Tuesday
Jan042011
Getting safe automatic backups with Scrivener
Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 10:15AM
If you're a seasoned Scrivener hand you doubtless know this trick already. But Scrivener seems to be getting a lot of new fans at the moment so perhaps a few have missed it. Here we go: how to get safe, offsite online backups every time you open and/or close a manuscript, without even thinking.
First you need a Dropbox account, paid or free, or some other form of online storage that can be made to look like a folder. This trick only works for Scrivener 2 on the Mac at the moment by the way, though doubtless it's on its way to the coming Windows version at some stage.
It's not a great idea to copy Scrivener document files straight to online storage. While they may look like simple files to you they are in fact folders, full of text, images, pdfs, even videos if you've dragged them into your project. If you copy the standard 'document' you run the risk of it getting corrupted if some small part of it goes wrong syncing between your online version and your local one.
Scrivener 2 gets round this problem very neatly. Go to Preferences and open the Backup pane. Here's what mine looks like. Point the backup location to your Dropbox folder. Choose to save as zip files, use the date in the filename, and select how many copies you want to keep. Zipping your document turns it into a single, compressed file, so the chances of corruption pretty much disappear. It also makes it fast for Dropbox to upload.
I choose to backup whenever I close the file. Do it on open or manual save and you end up with millions of backup copies which is a bit pointless. But it's your choice.
Like this, every time I close Scrivener a zipped copy of the latest version gets placed in the Dropbox folder and backed up straight away. Plus I have all four previous version there as well.
This is also a very reliable way of sharing Scrivener files with other Macs using the software. Possibly better than copying plain files for the reasons already stated.
Using this simple routine ensures your work is safely stored offsite, and accessible through other computers. It's about as disaster-proof as you can get, and absolutely free if your storage needs are modest enough for an unpaid Dropbox account.
First you need a Dropbox account, paid or free, or some other form of online storage that can be made to look like a folder. This trick only works for Scrivener 2 on the Mac at the moment by the way, though doubtless it's on its way to the coming Windows version at some stage.
It's not a great idea to copy Scrivener document files straight to online storage. While they may look like simple files to you they are in fact folders, full of text, images, pdfs, even videos if you've dragged them into your project. If you copy the standard 'document' you run the risk of it getting corrupted if some small part of it goes wrong syncing between your online version and your local one.
Scrivener 2 gets round this problem very neatly. Go to Preferences and open the Backup pane. Here's what mine looks like. Point the backup location to your Dropbox folder. Choose to save as zip files, use the date in the filename, and select how many copies you want to keep. Zipping your document turns it into a single, compressed file, so the chances of corruption pretty much disappear. It also makes it fast for Dropbox to upload.
I choose to backup whenever I close the file. Do it on open or manual save and you end up with millions of backup copies which is a bit pointless. But it's your choice.
Like this, every time I close Scrivener a zipped copy of the latest version gets placed in the Dropbox folder and backed up straight away. Plus I have all four previous version there as well.
This is also a very reliable way of sharing Scrivener files with other Macs using the software. Possibly better than copying plain files for the reasons already stated.
Using this simple routine ensures your work is safely stored offsite, and accessible through other computers. It's about as disaster-proof as you can get, and absolutely free if your storage needs are modest enough for an unpaid Dropbox account.
Reader Comments (10)
Thank you. Extremely useful knowledge for a Scrivener newbie.
Hi, I currently keep my Scrivener project files in Dropbox folders (rather than copying them to Dropbox). Is it better not to do that, then?
There's a long-running thread on the Scrivener forum on this subject, much of it from people better qualified than I am. The consensus tends to be that it's a bit risky just to drop a Scriv file into any network folder.
http://www.literatureandlatte.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5295
If all the different bits don't sync right you could be in for problems.
Great idea! I recently lost my manuscript (luckily, only the first scene) due to a corrupted USB Drive. I am using a new thumb drive, but this will serve as the better safety net. I really am enjoying your posts. Just picked up the first Nic Costa and begin reading today. Signed....a New Fan!
Thank you! Thumb drives make me nervous for anything but backup frankly. If you do things this way you always have your last five versions even if someone nicks your computer.
[...] A great alternative to keeping manuscript files in your Dropbox (which seems slightly risky, even though there is a local copy as well as one in the cloud) while still getting the benefit of having an up-to-date copy in the cloud if you unexpectedly want one: Getting safe automatic backups with Scrivener. [...]
Thank you, David for such a concise and so very useful tip. Happy New Year too. :)
Marc.
I had a backup drive fry at the same time my (large) Scrivener file stored on DropBox corrupted and would not open - suddenly I had NO version of my work. HUGE disaster averted by the fact that the Scrivener update was secretly making backups for me that were nested deep in my library files.
I learned my lesson, though - main file local, backup in the cloud.
I suspect you were a bit unlucky there. But it isn't really worth the risk, is it?
[...] Getting safe automatic backups with Scrivener (davidhewson.com) [...]