Save and copy projects

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This topic explains the options for saving and copying your NVivo projects.

What do you want to do?

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Save my project

When you are working with a project (saved to your own computer or a network drive), you should save your project frequently—this helps to protect your data in the event of a power outage or hardware malfunction.  

• Click the File tab, and then click Save.

Keyboard shortcut To save your project, press CTRL+S

NOTE

• When you are working with a server project, you do not need to save your project to protect your work. Each change you make is saved automatically to the NVivo server, as you work.  

• If you are working in a project stored on a network drive, by default your changes are saved to a temporary file and the project file on the network is not updated until you close your project. It is important to close your project, before you turn off your computer. Refer to Set save options for network projects for more information.

Change the frequency of project save reminders

If you are working with a standalone project saved as an .nvp file on your computer or network drive, it is important to save your project at regular intervals. By default, NVivo prompts you to save your project every 15 minutes. You can adjust the time interval between save reminders, if you want to be reminded more or less frequently.

1. Click the File tab, and then click Options.

The Application Options dialog box opens.

2. Click the Notifications tab.

3. Increase or decrease the interval between save reminders by changing the value in the minutes box.

4. Click OK.

NOTE  If you want to turn off project save reminders, clear the Enable project save reminders every check box.

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Make a backup copy of my project

You should use the copy function to make regular backups of your project—this protects your data and allows you to take a snapshot of your project at a particular point in time.

1. Click the File tab and then click Copy Project.

The Copy Project dialog box opens.

2. Under Copy to, choose the project format, then select the location and file name for the new project, and then click Save.

3. Click OK.  A copy of your open project is saved at the selected location.

NOTE  Project recovery files do not replace manual backups—to store versions of your project (for safekeeping or as a snapshot in time) you should continue to create backups manually by copying your project.

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Set options for project recovery files

When you save your project, NVivo creates a 'project recovery file' to protect against loss of data. This is useful in situations where your project is compromised and you cannot open it—you will have the option to restore it from the project recovery file.

To change the default settings for project recovery files:

1. Click the File tab, and then click Options.

The Application Options dialog box opens.

2. Click the Project Recovery tab and edit the settings. Project recovery files are created only when you save the project, you can choose:

• How often they occur (choose Never to turn them off completely)

• How many you want to keep (up to 3)—the oldest is deleted as newer recovery files are made

• Where you want to store them

3. Click OK.

Refer to Recover projects for more information about restoring a project from a project recovery file.

NOTE  

• Project recovery files do not replace manual backups—to store versions of your project (for safekeeping or as a snapshot in time) you should continue to create backups manually by copying your project.

• The creation of project recovery files can impact the performance of your project (depending on the size of your project and your computer's specifications). If you are experiencing slower performance, you can decrease the frequency at which project recovery files are created or turn them off all together.

• If you attempt to close NVivo while the project recovery file is being created, you will be prompted to wait.

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Understand options for copying

You can use the copy function (similar to 'save as') to make a backup copy of your project or to take a snapshot of your project at a particular point in time.

If you are working with a server project, you can use the copy function to create a standalone version of the project. Likewise, you can use the copy function to create a server version of a standalone project.

If you want to work with your project on the Mac platform, you can copy it to the NVivo for Mac (Version 11) project format (.nvpx). For more information about working across platforms refer to Work with your projects on Windows or Mac.

If a server project, excluding media files, exceeds the maximum size for standalone projects, you cannot copy and create a standalone project.

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Make a copy of my open project

1. Click the File tab and then click Copy Project.

The Copy Project dialog box opens.

2. Under Copy to, choose the project format, then select the location and file name for the new project, and then click Save.

HINT  For a NVivo Server project, select the server name from the Connection name box, and then enter a name for the new project in the Project name box.

3. Click OK.  A copy of your open project is saved at the selected location.

The copy may take a few minutes. If you are copying to the NVivo for Mac (Version 11) project format (.nvpx), it may take longer because the project is also converted as part of the process. You can monitor the progress in the Status bar at the bottom of the NVivo window.

NOTE

• To copy a project to or from the Mac project format (.nvpx), you need a project converter. If the project converter is not already installed, it will be downloaded and installed automatically. The download may take more than a few minutes, depending on the speed of your internet connection.

• If you copy your Windows project to the Mac project format (.nvpx), and then access it on the Mac, you may not be able to work with all your project items. For more information about working across platforms, refer to Work with your projects on Windows or Mac.

• If you receive a message indicating that you do not have permission to create a project on the server, verify with your server administrator that you are in a server user group that has permission to create new projects.

• If you copy a server project to your computer (as a standalone project), project user groups are not retained.

• Storage devices that use the FAT (File Allocation Table) file system cannot store projects larger than 4GB—for example, some memory sticks use the FAT file system and cannot store projects that exceed this size.

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Copy any NVivo project

You can make a copy of a project created on the Windows or Mac platform. If you choose to copy the project from one format to another, then the project is converted when it is copied.

To copy a project to or from the NVivo for Mac (Version 11) project format (.nvpx), you need a project converter. If the project converter is not already installed, it will be downloaded and installed automatically. The download may take more than a few minutes, depending on the speed of your internet connection.

To copy a project:

1. If a project is currently open, close the project.
2. Click the File tab and then click Copy Project.

The Copy Project dialog box opens.

3. Click the Browse button next to the Project box to locate and select the project you want to copy, and then click Open.

NOTE  For a NVivo Server project, select the server name from the Connection name box, and then enter a name for the new project in the Project name box.

4. Under Copy to, choose the project format, then select  location and file name for the new project and then click Save.

NOTE  For a NVivo Server project, select the server name from the Connection name box, and then enter a name for the new project in the Project name box.

5. Click OK. A copy of the project is saved at the selected location.

NOTE

• If you copy your Windows project to the Mac project format (.nvpx), and then access it on the Mac, you may not be able to work with all your project items. For more information about working across platforms, refer to Work with your projects on Windows or Mac.

• The Connection name box is empty if you have not set up any server connections—click the Add button to create a new server connection using the Connection Properties dialog box.

• If you cannot select NVivo 11 for Windows Projects (*.nvp), or NVivo for Mac (Version 11) Projects (*.nvpx), check your connections. You need a standalone connection to create a new project on your computer.

• If you receive a message indicating that you do not have permission to create a project on the server, verify with your server administrator that you are in a server user group that has permission to create new projects.

• If you copy a server project to your computer (as a standalone project), project user groups are not retained.

• Storage devices that use the FAT (File Allocation Table) file system cannot store projects larger than 4GB—for example, some memory sticks use the FAT file system and cannot store projects that exceed this size.

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Set save options for network projects

By default, if your project is stored on a network drive, when you save the project your changes are saved locally—the .nvp project file on the network is only updated when you close the project. To avoid loss of data, make sure that you close your project before you turn off your computer.

You can change NVivo's save options so that the .nvp file on the network is updated each time you save the project. Saving regularly to the network, can prevent loss of data, in the event that your computer shuts down before you close your NVivo project.

To change your save options:

1. Click the File tab, and then click Options.

The Application Options dialog box opens.

2. On the General tab, under Performance, for Update projects on network drives, click On save or On close.

3. Click OK.

NOTE  If you choose to update On close and you open a project that was not closed when the computer shut down, you may be able to recover the changes that were stored locally—refer to Recover a newer version of a network project.

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Recover a newer version of a network project

If you are working with a project stored on a network drive, a setting in your Application Options controls whether the project file on the network is updated every time you save or only when you close the project. If you choose 'On Close' (this is the default setting), your changes are saved locally until you close the project. When you close the project the project file on the network is updated.

In some situations—for example, if your project was previously not closed when your computer shut down—then, when you open your network project, NVivo will detect that a more recent copy is stored on your local drive. If this happens, you will be prompted to recover the newer version of the project.

If you choose to recover the newer version of the network project, you are prompted for a location to copy the recovered project to. The recovered project is given a new file name. For example, if your project file name is My Project.nvp, then, by default the recovered project is named My Project (Recovered).nvp. If you want, you can save the recovered project to a different location and change the file name.

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Related topics

• About projects