Scrivener Won't Open or Not Responding

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

1. 1. Give it a minute, then back up the project

   Copy steps
   1. Large projects and automatic backups can show 'Not Responding' for a while; wait a few minutes before force-quitting
   2. Once closed, copy the whole .scriv project folder to another location before trying any fix
   Did this fix it? Yes No

2. 2. Stop Scrivener from reopening the problem project

   Copy steps
   1. Quit Scrivener
   2. Rename the project folder (e.g. add '-test') so Scrivener can't find it at launch
   3. Start Scrivener; it should show the New Project window instead of hanging
   Did this fix it? Yes No

3. 3. Open it from a blank project

   Copy steps
   1. Create a new blank project
   2. Use File > Open and select the problem project
   3. If it still won't open, use File > Import in the new project to pull in the old project's documents
   Did this fix it? Yes No

4. 4. Move the project out of the sync folder

   Copy steps
   1. Wait for Dropbox/OneDrive to finish syncing
   2. Copy the project to a local folder (e.g. Documents) and open that copy
   Did this fix it? Yes No

5. 5. Reset the project's interface settings (Windows)

   Copy steps
   1. With Scrivener closed, open the project folder > Settings
   2. Rename or delete ui.ini (keep a backup copy) and reopen the project - this works for some users, not all
   Did this fix it? Yes No

6. 6. Update Scrivener and the OS

   Copy steps
   1. Install the latest Scrivener (3.5.2 Mac / 3.1.6 Windows) from literatureandlatte.com or the App Store
   2. If it still hangs, contact Literature & Latte support with the project and OS details
   Did this fix it? Yes No

Symptoms

Scrivener hangs on launch, shows 'Not Responding' (Windows) or the spinning wheel (Mac), needs to be force-quit repeatedly, or one specific project never opens.

Why it happens

• Large project still loading, backing up or being scanned by antivirus
• Scrivener automatically reopening a damaged project at launch
• Project in Dropbox/OneDrive that hasn't fully synced
• Damaged project settings file (ui.ini) or a corrupted document
• Recent OS update not yet supported by your Scrivener version

This guide also covers

• scrivener not responding
• scrivener won't open
• scrivener won't open project
• scrivener keeps freezing
• scrivener needs force quit

The same problem in other apps

All crashes, freezes & blank screens guides →

• Notion Not Loading (Blank or White Screen) (Notion)
• iA Writer Windows Not Opening or Blank Window (iA Writer)

Other Scrivener errors

• Scrivener Project Already Open Error
• Scrivener Compile Missing Text or Chapters
• Why Is Scrivener So Slow? Typing Lag & Laggy Scrolling
• Scrivener iOS Not Syncing With Dropbox
• Scrivener Sync Conflicts Detected
• How to Recover Lost Work in Scrivener
• Scrivener Project Corrupted in OneDrive or iCloud
• Scrivener Blurry Text on Windows (High DPI Scaling)