Sync is genuinely useful and it is not a safety net. It keeps several devices holding the same file, which means whatever happens to the file happens everywhere: a deletion, a corruption, a bad edit. The protection it provides is against losing a device, and the risk it introduces is against losing a version.
The failure modes
| Failure | What happens |
|---|---|
| Propagated deletion | Deleted everywhere, immediately |
| Conflicted copies | Two versions, and you must choose |
| Partial upload | A file synced mid-save, and corrupted |
| Project formats | Multi-file projects are especially prone to conflicts |
| Two devices open at once | The commonest cause of conflicts |
| Propagated corruption | A damaged file overwrites the good copies |
The project format row matters if you use a writing application with a folder-based project. Those are the files most likely to be damaged by sync, because a project is many files that must stay consistent with each other and sync updates them independently.
Reducing the risk
- Close the project on one device before opening it on another. The single most effective habit.
- Wait for sync to complete before switching devices.
- Keep a real backup with version history, which sync is not.
- Watch for conflicted copies and investigate rather than deleting them.
- Check the word count when you open a project; a sudden drop is a signal.
- Follow the vendor's guidance about syncing their project format.
Point four matters because a conflicted copy contains work. Deleting it because the name looks like clutter is how an afternoon's writing disappears.
Detecting a problem
The Novel Kit gives you a term list with counts, so a file that has been silently truncated shows up as counts lower than the report you took last week. It's an unusual use and a genuinely effective integrity check for a novel.
A practical next step
Search your writing folders for files with conflicted in the name. If any exist, they contain work you haven't looked at.
Sources checked
- How to back up a manuscript properly
- Manuscript backup and version control
- Which draft is the master file
Frequently asked questions
How does sync lose work?
By propagating deletions and corruption, by resolving conflicts badly, and by uploading a partial file while an application is writing it.
What is a conflicted copy?
A file the sync service could not reconcile, saved alongside the original. It usually means two devices edited the same file.
How do I notice?
Watch for conflicted copies appearing, check the word count against yesterday, and keep a backup that is not sync.