Where Does Scrivener Keep Projects and Backups?
Scrivener projects live where you create them, while automatic backups go to a separate folder. Both locations on Windows and Mac.
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A Scrivener project goes exactly where you tell it to at creation, usually somewhere in Documents. On a Mac it looks like a single .scriv file but is really a package of many files. On Windows it is plainly a .scriv folder with a .scrivx index inside. Either way, the whole thing must move as one.
Backups are separate by design. Scrivener zips a full copy each time you close a project (3 to 25 kept, rotating) into the backup folder shown in Settings. Never store a live project inside that backup folder. The rotation will eventually overwrite it, and Scrivener warns you for good reason.
Where Scrivener stores this, by platform
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\LiteratureAndLatte\Scrivener\Backups
Default automatic backups, as zip files. Live projects default to Documents at creation. Open a project on Windows through the .scrivx file inside its folder.
~/Library/Application Support/Scrivener/Backups
Same rotating backups as Windows. Find the current folder any time under Scrivener > Settings > Backup, with a button to open it. Double-click the .scriv package to open a project.
Frequently asked questions
How do I open a Scrivener backup?
Find the newest zip in the backup folder above and unzip it somewhere outside that folder, like Documents. Open the extracted project and check it before continuing. Never work directly inside the backup folder.
Can I sync Scrivener projects with Dropbox?
Yes, with care. Let sync finish fully before opening the project on another machine, since a .scriv package is many small files. Point automatic backups at a local folder outside the sync to keep a clean fallback.
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