Murphy's Law! you are not the only one. I have the same problem. Sometimes I wonder if it's necessary to purchase everything on sale if you are not sure that you'll ever use it. Some designs are so gorgeous and tempting that you cannot pass a bargain. Congratulations on your completion of your design organization. Hugs, Rachel

You really should get an external hard drive to back up your designs. Flash drives can be a bit unstable. Good luck. Hugs. Nan W

I agree that mutiple methods of back up are safer. Designs are our hobby. We can never have enough. Some folks have over 100,000 designs and are still collecing. Enjoy your growing collection and stitch stitch away.

Thanks ladies for the comments. My computer tech told me that an external hard drive is fine but to still back up everything that you really want some other way. She suggested flash drives or DVDs. She said an external hard drive is just another computer and can go bad or fail just like any computer. She really does prefer the flash drives - as long as you are careful with them. I do have many designs backed up on DVDs but they are harder to store.
I've just about stopped collecting freebies unless it is something that really grabs my attention, except for the monthly freebies on Emb. Lib. I really love their designs. I have slowed down on buying designs, too.
I won't ever use all that I have now.

I like to back-up on flash drives too but the DVDs are more reliable. I buy the 50 or 100 pack on a spindle and save the backed-up DVDs in a spindle as well, so they don't take much space.
Hugs, Lidia

Is there a program that you can use to print contact sheets/thumbnails of the designs on the DVD/flashdrive so that it is easier to find what you need. Going through all the designs takes up sewing time.

Hay i got maybe 300,000 never enough and there cheap right lol hugs

I have over 150,00 designs at last count which i keep on 500gb external HD but i also copy on to CD's which i keep a copy of each at 2 of my daughter's places in case of fire.Don't want to loose them!..HB says i'm a nut for having so many but do use most of them..

haleymax..... To answer your question... I actually have printed pictures of all my designs w/ color changes, etc in three large note books with each page in a plastic protector. I have the info on where it is stored written on each page.
This way people can sit down and look through the note book and see what they want.... then I pull it up on the computer and put it on the flash drive that I use in the machine.
I do not use the flash drive my designs are stored on in the machine. I have flashdrives that I ONLY use in the machine.
MJDG