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Scrivener files apparently not syncing

Hi! I've been using Dropbox to sync my Scrivener files across my Macbook Pro, Mac Mini, iphone and ipad. This has been working beautifully for years. I updated Scrivener on my desktop, and now dropbox seems to not sync some of my Scrivener files. I've opened some with no problem, but others I get a cloud icon next to the file and when I click on it, it does something for a moment then the cloud returns. Those files with the cloud are clearly not syncing with my ipad/iphone or Mac Mini. When I attempt to open them on my MacBook pro, I get a message saying a helper app isn't working but no further info to help me figure out what to update or re-install.

Screenshot 2023-11-07 at 4.02.33 PM.png

All files seem to be syncing across the ipad, iphone, and Mac Mini with no problem. When I log into Dropbox through my browser, I can see the files are there and from the Mac Mini they appear to be the ones synced with the ipad, iphone, and Mac Mini. But, I cannot get my Macbook Pro to open them in Scrivener. Any ideas on how to fix this would be most helpful. I looked for away to maybe update dropbox on my Macbook pro, but I don't see how to do so. I suspect that might be what I need to do?

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Jay

Hi @CandaceHunter, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Since this occurred after updating Scrivener, is it possible that the newer version makes some changes to the way the scriv files are being made?

You mentioned that the files have a cloud icon on them. Could you try first marking the file as available offline, and then see if it opens normally on your machine?

This will help me to assist further!

All comments

Jay

Hi @CandaceHunter, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Since this occurred after updating Scrivener, is it possible that the newer version makes some changes to the way the scriv files are being made?

You mentioned that the files have a cloud icon on them. Could you try first marking the file as available offline, and then see if it opens normally on your machine?

This will help me to assist further!

CandaceHunter

I searched the Scrivener forum. There, I discovered that Dropbox will randomly choose to "update" and make files no longer available offline. That appears to be what happened to the files with the cloud. I control-clicked the folder for Scrivener in my dropbox folder and chose Make Available Off-line. Now, those files are opening in Scrivener on my MacBook Pro again.

It'd sure be nice if Dropbox would have told me that they were changing how they were going to classify my folders/documents before they made the change and maybe told me what ot do to change them back if I needed to do so after their updates. I spent easily an hour searching about trying to fix a problem that really shouldn't have been a problem in the first place.

CandaceHunter

Hi Jay,

Thanks for the response. I was typing my last reply when you posted yours. Scrivener didn't change how they manage the files. Had they, at least one of the unaffected ones would have stopped working, too, as I had used and synced it successfully across several devices after the Scrivener update. I have no clue why some of the files stopped being available offline and others in the same folder didn't. But, I selected the folder and told it to make everything available offline. That seemed to fix the problem.

Jay

Thanks for the update, I'm glad to hear that marking the folder as offline helped to resolve the issue!

fbmama

I've got this same issue, and the "make available offline" designation (which has worked for me in the past) isn't working now -- it's not appearing as an option for one (most recent) file and not appearing to change for another (the original file which I tried to copy). The latest file doesn't have all my Dropbox features when I right click on the file name in Finder (that lets me choose to make available offline, etc.).

It is a large file, and I also updated to the latest version of Scrivener. On my desktop, it is in sync mode for HOURS and when I try to open the file on my laptop, it says the file hasn't been synced so it won't be the latest version.

The syncing does not have a bar or indicate how many files are left, or how much time. In Finder on my Mac, it shows its in the cloud but no green checkmark. It just seems stuck. It's syncing other Dropbox files that are not Scrivener, or

fbmama

Screenshot 2023-11-07 at 8.07.35 PM.png

Walter

Hey @fbmama - sorry to hear about your syncing issue.

Can you please let us know the app's version as shown when you hover your mouse over the Dropbox desktop app's icon in your menu bar?

Also, where is your Dropbox folder located as per the sync tab in the app's preferences?

Have you tried quitting and relaunching the app and/or rebooting your computer since you first noticed this?

fbmama

Hi Walter!

I did all of that multiple times -- quitting/relaunching, rebooting and so on -- and this has been going on for a few days. But what I didn't do was let it run all night, which I know sounds weird, but I decided yesterday to just see what would happen if I just let Dropbox keep syncing even if it took hours. I had let it sit for 2-3 hours before, but it just seemed stuck. So I kept my computer on and went to bed even though it still seemed stuck.

I woke up and ... the syncing was done. I have no idea why it took so long because I have a 300 mbps internet plan, I have a Mac Studio with a ton of storage (just got it last month), but everything was green check marked today and the syncing icon was not on my dropbox icon in the menu bar. So for whatever reason, it's all good today! The sync history shows everything up to date, relief! I did also mark everything as available offline, too, but even when I did that yesterday, nothing changed because it just didn't seem to "catch."

My DB version is up to date when I hover over (186.4.6207), and I had followed the instructions for proper placement for Dropbox with Mac when I installed it (it created a separate location or something on its own). Everything else in Dropbox was syncing, just not these specific Scrivener files. And only in the past few days. But all good now, so thank you for following up! Have been using both for years so this was a head scratcher (and slight panic moment).