Using the stick, I created folders for catagories, then subfolders for mylar, rw, applique, etc. in each one. I am sort of anal with my sorting! So how, on cds, does one find anything? With 200,000 (realllly!) designs, it would take 100 cds or more to save. That is alot of time to sort, save, and retrieval seems immpossible! Help with ideas? Thanks, Linda

To format rewritable DVD's you may need to have NERO and you may need to install INCD.
INCD is a feature available in NERO, but it doesn't always install it automatically.
Some Window's Operating Systems actually have this formatting (rewritable DVDs-CD's) available but it is a bit complicated trying to use it and even more difficult trying to show someone how to find this out.

You need to insert a blank DVD/CD into your disc drive, open your folders (different depending on Operating System) Find you disc drive and right click on it like the picture below. If you can see the words "write these file to CD" then it indicates your Operating System **CAN** write files to DVD'/CD's but it still may not format rewritable DVD'/CD's
I guess you do need to be computer literate to go further with this, but that is the whole reason I suggest using NERO with INCD, it's pretty intuitive.
I do hope this hasn't confused you all.
hugs n roses, Meganne

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If all else fails, you can use the search function of your computer and point it to the CD/DVD drive. Search for a word that might be in the file name, and look at your choices from there. Easier to put things in folders, etc. of course, but when I've mis-filed something, I can find it with the search function. Hugs, Marji

I just wanted to add something that might be helpful. I got out of embroidery for a long time and then back into it. I had to spend hours reorganizing designs, but lessened the time involved with a program called Sew Clean by Sands Computing. It works great. You choose a format you like, and it deletes all of the other formats of the same design or deletes duplicates of the same format. I still need to go through and delete some of the poor designs and also get my font designs better organized.

Thank you Meganne..I am going to click the check mark on this one so I dont missplace it. H&*

Thank you for this question. Learned alot also on this subject. H&*

Not CD's Linda, DVD's. One DVD will hold over 7 cd's of data.
Once you have formatted your RE-WRITEABLE DVD to store data, you just drag and drop or copy and paste your (already created) folders directly on to your DVD.

If you look at the pic below, (double click on it to see it larger) you will see I keep my main embroidery folders to 18.
Underneath these 18 are multiple sub-folders, this makes it easier to know where to look for designs as I have a very fixed mind set.

EG, butterflies are under 01Animals\Air\Butterflies

dogs would be under 01Animals\Land\Dogs

Dragons would be found under: 02Angels&Faeries\Mystical
Awareness is found under: 02Angels&Faeries\Awareness

My laptop has a 55 Gig hard drive and I only have 5 Gig left, I have to start removing stuff from my laptop as I don't have enough space available now to even do a defrag.

I can't count the number of designs, clipart and digitising projects I have, but my laptop is only used for Embroidery and coming to Cute so you can see why I stick to 18 main folders.

By doing this all I need is 18 DVD's and STILL none of them would be full, so I can still add to them just like an ordinary pc folder.

The whole secret is, you MUST be organised to start with.
I do currently have a lot of designs under Collections because moving house has meant my computer housecleaning has fallen behind.

I would suggest that you delete rubbish designs as you go, because if you've been collecting freebies you will no doubt find that your earlier designs are probably interspersed with a lot that really aren't worth keeping. At least that is what most of us realise after we learn to tell good designs from bad.

I hope this is making sense, because it is 5 AM here and I need to go to bed and sleeeeeeeeeeeeep.

Get back to me if you need further help or would like to know how the rest of my folders are set up.
Hugs n roses, Meganne

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6 comments

by linda8450 18 Aug 2011

Thanks Meganne! I have cds but will have to get some dvds. I am petrified my only backup will fail, I am just keeping current designs on the laptop until I have dvds in hand. I have more folders than you, with bugs/butterflies, angels, alphas, ethnic, dance, etc. based on the interests of my family and friends. I do have to trash the trash! I did like most and saved everything I saw at first, now I am much more discerning but still have too much. Buzz tools helps to find duplicates, so I have been lucky there. I have 4d Extra by Viking, so I cansee, sort, edit, etc. and I use it all the time. I love to change the colors to what I like and save the design that way, as opposed to some of the kookie colors they come in. Thanks again for your info, out to store for dvds! Linda

by loosie 18 Aug 2011

Be sure that your computer can read and wright dvd's, I made that error before, when I still owned an old xp.

by shirlener88 18 Aug 2011

Great job Meg!

by marjialexa 18 Aug 2011

Yes, Meganne, very clear & easy! Just one question: why RW's? I just use R's and add till they're full. Am I missing something important again? Thanks, hugs, Marji

by meganne 19 Aug 2011

Because once you save to an ordinary DVD that's it. You cannot add more to it, unless you know the darned procedure to partition it, that, for the life of me, I can't remember.

Far easier to use Rewritable DVD's that act in exactly the same way as your hard drive.
You can add, remove, create more folders, remove folders, it doesn't stop storing more info until it is full.

And hey, let's face it, no matter how many times we say we're not buying/downloading any more designs, there is ALWAYS another one we see that we MUST have. LOL!!!!
Hugs n love, Meganne

by marjialexa 19 Aug 2011

Um, ok, maybe my HP is different, or my late DH set it up to do things automatically, because I'm not a whiz at this, really. But, um, I don't format anything, and I can save data till the disc is full, just keep adding to the folders. Am I doing something that can't be done again, just because I don't know it can't be done? Hee hee hee, that wouldn't be the first time, truly. All the stupid RW's are for the other computer, so I'm using the R's I have. Well, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", I guess. Hugs, M

A DVD will hold 4.7 gigabytes of data and a CD will only hold 700 gigabytes so it will take less disks to do them on DVD's. If your computer is even somewhat newer it should be able to do a DVD. When I do my extra back-up (outside of my computer and external hard drive) I keep track of what folders from my computer goes on which DVD and mark the case with a sticky note.

good question and a very good answer......thanks to you both

I did folders on my CDs also. Does your softwear have a way you can view what's on a CD? There's a camera icon on mine that I can click around until I find the CD, then click on any folder, or just the CD & view what's there. I labeled the CD's as to what catagory it was (fish/ocean, alphas, etc) then had everything in folders so I didn't have to go thru the whole CD...like fish, sea creatures, shells, beach scenes, etc on the fish/ocean CD. It does take a long time to find something sometimes, but once you get them organized it'll be easy. good luck! Oh. You'd be surprised at how much you can get on a CD, even more on a DVD I think.