Project save and backup

By default, NVivo project files are saved in the current Windows user's Documents folder on the computer's C drive, but you can save them anywhere on your computer or network (however, see Projects on network drives, below, if saving to a network location)

Once a project file is created you can save it manually with File > Save, keyboard shortcut CTRL+S, or use the toolbar icon. We recommend you save frequently to protect your data—you can set up reminders for manual saves or turn on autosave Autosave or save reminders.

NVivo automatically creates backup 'recovery' files Automatic backups.

It's a good idea to compact projects regularly Compact projects. If a project won't open or performs poorly, try creating a new, clean project and importing the problem project into it Merge/import projects.

For NVivo Collaboration Server projects, you do not need to save—changes are saved automatically as you work. Backups can be configured on the Server Manager (to back up the server copy), however you can also create local backups for additional security.

See Avoid project file corruption below for tips to help avoid project file corruption.

Automatic backups

By default, NVivo automatically creates project recovery files that serve as backups in case a project file is corrupted and cannot open Project recovery files.

NOTE  Recovery files cannot be opened directly into NVivo and recovery file creation can slow down your computer, so you may want to create manual backups in addition or instead Copy (and convert) projects

Autosave or save reminders

For each project you can select to automatically save after every action or set regular reminders to save manually.

IMPORTANT  If you turn on autosave the Undo function is disabled.

Set autosave or save reminders when you first create a project (Create a new project) or at any time that the relevant project is open:

  1. On the File tab, open Info > Project Properties.
  2. On the Save and Recovery tab, turn on autosaving or set a time for save reminders (you can also turn reminders off).

Projects on network drives

You can save projects on network drives, however, by default, when you open such a project a copy is saved locally on your computer in a temporary file. All saves are written to the local copy until you close the project, when the .nvp project file on the network drive is updated (hence, always ensure a project is fully closed before shutting down NVivo, or you could lose data).

Optionally, set NVivo to save to the network drive each time you save:

  1. Select Application Options from the Welcome screen or, if a project is open, File > Options.
  2. On the General tab, under Performance, for Update projects on network drives, click:
    1. On save to save the project file on the network drive each time you save, or
    2. On close to save all changes to a local temporary file and update the project file on the network drive only when the project is closed.

There is less likelihood of data loss with the 'on save' option, however saving may slow down your computer.

Recover projects on network drives

If you have configured to save project files on network drives 'on close' and a project file will not open or is older than the local temporary copy, NVivo automatically offers to open the local file.

If you open the local version you are prompted for a file name and location to save the project.

Copy (and convert) projects

NVivo's copy functionality allows you to:

  • copy projects to serve as backups (as a precaution against data loss) or as historical records of projects at different times.

    NOTE  You can set NVivo to automatically create backup 'recovery' files, however these cannot be opened directly into NVivo. Also, recovery file creation can affect computer performance so you may prefer to back up manually, at times that suit you Project recovery files.

  • convert NVivo Windows projects into NVivo Mac or NVivo Collaboration Server projects, or Collaboration Server projects into standalone Windows projects (unless they are too big) Collaboration Server.

    IMPORTANT  Temporarily, NVivo 14 does not support Collaboration Server projects. However, we are actively working on improving NVivo 14's compatibility to ensure full support for Collaboration Server projects.

    NOTE   Some data may not be included if converting from Windows to Mac, see Windows & Mac

    NOTE  You can only convert to NVivo (release 1) formats—not formats of earlier NVivo versions (e.g. NVivo 12) Version compatibility.

To copy a project or save it in another format:

  1. Open the File tab and select Copy Project.
  2. If the project to convert was already open it is selected in the dialog box—otherwise click Browse to select it.

  3. Under Copy to, select the project format you want—NVivo Windows, Mac, or Collaboration Server.

    To keep the project's current .nvp format, select NVivo - (Windows) R14.23.x project.

  4. Beside the Location field, click Browse to set a location and name for the converted project (names cannot include any of these characters: \ : / * ? " < > | ).
  5. Click OK.

It can take a few minutes to copy projects—you can monitor the progress in the Status bar at the bottom of the NVivo window.

Save a copy of your project

With NVivo Windows, you can use the Copy Project option to save a copy of your project with a different name.

  1. In NVivo Windows, open the File tab and select Copy Project.
  2. If the project to copy was already open, the file path is auto-populated in the Project field. Otherwise, click Browse to select the project file.
  3. Under Copy to, select NVivo - (Windows) R14.23.x project.
  4. Beside the Location field, click Browse to select the location to save the project.
  5. Provide a new file name and click Save.
  6. Click OK.

    A copy of the project is saved in .nvp format.

Alternatively, you can save a copy external to NVivo:

  1. Save the current project that you want to copy.
  2. Close the NVivo application.
  3. Navigate to the location where the project is stored using Windows File Explorer, right-click on the project file and select Copy.
  4. In the required location, right-click and select Paste.
  5. Rename the copied file.

NOTE   Saving a project file with a different name does not change the project name. To update the project name, open the copied project, select File > Project Properties, and provide a new project name in the Title field.

Avoid project file corruption

To help avoid corrupting project files follow the tips below:

  • Set up autosave (see above) or save regularly while working, to avoid file corruption in case the computer shuts down abruptly or, if saving to a network drive, the drive becomes unavailable.
  • Always save projects before leaving the computer for any period of time—files can be corrupted when computers go to into power saving mode.
  • Always make sure projects are completely closed before shutting down NVivo.
  • If a project is saved in a folder that is synched to a cloud storage provider like Dropbox or Google Drive, turn off file synchronization while you are working on the project (or copy the project to a non-synched local folder to work on and copy back when finished).
  • Do not work on project files saved on USB sticks or external USB drives—instead, copy the projects to a local drive and work with them there. Copy back to the external drive when finished.
  • Check regularly for malware on the computer or drive where the project file is stored.