hi. Thanks for your reply.
To answer your question.
What all reports?
I refer to many, many reviews of the current selection of writing apps that I have watched.
Scrivener is the only one that I encountered repeated and varied reports, warnings, and such.
Some reviewerâs hypothesise that it is iCloudâs fault and Dropbox works fine.
Others report issues after updates.
A selection of conflicting reports which all advocated caution and alarm.
Hence my apprehension.
The responses above have alleviated much of my concerns so I will invest some time with the 30 day trial to learn and get to know scrivener. Time is always in short supply so itâs best to invest in the right place.
I think you may find using iCloud with Scrivener may add a lot of risk, especially if used wrongly or without purpose. IMHO. I urge you to do it with purpose and correctness.
I have been using Scrivener for 18 years working between two machines much of that time, also collaborating with Windows- and Mac-users.
In that time, I have used Dropbox, Cubby, Sync, SpiderOak and Box.
Quite a long time ago, I had a look at iCloud for my own projects, but found that (a) it was slow and inconsistent at syncâing, and (b) without having the folder open and in view, I couldnât tell when all was in sync.
Dropbox and Sync, both have menu-bar icons that indicate when syncâing is in progress and complete.
Over the last year or so, Sync have changed the underlying engine, and it now throws up more conflicts. They are easily resolved; I suspect it is something to do with versioning on the server.
Iâve only checked that current versions of Box work with Scrivener projects (for a long time it didnât), but I donât actually use it for that purpose.
The (very) late-lamented Cubby was the best of them.
SpiderOak I only used for a very short time before Cubby came on the scene, because Dropbox was blocked in China and that was the only one I could find at the time. Very secure, but I kept running out of space and had to clear versions on a frequent basis.
In all of that, neither I nor any of my collaborators have ever lost any data. Apart from the current Sync situation, the comparatively few conflicted files we have had, or user.lock not being deleted on the server, have entirely been due to pilot error in not allowing sync to complete before shutting down or opening a project. And that is why Dropbox or Sync are better than iCloud, in that sync status is immediately visible in the menu-bar.
This was true a few years back. Finder now indicates when the iCloud drive is syncâd or shows what isnât. It even tells you when the last sync occurred, if you click on the wee icon. Given how parsimonious Apple is wrt exposing users to scary data, Iâm surprised theyâve done this much. But my experience is that iCloud works fine these days.
I know it has improved, though I still find it fairly slow to sync stuff from other apps between computers. And you still have to open a finder window to see the âwee iconâ to click on, where Dropbox, Sync and Box show the status in the menu bar, and in the case of the first two the dropdown shows the recent sync history. Also, when collaborating, Sync can give you notifications of changes on the server as your collaborator is working and Scrivener saves changes.
I just find all that much more convenient with Scrivener. Most of my other apps store stuff in iCloud folders by default.
Something that Mark failed to mention about Sync is that the paid version* has a thing called the âVaultâ. This is a section of the drive in which you can transfer files from the sync repository and keep them as a longer term backup.
It is a bit of a faff to transfer files since you have to login via a browser. However, if you are paranoid about backups, it is a useful feature.
Not sure about the free version, but 5Gb would not allow you to store many files for the long term.
âmany, many reviewsâ. Seriously, how many reviews?
The moment a reviewer âhypothesizesâ (aka wild guessing), I discount anything that follows. Iâve lost count of the number of BS âreviewsâ of apps etc Iâve seen on the internet that get taken as gospel despite being readily debunked. With the arrival of AI, that number is increasing at an obscene rate.
Yes, there is ample warning about using cloud services, but that really focusses on using common sense, and understanding that not all cloud services conduct themselves in a faultless manner, especially if you throw in a little user carelessness.
The L&L resources on syncing set you up for safe syncing, with the caveat that any time you send your data out over an external connection there is a small chance of corruption, regardless of the app in play. Again, L&L staff here have consistently advocated for comprehensive backups that donât rely on syncing and the potential for corruption over time when you sync any data. (you accidentally delete something and sync, that sync is going to result in the deletion being at very location synced to.
Yes, seriously.
I spent a lot of time watching YouTube reviews and reading on review sites.
Hence my cautious approach and my desire to ask the questions that needed asking⌠at source.
Iâm not here to ruffle feathers.
But yours seam ruffled.
The comments and responses I have received have abated my concerns.
They address the facts and the current state of affairs, putting things into perspective.
I seek clarifications by asking questions, not by blindly continuing.
I have received some very positive replies on this thread and Iâm sure they will help other newcomers to this software in the future as well.