When I eventually try to stitch it out will I still need the original to fix it? What if I get another machine someday that is a different format? I have waaaay to many issues!

why don't you get a software to convert them and save them?****

If you are worried about it why not burn only the zipped files on DVD's or CD's? I personally don't but had thoughts that maybe I should.

I have 4 thumb drives.
No 1 for downloading every day, these files are then opened sorted and placed on the other three,then cleared.
No 2 is all zipped files,
No 3 is my pes designs I am using.
No 4 is a complete back up of my pes design files.
The only files I keep on my computer are the ones I have used for projects.
No 4 when not being used, is kept away from all other drives and in a different place.
At work all files are backed up and taken away from the workplace for security, in case of burglary or fire, so I follow that rule with my embroidery files as well.

1 comment

by sewmom 14 Jan 2010

Wow. Very organized and safe.

This is my theory: Memory is cheap and my time isn't. I just keep getting more memory and only ditch MOST of the other formats. Keep PES even if that isn't what you use, it is probably what it was digitized in as the original since is the most widely recognized format. Just my humble opinion.;)

1 comment

by sewmom 14 Jan 2010

Humble but valued!
I find that most are pes but a few sites don't do it like Cindes and I think Skeldale House just scaled back to one format that's not pes.

I file all my designs by putting into folders of the websites that they came from. In each folder I have one folder that contains all my format and the other folder has all the zip files. Eventually I plan to put all my zips onto one external backup and my format designs onto another. Then when I do a search for a design it will only be done on my format and not all the zip files which have hundreds more than my format. I am nearly finished doing all my files this way, my next step is to collect all my favorite designs together but still keep a copy in my format folder. Hop this makes sense. After trying all sorts of different methods in the past I have finally settled on this method. It should work for me.

1 comment

by sewmom 14 Jan 2010

Thanks for your input.

Dear Sewmom,
I feel quite a bit as you do. What I decided to do was to save the original zip file. I do it in this way. Let's say I download a beautiful rose. I unzip it and take out my format. I file the design in my FLOWERS...ROSES file. In that same ROSES file, I have a file called Zips. I put all the zips for ROSES in there. That way, I don't have hundreds of zip files to sort through for my original. It works well for me, but I am still quite new to embroidery and I may find that this step is unnecessary as the years go by. In any case, this is one bit of clutter that's confined to a monitor and hopefully, won't cause sleepless nights. Good luck. Therese

1 comment

by sewmom 14 Jan 2010

Thanks for your ideas. I hope you have put things on a backup too.

I do the same as Lillian (lbrow) but I don;t know if this works for you Sewmom

1 comment

by sewmom 14 Jan 2010

Thank you.

I never keep the files that are not my format. If I should get another machine with different format(heaven forbid) then I'll just convert what I have. If it doesn't sew out well after I convert Unless I really like the design well enough to go to all the trouble editing & fixing I delete it. Throw away what u do not need . Others smarter than I will give u good advice I'm sure. *

2 comments

by sewmom 14 Jan 2010

Is it possible that sometimes the conversion doesn't work right? I converted an alpha once and there were no lock stitches at the end of letters. I contacted the designer and she said there are lock stitches on all of her designs.

by lbrow 14 Jan 2010

Yes sometimes the conversion can b corrupted but this does not happen very often. Now , if u wait a long while about unzipping it can also b corrupted, best to unzip just after u DL. *

Dear Sewmom;
I have some of the same issues (ex. What if I get a new machine with a different format?).
Recently someone advised that we keep the zipped files for all designs in a separate place. Have not done that yet, but had been deleteing those in a different format, in the past. If we save the zipped files, at least that solves the 'different format' problem.
Just got an external hard drive that my son has given me, and may use it to backup everything.
Certainly someone will come on board with the perfect answer; sorry I don't have one.
Best of luck; wish my clutter problems were confined to my computer too.
Jacqueline

1 images:[1]

4 comments

by babsie 14 Jan 2010

I think everybody that sews, knits, embroiders etc, have a clutter problem! We cannot throw anything away because we might just need it someday for something!!!!!!!!!!!

by iris2006 14 Jan 2010

This is sooo true

by sewmom 14 Jan 2010

Yes!

by sewmom 14 Jan 2010

I've got all of my zipped with the rest of the designs, organized with the same names. Some are not even unzipped so they are not checked for "worthiness". Some are complete alphas that are not in my format. I intend to convert if needed.