Studio 21.1.1
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SETUP & MEDIA

How to enable Live Save and project backups

DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1 · Original practical guide

Live Save protects recent work, while project backups provide earlier recovery points. Neither is a substitute for copying your original media to separate storage.

Before you begin

Have a project open and a short source clip on a mounted drive.

ACTUAL RESOLVE INTERFACEView full size ↗
Preferences: Project Save and Load backup controls
Preferences: Project Save and Load backup controls Reference example from the DaVinci Resolve 21.1 manual, page 86. Software screenshot © Blackmagic Design. The demonstration media and selected settings may differ from your project.

Step by step

  1. Open DaVinci Resolve Preferences and find User > Project Save and Load.
  2. Enable Live Save and Project Backups. Choose backup intervals that suit the work and a reliable backup location.
  3. Save the preferences, make a small identifiable edit in a practice project, and allow a scheduled backup to occur.
  4. In Project Manager, inspect that project’s available backups. Confirm you can identify the backup time without replacing the working project.

Check your result

The backup list contains a recent recovery point and the backup folder is on reachable storage.

If it doesn’t work as expected

Live Save can preserve an unwanted change immediately. Use versioned backups or an exported project when you need a point you can return to.

BUILD THE UNDERLYING SKILL

Media, organized from the start

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Technical reference: DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Reference Manual, Blackmagic Design, September 2026. Screenshot page numbers refer to that manual. Independently written guidance; specific controls may vary by platform and build. Authorship & image credits.