Musescore doesn`t save scores.
This is a major bug. Out of all bugs, losing your hard work because the application didn't let you save it is beyond frustrating.
No, it Doesn't save. Don't tell me to go File->save. It works at times, and then it doesn't. Not a read-only file, not a funny system ... nothing like that. It's a BUG. And a big and terrible one. It RANDOMLY prevents you from saving your work. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. There are no workarounds for this. It's just a BUG and it needs to be repaired by developers. It has nothing to do with anything the user can do.
Thank you.
Comments
Can't say I've ever had MuseScore not save a score on any of the four computers on which I have it running. But then I never use the Save option. I always use Save As. That way I know exactly what the name of the file is and exactly where it is going.
I'm not saying that is no bug, I'm just saying the Save function is unpredictable for me because I have scores stored in several different places.
Do you click Save as usual, and then after a while the file disappears? Or do the changes you made disappear?
Are you not seeing any warnings or errors?
Do you save to a regular folder or to a Onedrive/Dropbox folder?
Which version of Musescore are you using? Are you on Windows or Mac?
So far I don't see any useful information that could be provided to the developers.
In reply to Do you click Save as usual,… by mercuree
OK, here it is:
Yes, I save as usual, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Simple as that.
Yes, I see an error. This one is in spanish, because the system is in spanish. It's attached to the post.
No, I don't use dropbox or Onedrive. Just save my work to my hard disk.
No, the file is not dissapearing. I'm working on a project, so I need to be saving every once in a while. Sometimes it saves what I've been working on, and sometimes it doesn't.
When it doesn't, I simply keep on working, risking to loose even more work, and then I try again, and it works ... or not. I keep on working and keep trying to save until, eventually, it DOES save the file.
For the sake of demonstration, I opened up a file that I finished last thursday, made a small change and immediately tried to save it. Shure enough, it didn't. I captured the screen and that is what's attached to this message. See, I was so confident in what I'm saying that I was almost shure that I was going to get that screenshot in the first attempt, which was the case.
Then I closed the program without further attemps of saving, cause I didn't want the silly change I made. Then I re-launched the software and opened the same file, which, as you may imagine, was intact with no change.
Musescore version 4.
Windows 10 64 bits.
Oh ... and it happens if I hit Ctrl-S and also when I use the "save" option on the file menu. Also when I try to use "save as ..."
Thanks for answering.
In reply to OK, here it is: Yes, I save… by hvmastering
Well yes, if you get an error from your operating system, then of course MuseScore cannot save the file. it’s telling you about the error, which is good. So now you know, your disk is bad, or there is a permissions problem in that folder, or something else going wrong at the operating system level. If that’s all you mean - your operating system isn’t letting MuseScore save the fil,e and MuseScore is coming right out and telling you this - then that’s rather different from what you originally described. And luckily, easier to diagnose.
First check to be sure there is enough space left on your device, and clear some room if necessary. Then run a full disk diagnostic in your system to find and either repair or disable any bad sectors. Then if you still have issues, check the permissions on the folders you are trying to save to, and make sure there aren’t extra temporary files (possibly hidden) that are getting in the way. There are other steps to help resolve the problem that your system has developed, but let’s start with those.
In reply to Well yes, if you get an… by Marc Sabatella
Thanks again for your response.
Well, I don't have plenty of space, but I would think that 60GB should be more than enough for a score file. Nevertheless, I checked the folder created by Musescore automatically on my documents folder, and it had "read-only" on the properties, which makes no sense, because I'm supposed to save scores in there. Besides, if it was "read-only", it would NEVER let me save anything. The odd thing is that it happens sometimes. Anyway, I removed the flag, and the problem persists. Then, I did what you suggested: I created a file outside the documents folder, just in case, with a very simple path: "C:\scores\" I used "save as.." to create a copy of the file in the new folder and it did it. I thought that this was going to be a solution, but it didn't. I made again another change to the score and there it was that annoying dialog box again.
I hope you guys check this in the near future. I don't have to do anything these days, anyway.
In reply to Well yes, if you get an… by Marc Sabatella
Just following up on this post. The same thing happens to me - I cannot save a music file THE FIRST TIME. However, i figured out why it happens to me. My firewall protection software won't let it save. When I try to save, it gives me an error as if I am trying to open the file, "Cant find the file". However, when I turn my protection off temporarily, it will save. I don't know if this is a bug or not. Other programs I use DO save properly, even with firewall protection on.
In reply to Just following up on this… by odelphi231
Musescore has a save to cloud option. Maybe the network check is being flagged. Turn off the save to cloud option and see.
In reply to Musescore has a save to… by TDYama
In Preferences > Save & Publish > Save to Cloud, I have it set to "never". Is that what you mean?
In reply to In Preferences > Save &… by odelphi231
I don’t know but I would try it.
I previously used the checkbox on the save menu.
Almost certainly you are mistaken about what is happening - save works perfectly every single time for millions of users, it's extremely unlikely that somehow there is a bug affecting you and no one else. More likely you simply have two copies of some scores, and you are saving one copy then trying to open a different copy (perhaps in a different folder), or simply looking in the wrong folder. What is the exact pathname of the file you believe was not saved, and the exact last modified date, and the exact date you believe you last saved it?
In reply to Almost certainly you are… by Marc Sabatella
Sir, I'm NOT LYING. I was actually working on a score last weekend and it happend like, a lot. I am one of those neurotic people tah have to save almost after every click, so I would know. I started working and it saved normally, the again, and after, say 40 minutes of working, suddenly it didn't. There's a screenshot attached. In case that you are not fluent in spanish, it shows: "Your score couldn't be saved. Unknown error when trying to save the file."
After that, it has happened to me countless times. It can't save. And then, after an undetermined number of attempts, it suddenly can. And so on. Out of every possible bug the software could have, don't you think this is the most annoying possible? And fearsome. You can easily loose hours of working because the software just couldn't save your work.
I hope you can improve this.
In reply to Sir, I'm NOT LYING. I was… by hvmastering
Of course you aren't lying - no one suggested any such thing. Just that you might be confused about what is happening here. The fact that you say it's happened more than once for you but has literally happened once for millions of others suggests it is almost certainly a simple misunderstanding on your part that we are happy to help clear up, once you provide the answers to the questions I asked. Or, if it turns out you have discover an extremely rare bug that only strikes one out of a million users, then if you can provide the steps to reproduce the problem, we can investigate it and find a solution.
The error dialog you show is real, of course. It indicates a problem at the operating system level - like a disk drive that is starting to fail. Try saving to a different folder to see if that works around the issue for now. There could also be a a permissions issue in the folder you are saving to, and saving to a different folder would work around that too.
If you continue to have trouble after doing that, then again, please provide the answers to the questions I asked previously so we can help clear up any misunderstanding about what is happening here so you can save with confidence like millions of others do!
In reply to Of course you aren't lying -… by Marc Sabatella
I'll replicate one of my other answers to comments on this post:
"Yes, I save as usual, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Simple as that.
Yes, I see an error. This one is in spanish, because the system is in spanish. It's attached to the post.
No, I don't use dropbox or Onedrive. Just save my work to my hard disk.
No, the file is not dissapearing. I'm working on a project, so I need to be saving every once in a while. Sometimes it saves what I've been working on, and sometimes it doesn't.
When it doesn't, I simply keep on working, risking to loose even more work, and then I try again, and it works ... or not. I keep on working and keep trying to save until, eventually, it DOES save the file.
For the sake of demonstration, I opened up a file that I finished last thursday, made a small change and immediately tried to save it. Shure enough, it didn't. I captured the screen and that is what's attached to this message. See, I was so confident in what I'm saying that I was almost shure that I was going to get that screenshot in the first attempt, which was the case.
Then I closed the program without further attemps of saving, cause I didn't want the silly change I made. Then I re-launched the software and opened the same file, which, as you may imagine, was intact with no change.
Musescore version 4.
Windows 10 64 bits.
Oh ... and it happens if I hit Ctrl-S and also when I use the "save" option on the file menu. Also when I try to use "save as ..."
Thanks for answering."
Now, your hipothesis on hard disk failing, shouldn't present similar symptoms on all other applications that I regularly use? I mean, EVERY DAY? And no, this issue is only happening with Musescore.
I'm saving the files to the DOCUMENTS folder, within the subfolder that the software creates, called "Musescore4/Scores". I created a subfolder in there with the name of the song. No mistery there. The screenshot I took, it was like 10 minutes ago. I'm not currently working on anything, so I opened up a finished job, made a silly change and tryed to save. And there's the result. It didn't.
And no, I'm not the only one. I just saw some more comments on this forum with this same issue.
No misunderstanding. If you want to help, be my guest, and thank you. If you don't, well, then don't.
But don't say that I have a "misunderstanding" here, because I know how to handle a computer since the 80's. This sort of thing never happens with anything. And when it does, it's just a bug. The developers look for it, they find the problem and solve it. It's how it has been for decades.
What's new here is that someone doesn't believe that the issue I reported happened at all, or that I'm trying to do something stupid, that I don't know how to save a file (probably done it a million times on all known computer systems) or that I'm lying for some reason.
Sir, if the issue didn't happen, then I would not be here wasting my time and yours. It's just an annoying thing that it would be nice NOT to have. That's all.
"Try saving to a different folder to see if that works around the issue for now. There could also be a a permissions issue in the folder you are saving to, and saving to a different folder would work around that too."
I did try to save the file to a different folder when I was working on the project, with identical results. If it was a permissions issue, I think it wouldn't let me save at all, like, never. Don't you agree?
Thank you for your quick response. I appreciate that.
In reply to I'll replicate one of my… by hvmastering
Again, now that you have provided important information missing from your original post - that your operating system is presenting MuseScrore with an error that is preventing the save, and that MuseScore is actually telling about this- we can indeed start to make progress. Your original post made it sound like you simply couldn’t find the file, or that the file you found wasn’t the correct version. Those are common misunderstandings,. but now that we know there is a problem in your operating system, we can start trying to resolve it.
If your disk is starting to fail, then someone programs might simply be silently saving bad files - not telling you the error occurred. That would of course be bad. That’s why it is vital you perform the steps I suggested.
Or it could be that the error is in the directory sector of the folder you are saving your scores to. Since you presumably aren’t also saving other types of files with other programs to that same folder, that could also explain why the bad sectors aren’t showing up in other programs. You probably aren’t saving so often with other programs also.
As for why it saves sometimes but not other times, disk caching could be the explanation. As for why another folder has their same problem, if they share a common ancestor and the problem is with a sector in that folder, that would explain it as well.
Anyhow, to proceed further, you should open up a file browser on the folder with the problem. Be sure to be displaying hidden files. Check to see if there are any suspicious temp files and remove them (or at least move them to another folder). Then see if you can replicate the problem, and watch the folder listing when you do so. if it happens again, post a screenshot of the folder listing before and after the save, with the dialog still displaying. If the folder has too many files to show the complete contents in one screenshot, use a different folder for this experiment.
In reply to Of course you aren't lying -… by Marc Sabatella
it happens to me all the time
Maybe try changing the path. Create a new folder then edit the path in settings. Back up whatever you have first, in a separate folder. Keep the path simple, like c:\users\myID\my score.
In reply to Maybe try changing the path… by mark8too
Did that, same results. Thanks.
Try set language to English and work in English for a while, and save your work. Then, you can see if the problem is somehow related to non-English language settings.
Wasn’t sure if you did a scandisk-type check on your drive, as previously suggested. That’s a good idea in general.
In reply to Try set language to English… by TDYama
I did what you suggested, and got what you can see in the picture: same error, but in english :D :D
In reply to I did what you suggested,… by hvmastering
Thanks for that step. I wonder if the instrument names and user text being in Spanish could cause an issue that those that are build in English experience.
I’m just thinking of differences. If you feel comfortable posting the entire file, we can experiment on our computers with making a small change and saving it. Up to you. I’m just trying to be impartial and looking at potential differences from what most people experience.
In reply to Thanks for that step. I… by TDYama
Unfortunately, I cannot share the score I mentioned first, but this issue is not exclusive of that file. I created another quick thing without regard of the notes or music and it kept happening. Downloaded another score from someone else, opened it, made a small change, and it happened.
But again ... It let me save the file SOMETIMES, and it won't let me some other times. Completely random.
So, it cannot be permissions on that particular folder because if that was the problem, it would NEVER let me save the file, not even once. But the saving works one time and then it doesn't, and then it doesn't again, and then it does ... Completely RANDOM. That's why I KNOW that it is a software bug. Plus, I have been triyng Musescore 3 for a few days and it saves every time. Always. If it was my system, it would present the same issue, and it doesn't.
Thanks for your interest.
Gentlemen. If you don't accept the fact that there is something wrong with the save functionality, there is no way that it's going to be repaired. I just checked another post with the exact same issue. In one of the comments, someone said that it did not happen with Musescore 3, so it's a new bug. That could probably help.
In reply to Gentlemen. If you don't… by hvmastering
We absolutely accept that there is something highly problematic and unique to your own system that is triggering some sort of problem in the save functionality. But until you help identify what unique problematic things is going on with your system that causes this failure for you but no one else, we cannot begin to investigate how to work around that particular type of system failure. So the ball is in your court to help understand what unique problem on your system is triggering this for you. The steps I outlined should help. When you’re ready to assist us with the requested info, we’re ready to take the next step (which will probably be asking for more info).
In reply to We absolutely accept that… by Marc Sabatella
As I said before, this issue is not only affecting me.
I've seen some other posts that present the EXACT SAME issue, which proves that it IS an issue of the software. More over, a user said that this didn't happen with MuseScore3, which I'm tempted to try. Now, what if I download the previous version and this doesn't happen at all?
I'll say it again: This issue is EXCLUSIVE of Musescore4. No other program in my computer is doing this. I'm not losing any files, I work constantly with circuit design, CAD design and other heavy stuff and I have to be constantly saving and this NEVER, and I mean NEVER happens.
The problem is NOT mine or my system. It's obviously something that is wrong in the software, probably just in THIS VERSION of the software, as some other user just pointed out.
But you refuse to acknowledge this, as if somehow all of us, users, suddenly forgot how to save a file.
Why don't you try and check your code? When a number of users have the same issue, the simplest explanation is that there is a bug in the software. And, according to Occam's razor principle, this is also the most probable cause.
In reply to As I said before, this issue… by hvmastering
Yes, the problem is clearly something unsual about your system, or it would be happening to everyone - to the millions upon millions upon millions of other users - and not to just a small handful. This should be plainly obvious.
Note that some of the other users reporting this dialog already discovered what problem on their own system was triggering it, so be sure to explore the things they already discovered, And for those that haven't discovered which rare problem on their system is triggering the error, you could try communicating with those users to find out what your systems have in common that the others millions upon millions upon millions do not.
Anyhow, again, until someone is able to show which rare system problem is triggering this so that we can try to reproduce the problem, there is nothing we can do. Again, as I said, the ball is in your court. I've told you exactly how to start in helping diagnose what rare problem is going on with your system that is triggering the problem. As soon as you post the requested information, we can proceed. We cannot proceed until you provide that information. Agauin, it's up to you. If you want help resolving the problem, you need to take that step. if you don't care enough to take that step, no problem, the millions upon millions upon millions of other users can continue to save successfully each and every time without fail.
Some user said that he didn't have this issue with Musescore3, so I downloaded the last build of that one. So far, I have not encountered this problem. The software just saves whatever I'm working with, no matter what I change. No issues so far.
Even more. Last saturday, someone sent me a midi file, asking me to create a score out of that. I only saw 11 instruments there, out of 16, so I asked him to send me the file again, with identical results. I just opened that same midi file on MuseScore3 and guess what: all 16 instruments were there. So, it appears that I had a fight with the guy for no reason. :D :D.
Don't get me wrong. I like the software, very much. -Not only it lets me do a lot of stuf that I struggled to create in Sibelius, but it even sounds a lot better. I was very happy with the discovery until this bug started to show up. Now, apparently, I just discovered yet another bug. The one relative to the midi file, which also didn't happen with version 3.
So, the software is great, the version 4 brings major advances over version 3, but has some bugs. It's not such a big deal, but I think developers should pay more attention to what users say and just fix the issues.
Cheers.
In reply to Some user said that he didn… by hvmastering
As I have explained over and over, we are more than happy to fix issues, once the users who experience those issues help us learn what unusual problems on their systems are triggering the issues. There is literally nothing we can do until you help us out with the requested info. So I will bow out of this thread. if you should ever decide you wish to see someone investigate the issue, please start a new thread and include the request information., Then an investigation can begin. Meanwhile, if you’re happy with the vastly inferior engraving and playback and user interface of an older version and are willing to put up with the hundreds upon hundreds of bugs that have already been fixed in the current version, then great!
In reply to Some user said that he didn… by hvmastering
hvmastering,
Mark's point is that if the developers can't reproduce something, ten they can't fix it. It isn't a question of reviewing the code. They don't have an issue with saving. Neither do I. That doesn't mean there might not be some problem. But there is no way to find it. Perhaps if they had your computer, it might help. No way to know.
When you hit the save button, how do you know it actually saves? When I hit it, I have no idea. Which is why I don't use it. You say Save As doesn't work either. Interesting. When I hit Save As, the destination window opens and I can either save there or to another folder. I can go to that folder and see the file there.
Everyone's computer is different. We all take care of our computers differently. How do you take care of yours?
What would you say if I were to open that 16 instrument score and all 16 were there? What software created the Midi?
There is some kind of problem with the way MuseScore 4 interacts with your computer.
Ah yes, Sibelius. One of the things about Sibelius that might make it seem hard to use is that it is capable of many times more things than MuseScore is.
In reply to hvmastering, Mark's point is… by bobjp
That's the thing. I downloaded the software as instructed by the website, installed as instructed and didn't even try to start a new project before watching the tutorials and followed them step by step. I did nothing funny. And I can tell easily if the score was saved or not, by simply looking at the name TAB, as you can see in the attached images. In the first one, you can see an asterisk next to the score name, which appears when you make any change to the score. When you succeed in saving it, the asterisk dissapears. And when I tried to make those examples, it refused to save the file two times, displaying the dialog box and all (which also lets me know that the file wasn't saved), and succeded in the third attempt as randomly as before. I did nothing different. I hit Ctrl-S and the dialog box appeared. Ctrl-S again, same dialog box. Ctrl-S again, it saved the file normally. No change on my part, randomly works sometimes and not some others. Very annoying.
Now, you say that developers can't do anything until they can reproduce the situation. Perhaps, but you should know that I didn't cause this. I just installed the software as I have installed everything else and I have worked with the software as anybody else. I just behaves funny with the saving and midi file importing.
I have been trying different things, because some users have told me what they think can be the issue, while the developers just don't believe me, apparently, or think that I am some sort of idiot, or that I'm lying, I don't know.
So, as my system doesn't have any problem, and I say that because I work all day on it with very heavy stuff like CAD and Circuit analysis and simulation, plus 3D animation, Graphic design, dsp low level developing, and I am even writing three books using a very big install of LATEX, it is very tricky to try to "reproduce" anything. I am doing things as always and this particular piece of software doesn't respond as it should. I have no problem whatsoever with anything but Musescore 4. Not even Musescore 3. That one works just fine. It even imports midi files with ease and accurately.
I mean, I would have to perform a clean install of the entire system, and only install Musescore 4, and nothing else, just to see if it still present the same symptoms, or it's probably some sort of incompatibility with some other software ... say, a dll that has the exact same name but it belongs to some other application and it's just different ... But again, that would cause an error every single time, not just SOMETIMES. Or not? I'm not shure.
This is weird. It is totally random. Can't be an issue with permissions of the folder, it is not the hard disk (cause if that was the case, then I would have a problem with all three hdd that I have installed, and only in the particular sector that I attempted to save precisely a Musescore file. Because all of them work with any other software, including Musescore 3.
Oh, yes, I saved the file to other two hard disks and the same happened over and over again.
I'll try to uninstall Musescore studio 4 and all its dependencies, and also Musescore hub, delete all temporary remaining files and re-install again, to see if it works.
Thanks for your input.
In reply to That's the thing. I… by hvmastering
"while the developers just don't believe me, apparently, or think that I am some sort of idiot, or that I'm lying, "
So, you spoke/wrote to a developer? Who was it?
In reply to Some user said that he didn… by hvmastering
Regarding MuseScore 3 you wrote:
Some user said that he didn't have this issue with Musescore3, so I downloaded the last build of that one. So far, I have not encountered this problem. The software just saves whatever I'm working with, no matter what I change. No issues so far.
Regarding MuseScore 4 you wrote:
Don't get me wrong. I like the software, very much.
and:
I was very happy... until this bug started to show up.
When the bug showed up, did you try a revert to factory settings?
See:
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/revert-factory-settings#Overview
In reply to Regarding MuseScore 3 you… by Jm6stringer
I just did what you suggested. Nothing changed. Thanks for the suggestion.
In reply to I just did what you… by hvmastering
I have just once a similar situation, but it was under Ubuntu 22.04 and with a score 6 pages long. At that time I was using MuseScore 4.0 and I assumed the file was to big for the new MuseScore release. I decided just o change to MuseScore 4.3.2 and the problem did not happen until now. I do not know which MuseScore version You are using, but maybe a change of version could solve your problem. I was working many years as software engineer and some times if you cannot reproduce a bug there may be impossible to solve the problem, except if You have the possibility to look directly on the computer where the error happens, for example by using remote access to this computer. Of course if You are already working with MuseScore 4.3.2 my suggestion to change the version will not help. If no one the support people can inspect the score causing the problem, I see very difficult to come to a solution.
In reply to I just did what you… by hvmastering
hvmastering,
Believe me, we are just trying to help. We keep asking you questions in hopes that just maybe some part of one of your answers will provide a key. We may ask you something that you thinks is stupid. Bear with us.
Uninstall never works unless, as you said, you delete all the dependencies. We are going to assume you know how to do that. Pretty simple really. Even so, reinstall isn't a sure thing either.
The fact that you use all those heavy duty programs without issue, may or may not mean much. There is something about some notation programs that require special installation. Sibelius doesn't always play nicely with other software. It's good that MU3 works on your system. It would be useful if you had another computer (I would be surprised if you didn't) that you could install MU4 on. If you had the same problem, that would tell us something. As I mentioned, I have four computers ranging in power from under specs to meeting recommended specs. All running MU4. Never had a save problem or crash. No CAD or DAW programs, but I do have some Photo, Video programs and a game or two.
The 4.4 nightly versions have many major programming changes. Maybe you are willing to try them out and see if the problem persists. There are risks that you can read about here:
https://musescore.org/en/nightly-builds
In reply to The 4.4 nightly versions… by TDYama
Thanks a lot. I Will try if the test versión solve the problems
System settings - Privacy and security - Disk total access - (Activate Musescore 4 permision)
And work!
In reply to System settings - Privacy… by Javi Garrido
This. Right here. I was working on a score on my new laptop and all of the Save options were grayed out. I thought it was because (unlike MS3) I was working on a file from the cloud, but it was Disk Total Access. So many differences between Catalina and Sequoia I have to get used to...
hvmastering,
I just noticed that you said you use HDD's. MU4 actually needs SSD's. It makes a difference.