I located where Scrivener is saving (my) custom templates (C:\Users\CWBillow\AppData\Local\LiteratureAndLatte\Scrivener\ProjectTemplates) , but it seems that all that is/are there are my custom templates.
Are the “standard” templates “built into” Scrivener, so that no backup is necessary as they will be replaced upon installation?
What folder(s) do I need to be sure to back up with my system backup?
I’m not sure where they’re stored, but the built-in templates (and the Scrivener manual pdf plus the Interactive Tutorial project) are delivered as part of the installation bundle. Presumably, they’re in the install folder somewhere, though they may be somewhat hidden to avoid people fiddling with them directly, and then getting mad when an update wipes out their modifications.
Aside from your app data folder (and maybe the registry?), the only other place that I can think of (never having worried about backing up my Windows work computer) is wherever you keep your actual projects.
OK, thanks.
Hi Chuck,
Yes, that matches where custom templates are stored on my PC.
On a monthly basis I take a copy of that Scrivener folder in AppData and zip it, so I know I’ve got my custom templates saved, along with anything else that gets stored in there.
If you’ve extensively modified your Scriv preferences, you may want to make a backup Preferences file.
I’ll come back with more if I can think of anything else,
Best,
Jim
On the Mac, I keep all my Project Templates on Dropbox and symlink to them from Scrivener’s Application Support folder and It Just Works™. That means I don’t have to bother backing them up because Dropbox does it and they’re all the same on both my Macs. I tried to do the same thing on the cheap old Windows laptop I’ve just bought to use as a dedicated writing machine and It Just Doesn’t Work™ at least with aliases created in the Explorer. I don’t understand Windows…
Chuck and Brookter,
Now I recall the other thing that gets stored in that AppData folder: Custom compile settings.
This discussion led me to this post, which discusses a possible solution to the symbolic linking Brookter tried on Windows:
[url]https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/configurable-template-compile-settings-location/36280/1]
I didn’t even know symlinks were a thing. I will give it a try this weekend!
Best,
Jim
Cheers Jim. I’m sure there’s a way of symlinking on Windows, I just haven’t got round to figuring it out yet.
I’m too busy being amazed that an operating system in 2019 is so bad at something as basic as accents and common typographical symbols to get round to worrying about esoteric stuff such as symlinks…
Great. Thanks guys.
Rant mode ON.
Please, please, please, DO NOT use Dropbox as your only backup for anything critical.
It is a synchronization service, not a backup service. What this means is that a problem on one device will propagate to all other devices connected to your account at internet speed, and there won’t be a darn thing that we or anyone else can do about it.
Katherine
I don’t! By not backing them up, I simply meant, somewhat loosely perhaps “… manually to another computer so I have to transfer them every time I reinstall Scrivener on another device”.
Everything on the main computer is also properly backed up to three Time Machine disks, one of which is kept off site in rotation, and essential files are also in permanent storage on iDrive in the cloud somewhere. The Scrivener backup folder is on iCloud (in .zip files), not Dropbox, and that’s another layer of redundancy.
I don’t bother backing up the laptops because the important stuff is transferred daily anyway.