Project: Working on straightening out and unzipping my downloads really hard this week, again. I'm in the L's and wow, is Liane Stitch a huge directory. I never seem to make it through before tiring of the project. And I promise myself I will unzip as I download, and I do for awhile. Anybody relate? If/when I get "done" I need to start looking at them in my software and discard those which are less than stellar!

I unzip as I download. I have two extra files with all my others. One called 'work in progress' and another one called 'special'. My 'special' file contains all the designs that I would really like to use. Whether I will ever get around to sewing them out is another matter.

I definitely can relate. I have mine categorized, but then on days that I haven't had time I made a folder for embroidery downloads unsorted. At least I have a sort of "holding pen", However It can be almost overwhelming sorting through them. One thing I highly recommend is to buy and external Hard drive or maybe 2, I download my designs directly to one of them along with backing up other files on my laptop. on the 2nd external hard drive, I back up my 1st hard drive. I have lost files on computers before and learned this the hard way. I have a 2 terabyte mobile external hard drive. However you can buy larger ones now I'm sure. Hope this helps someone. ---Susan

Yes, whenever I am checking out a design I look to see if the digitizer's folder is in order.

I am always cleaning my files. I don't unzip but remove the formats I don't use. I file by category. Alphabets, Birds , Cats etc. and its within this files I have sub files. Doves, Eagles etc. and then within these I have move files if I need them. This way I am not looking around I know where almost everything is. I also indicate if I have purchased P or it was free F. If I have purchased a design pack , I name the file as per the vendor , so my file may look like this.. Summer Crow (name as per Vendor) SE (secrets or embroidery) P (purchased) it would be in the main file Birds under the sub file Crow.
Now if I have purchased a lot of designs , like Embroidery Library it would have its own file within one of these main files (Birds) and then I would have files within the Embroidery Library file, since most only keep track of what size and sometimes only the format you have purchased. I don't want to have to purchase 2x.
One thing I have is a file just for things I know I am downloading collecting daily or weekly, like the font from this site Cute, I just open this collecting file and within that is the sub file for Robot Font, if it was a zipped file I would clean it up as I download it or before it was finished and placed in the Main file.
Now I am lucky I started from day one with a system for my files, and have redefined it as I go .
I find myself sitting in the morning with my tea or at night when there is nothing on the T.V. cleaning up and moving files.

2 comments

by graceandham 14 Aug 2015

I have directories within directories within directories, too and find it makes for slow backing up! Thanks for sharing your system.

by sandralane 18 Aug 2015

As i download i unzip and drop into their various folders.Any thing that comes in my machine format zipped or unzipped i just drag and drop straight into their folders. If i need to convert a design to my machine format i use true sizer web convert straight to their folder. If you get into the habit of doing this, then it takes no time at all. Every so often i will go through what i have downloaded and discard some if i have found a better replacement design. This works for me. GOOD luck. Sandra.

I feel your pain. :-( I like 7-zip (http://www.7-zip.org/) because I can unzip multiple files at a time. Then I sort and/or search to get rid of formats I don't need. I use Renamer (http://www.den4b.com/?x=products&...) to rename multiple files at a time. They make the task a little easier! :-)

I think most of us went through that process at one time. Now I always unzip the designs as I download them! A lot less stress. However, I still come across some that never got unzipped.

Yup. Been There. Done That.!

I have been through mine several and deleted an untold number,had to be in the 100s. Nine years ago when I got my first embroidery machine I down loaded anything that said free on it. Most of those I had to eventually get rid of. Didn't have a clue to what was good or bad in those days and a lot of the problems that I thought was me not knowing was actually poorly digitized designs. I try theses days to unzip as I download so it doesn't get ahead of me but on occasion will do a search for zips and always seem to find a few downloadable about./Lillian

Good luck, I hope you accomplish your task. Then, would you like to come by and do mine for me? :-)

1 comment

by graceandham 12 Aug 2015

:-(

I'm fortunate to have software that unzips my designs , but I get way behind on getting the designs into my software. I think we all suffer from getting behind, but isn't it fun to watch our design stash grow and grow.

Telllll meeeee...... I had burn several disk with a lot of my downloads and didn't realize until I would go to the disk to look for a design...... and.......oh surprise... it was still a zip file.... and you can't unzip after it is burnt to the disk... .so then I would have to unzip onto my desktop and then save in another file and re-burn again.. to another disk..... I've run across a lot of them..... and I know what you mean....... BUT I have a huge suggestion to EVERYONE............BACK-UP, BACK-UP BACK-UP..... I hadn't done a back-up since Feb..... and in April.... My computer CRASHED!!!!!! I lost everything... I mean everything.... not just all my designs I had collected... but Christmas pic's of my 1st (and only) GD's first Christmas..... and lots more..... so please Back-up your computer.. it takes some time.... but trust me.... You'll be glad you did in the long run.
Good luck finishing you project, and I hope you get thru it just fine....
Have a great day. Mechille

I know just what your going through, I have been sorting mine for the past 12 mths, and then I have to put them on disks... a big job! but I do to collect designs

1 comment

by mechille 12 Aug 2015

I understand you.... I could work that long on mine also... but please make sure you back-up all your files on your computer... at least ever couple of months.. you'll be glad you did.

I unzip as I download learnt my lesson years ago, now it is just a matter of putting them in the respective files. I sometimes miss a few days but as you say it then becomes a huge task. Keep on unzipping and enjoy

1 comment

by sewtired 12 Aug 2015

Hooray for you! I wish I could develop that habit...SIGH!

One done is one more than you had, right? My desktop is a mess right now. I'll get it fixed up though.

I am guilty!! Have also been working on the same project - still working on my March/April/May/June folder. Really don't have a lot of time to spend on the computer as DH has a ton of Dr's appointments that keeps me on the road as I am the designated driver. Just keep at it and one of these days we will be up to date.

I keep mine zipped because they do not take up as much room on my computer. I can look at them zipped with buzz tools, Someone long ago encouraged me to organize as I download so that my files are pretty accurate. If I want redwork floral I go to the file and there they all are.
I will admit though I have way to many designs.

2 comments

by marianb 12 Aug 2015

don't we all, but they are soooo nice

by mechille 12 Aug 2015

Same here... I try to but my downloads in cat's...... like I have... animals, holidays... under there I will have all the different holidays... I have girl stuff...... est. ..... but I have so many... It's hard to keep up with.. I haven't tried buzz tools... I might check it out... thanks for the idea...