I have read in multiple threads that the way to reset the writing history/statistics for a project is to delete writing.history. This has never worked for me. On two separate installs on two separate machines (one of them after the system had been completely formatted and rebuilt), I experience the following:
Search the entire drive for writing.history.
Delete every single resulting file, every scrivener backup, every snapshot, and empty trash.
Start Scrivener.
The writing.history XML file has been recreated with all the same data in it. (And editing the file doesn’t change anything, either).
Where in the hell is it getting this data from? Why is deleting the file working for everyone else apparently? All I want to do is remove all of the existing stats. This is a fresh project and a fresh install (a couple days).
I’m almost certain I am deleting the correct file. As I mentioned, I don’t only remove the file form my project (D:\projects\writing\scrivener\project_title\files\writing.history), but I then do a search across all 44 terabytes of drives connected to this thing to ensure such a file no longer exists anywhere.
I can literally watch writing.history poof right back into existence in the /files directory at some point. However, the data appears in the project stats/history even before I can see the file recreated. If it was utilizing another project location or another location for the XML file, then it should presumably not be then writing to this one upon exit. But even so, where is it getting its stats from when the file hasn’t even been reacted yet? That is perhaps even more baffling.
I just deleted the writing history data portion of the file this time, instead of the file itself.
I launched Scrivener.
I watched the file for three minutes. It was never modified.
I go to Project->Writing History. It still shows data for today’s date (“other” content).
Still no modification to writing.history.
Close Scrivener.
The file is modified and now contains exactly the data I had just deleted.
I then did the same thing, deleting all contents form the file. Same behavior.
It would seem likely to me that there is some robust internal backup of this file/data or that it is capable of reconstructing it from another source, except . . . if that were the cases, I would expect everyone else to experience the same results.
The file will reappear, yes, of course → you’ve accessed the project. So, writing history updates.
But why with your old data? Beats me.
(That’s a question for @AmberV or support.)
Question though:
If you care so little as to see no problem in deleting all of the writing history across all your projects, why bother with it?
It shouldn’t be. No backups are locally connected to this machine except for the ones I have Scrivener set to create on startup. I’ve deleted them each time, so it isn’t somehow recovering data out of the compressed backups. All other backups on this system are remote to the machine and only go in one direction until actively and specifically restored (which I obviously haven’t done).
I had considered any number of unique situations but this is the only behavior I have ever seen regarding this. Different computer, different instance of Scrivener, different (new) project.
I do care about the stats/history, which is why I’m trying to delete it so that what it had “accidentally” tracked prior to actual writing (project setup only so far) would be wiped out.
That it has happened in every instance I have done this (and this is not new, but something that has also occurred every time I’ve tried it on projects for several months now) has me curious to diagnose it so that I can address it next time it pops up, too (since it seems determined to).
Do you have some kind of auto-backup, folder monitoring running on your system?
Try this: quit Scrivener.
Prefix the writing history file to xxxxwriting.history → xxxx
Wait a few minutes.
Launch the project
(?)
Technically, I’d then expect that you’ll end up with a new blank writing.history file on top of the old (xxxx) one.
And no history safe for today, with 0 words.
That’s a good question. I do. I suppose it is theoretically possible backup could be holding a lock on . . . something-- just when Scrivener wants it. Though, that doesn’t seem like it should be the case since I can delete it, Scrivener can recreate it, and it’s getting the data from somewhere even when it is deleted.
(…)
I’ve now paused the backup application and also renamed the file to just “X”. Started Scrivener and it still retained the writing history. Upon closing Scrivener, writing.history was restored with the same data, again.
I also just created a new project, immediately typed a handful of words, closed the app, deleted the file, started the app… same.
Ghost in the machine.
. . . . . . .
This is something that shouldn’t be complicated.
OneDrive? If OneDrive or something restores the writing.history file before you close the project, Scrivener will add today to this one file.
Perhaps try this, keep your “X” file. Launch the project, but then quit Scrivener asap. (?)
Delete the current history file → launch the project → quit. Boom-boom-boom
(You want to race/beat whatever is bringing the file back.)
[This is not tech support. This is messing around. – Yet, perhaps it’ll work.]
Yeah, you’ve got me. I did this for a living (Oracle) before I retired, so I should be able to diagnose it (though I’m not a Windows guy, typically).
What’s also odd is I just removed everything out of the new project I had created. I emptyed out the Data directory (but left the directory itself). I deleted everything inside of /files/ (except the empty /Data/ directory).
The only files I have left are the ui.ini, ui-common.xml, and the *.scrivx project file itself.
. . . . restart Scrivener. The files I created in the new project are still there (but unnamed and empty). But it still launches. And, somehow, it still retains that damned writing history!
I agree, there is not a lot left that can be done without input from the L&L side of things. However, it does seem clear this is not “works as intended” given it does not seem others can replicate it.
Sorry, I had forgotten to reply to that part of your comment last time. I’m not using OneDrive. It’s s completely removed from the system as possible. I’m using BackBlaze + ARQ7, but both are shut down while I’m debugging this.
I don’t know either of them, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they (or one of them) were the guilty party.
Could they be using a temp folder on your system and that part of their process still be running?
One thing I can tell you for sure, this is not Scrivener doing this. (Scrivener is pretty straightforward. If there is a file it goes by its content. No file? it creates a fresh new one with that day only. Nothing else.)
How about you create a new folder on your c:
Move the project there.
Do what you have to do.
(?)
If this is out of reach of your auto-backup/restore, ???
