Scrivener won't update or sync with iOS via Dropbox

[JimRac]

Hi sokalow,

First thing, thanks for sharing all your trouble-shooting steps, it’s very helpful.

@sokalow

I’ve gone through the help file for syncing issues and noted that Scrivener on Windows must be at least version 1.9.5. My version currently says 1.9.16 (Nov 14, 2019). So it seems it’s out of date–but then how have I been syncing for the last 18 months or so without issue?

You are on an appropriate version for syncing, as 1.9.16 is later than 1.9.5 (16 > 5). So no worries there.

@sokalow

If I navigate on my PC to the Dropbox folder where the scrivx file is located the date says 12/9/2021 at 9:37 pm–which is yesterday, even though I’ve attempted to update it multiple times since then. Shouldn’t that file be showing the very latest time stamp?

Is there is any chance at all that you’ve inadvertently duplicated your project into a non-Dropbox folder? Easiest way to confirm this is to launch your project, enable File > Options > Appearance > Show full project path in the title bar, and verify that the project you’re working on is actually the one in your Dropbox folder.

If that’s not the issue, here are some other things to check. Do these in the sequence listed below.

Confirm that the DropBox app is running on your PC, and that it’s signed in with the same DropBox account that iPad Scrivener is linked to.

Run this test to confirm your PC is syncing to Dropbox:
Create a new Scrivener project on your PC using the Blank Template. Create it in your DropBox folder. Name it PC Test. When the DropBox app says it’s done syncing this new project, sign into DropBox.com using your browser and confirm that the PC Test.scriv folder is there.

Run this test to confirm your iPad is syncing to Dropbox:
You should be able to sync Scrivener on the Ipad and see the new PC Test project in your projects list. (You may need to press the Sync icon to manually sync if Scriv doesn’t automatically detect the new project.) Open the project on the iPad, make a simple change by adding some text, close it, and sync Scrivener. Back on your PC, ensure DropBox is synced. When you open PC Test on your PC, do you see the change?

If one of these tests fails, that should direct you to where the problem is and hopefully you’ll figure it out from there. But come back if you need more help.

Best,
Jkm