Keeping all the files organized

Any recommendations out there on how to keep project files organized.
I'm particularly concerned about all those auto save and render files that seem to be floating around after I'm done with a project. What can I keep? What should I toss? The names on those automatically saved files are so confusing, that I don't want to risk getting rid any of them.
While we're at it, I'm curious to see what kinds of filing systems people set up for capture, still files, etc.
Thanks for any input.
-Disorganized Waddy

I always save my project files and the auto saves to a CD every month or so. Just in case.
I always set my scratch folders to the root level on my drive so that there is only 1 autosave folder, 1 Render folder, etc., and within those there will be folders which go with each project your working on. Plus it kind of idiot proofs things if you have several editors working on the same project.
You can trash render files. And you can trash yuour capture scratch ONLY if you properly logged all of your tapes. Meaning did you put the actual reel names in that correspond with your tapes. Good luck if you didn't cause it will be a nightmare to try to recapture stuff at a later date. If you did name everything properly then a few months down the line you can just open up the old project file select the clips and choose Batch Capture and recapture everything.
Also, like David said, save any graphics, .mov's, etc... that are non captured material.

Similar Messages

Is there a way to put a large amount of music on your iPod without having to keep all the files in iTunes on your computer as well? I want to put my entire music collection (including cds) on my iPod but don't want to take up the space on my computer.

is there a way to put a large amount of music on the ipod without having to keep all the files on itunes as well? I want to use my ipod as an externa drive and put all of my music on it without taking up the space on my computer. I also don't want to lose all my files everytime I plug ipod into my computer. Is this possible? Is there a way to avoid using itunes and only use the ipod as an external drive?

You cannot put music onto your iPod without using iTunes, that what iTunes is for.
It's also not a good idea to wipe the music from your computer and having it only on your iPod. We see countless posts here from people who have done just that - and then lost everything when the iPod needs a Restore. Even if you never need to Restore your iPod, what happens when you eventually replace the iPod? You'll be back here asking how to get the music from one iPod to another. That's not easy to do, we see countless posts about that too!
A much better idea is to buy an external drive (a proper external drive, not simply an iPod) and put your large amount of music onto that drive. Then point your iTunes Library to that drive. However, you need to remember two things:
You still need a backup of that Library.
Using an external drive as your iTunes Library means that the drive must be connected and ready to read before starting your iTunes programme. If it isn't, then iTunes will look on the C: drive - and you will find no music in your Library. (Once again, lots of posts about that as well!)

I HATE my new MACBOOK PRO, it will not let me open any PDF files and I downloaded the ADOBE READER three freaking times and it keeps saying that all the files are corrupt. I would rather have my 2008 Dell at this point. what is wrong with this thing

I HATE my new MACBOOK PRO, it will not let me open any PDF files and I downloaded the ADOBE READER three freaking times and it keeps saying that all the files are corrupt or damaged. I would rather have my 2008 Dell at this point. what is wrong with this thing

Perhaps the PDF files are corrupted.
Hit the command key and spacebar, a blue Spotlight in the upper right hand corner appears, now type Preview and press return on the Preview program.
Now you can try opening the PDF's from the file menu and see what's going on.
If they are corrupted, perhaps they are trojans from your Windows PC or gotten from a bad location online.
Download the free ClamXav and run a scan on the possibly infected folder.

How do I delete the files on my hard drive but keep all the applications?

I have an old MacBook Pro. By old, I mean abiut three or four years. I recently upgraded to Lion, but I have so many files that my system is forever showing thte rainbow spinner. I copied everything to an external hard drive, and would like to erase everything but my applications. Is there an easy way to do this?

Ok....Here we go.....
First open disk utility - then hit verify your disk.
Once that's done, verify your disk permissions - hit repair disk permissions if there are errors.
Once that's all done, restart your macbook.
Now you've done all those, delete all the files you've copied over to your backup/external drive.
If you've made folders for them, you can safely delete them. Only do this if you've made copies of those files in your external drive.
most of those files will probably in your document/movies/pictures folder. If you've copied them over to your external then you can delete them. Be sure you have copies before you delete them.
also delete anything in your download folder.
once you've done those, go to the appstore and download ccleaner. it is a small yet effective hard drive cleaner. no advance settings to mess around with. it will just delete your cache files and old log files.
good luck.
PS - to delete some of them you must move your mouse over it, tap once then keep your finger in the shift button then use your arrow keys to highlight them. once you've highlighed those files, right click on them then move to trash.

I have a mac os 10.5.8, i want to upgrade to mac os snow leopard, can i keep all my files (documents, music on itunes) without backing up all the files first on a external device prior to the upgrade?

I have a mac os 10.5.8, i want to upgrade to mac os snow leopard, can i keep all my files (documents, music on itunes) without backing up all the files first on a external device prior to the upgrade?

I strongly advise against upgrading the OS without first making a backup. Were something to go wrong you would lose all your files without the backup. See:
How to Install OS X Updates Successfully
A. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions:
Boot from your current OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. Then select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Now restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.0 for Tiger) and/or TechTool Pro (4.5.2 for Tiger) to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
B. Make a Bootable Backup Using Restore Option of Disk Utility:
Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
Select the destination volume from the left side list.
Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
Check the box labeled Erase destination.
Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.
C. Important: Please read before installing:
If you have a FireWire hard drive connected, disconnect it before installing the update unless you will boot from this drive and install the update on it. Reconnect it and turn it back on after installation is complete and you've restarted.
You may experience unexpected results if you have installed third-party system software modifications, or if you have modified the operating system through other means. (This does not apply to normal application software installation.)
The installation process should not be interrupted. If a power outage or other interruption occurs during installation, use the standalone installer (see below) from Apple Downloads to update. While the installation is in progress do not use the computer.
D. To upgrade:
Purchase the Snow Leopard Retail DVD.
Boot From The OS X Installer Disc:
Insert OS X Installer Disc into the optical drive.
Restart the computer.
Immediately after the chime press and hold down the "C" key.
Release the key when the spinning gear below the dark gray Apple logo appears.
Wait for installer to finish loading.
E. If updating:
Download and install update(s)
Use Software Update, or
Download standalone updater(s).

I am looking to "move out" of my computer and into my wife's, is there an easy way to accomplish this task, keeping all my files and setting up a second user?

I just bought a new external 3TB hard drive for this task and want to keep my items seperate from hers for both our sanity.
I figured that I would do a time machine back up and use that to do the move part of things.
But as to setting up the new user on her computer I am just not sure if I can "tell" the computer to only use the new drive for my stuff and only acces the new drive for all things related to that new profile.
More then anything else I want to be able to say that all things that are hers have not been touched/acccesed/deleted by any of my actions. And that I am "confined" to the new drive.
I hope this makes sence.
Mr Geef

I have a feeling there are music files in my folders that are not linked to iTunes but can't figure out how to import them without going through all 8800+ files. Is there an easy way to import all the files without losing the current playcounts
AFIK there isn't an easy way of linking up to a lot of dead tracks and retaining play counts etc, except by finding the dead tracks and repairing each link individually. The only exception to this is if there is a simple error in the path that can be fixed by a search and replace on the xml library file, then rebuilding the library. However it doesn't sound as though that would be a solution for you.
This MacMuse tip has a way of finding dead tracks if that helps.
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=121967
It is much simpler to sacrifice the playcount information and just reimport your iTunes Music folder. Then you can eliminate the dead tracks with a script. One of the forum members has written one that you can find here:
http://home.comcast.net/~teridon73/itunesscripts/

My daughter is currently using my Apple ID with her ipod touch. I will be upgrading her to an iPhone 4S and would like to use a differnt Apple ID and a new computer and still keep all the current music and apps that she has now. How do I do this?

My daughter is currently using my Apple ID with her ipod touch. I will be upgrading her to an iPhone 4S and would like to use a different Apple ID and a new computer and still keep all the current music and Apps that she has now. How do I do this?

Make a new Apple ID for her.
Use it on her iPhone 4S for iCloud, iMessage and FaceTime.
Use your ID on her iPhone 4S for iTunes and App Stores.
Sign in with your Apple ID on iTunes Store (on iTunes app of her new computer)
Authorize her new computer with your Apple ID in iTunes (iTunes menu>Store>Authorize this Computer)
Check "Share my Library on my Local Network" in iTunes Preferences in your and her computer
Sign in Home Sharing of her iTunes with your Apple ID.
Copy all the Music she wants from the old computer to the new one. (Must be on the same network)
Copy all the apps she wants from the old computer to the new one. (Must be on the same network)
Export all playlist as xml files from the old computer to the new one.(right click on the playlist to export and "File>Library>Import Playlist to Import)
Sync her iPhone 4S with all content she wants from her new computer (all data from the old computer will be deleted)
Are you sharing Contacts or other data from iCloud?
Be careful or ask for help about moving from iCloud account to another one.

Is my website really lost? All the files are in my .Mac account but what?!

I have read several of the threads on the topic and have become quite disillusioned by the thought of having to start from scratch again. HELP!
I originally created my personal website, web.mac.com/username (I've moved the files to a different directory), several months back and had been using the previous edition of iWeb for its creation and maintenance. Since then my former computer, a MacBook, experienced a head crash that left me only with a backup that had been done 3 months prior. Since then, as I have inched my way through updating all of my work files, I have held of on doing anything with my website. I now want to edit it and with the upgrade (10/25/07) to a MacBook Pro and the new iWeb '08, I get that sinking feeling that this isn't going to end well.
My first issue (concern) has to do with how little conclusive and specific information is provided when it comes to the difference between a HomePage site and your other pages, namely when one has created their personal site using the web.mac.com avenue. Why is this process so ridiculously complicated? It really need not be and I wish someone took note of that.
As an avid user of MS FrontPage I was a little leery of using iWeb but was turned on by its ease of use and professional appearing pages and capabilities. However, after having invested all the time in making and publishing the site I am now concerned with the discussion and the seeming reality that I will have to start from scratch. All my files are sitting in my .mac account (I must admit in several locations as I got a bit zealous with ensuring that all the files were there in virtual triplicate) and yet from what I understand there is no way to get iWeb to point to those files so that you can simply begin the editing process again. Is that correct? When I go looking for 'Domain' files or anything of the sort that have been mentioned in discussions on and off this forum, I just don't see it. Is there no way to simply hop back on the train and edit my site again instead of starting from scratch? I'm just annoyed at opening iWeb only to see 'Site' and no other files! If there is a way that someone can share with me how to not have to redo everything, I am not against paying for the 'secret' as I think that the inability to simply 'import' or do anything that seems reasonable here is a bit frustrating. Can you begin again without starting from scratch?
I suppose if I am told that I can't then I will certainly have to turn my back on iWeb as even though MS FrontPage is not the best WYSIWYG, I can at least do directory management and things with manual code that iWeb has yet to incorporate (I do use iWeb Enhancer on my iWeb site to overcome this annoyance). I really need assistance as I would like to edit my website for the first time in over 4 months and as I said before will bail on iWeb if I have to start from scratch. Anyone willing to assist me, I again would be very appreciative. If there is a way, just let me know, I'm savvy enough with these types of things for the consultation process to take very little time at all.
HELP!!!
Message was edited by: davidson_23

To say that "everyone says" is a bit like saying "just because." iWeb doesn't instruct, prompt, or even suggest you make a copy of your Domain file. I'm not sure if that policy has changed in the past few months since I last used the program. However, if this file is so important wouldn't one think that it would also be available on the server with all the other files one uploads or backs up to iDisk?! And so for the user of the program to 'not know' or 'know because everyone says' to make a copy of the Domain file is a bit confusing. Again, as I am often careful with website files, that was also the reason why I had made so many copies of the files within the website. I liked using iWeb (and again hope to in the very near future) but because of the limitations I mentioned before, I was only using it to for my personal site. Having used a plethora of other programs I just wanted to be able to keep using iWeb for my own stuff and then as the functionality became available would then use it for others. I should clarify, use it to 'publish' other sites. I'm certainly not going to get into an argument over it and if you'd like to have the last word, that's fine too, I just think that this is a real issue and that if the program worked like others that one could import the files back in, it wouldn't be a problem at all. However, at this present moment I have all the pieces of the puzzle except for the key. I have all the files but am missing a so called Domain file that I didn't even know had existed until this issue reared its head. Again, I'm annoyed at how difficult an otherwise simple issue to address would be. It's almost like saying that I should have known that the hidden 'exe' or 'dmg' file should have been one I thought about when doing any kind of back up and that despite having all the content files, they mean nothing. I will continue to search for the Domain file as I am hopeful that when my IT guy (Network Administrator) backed all my contents prior to the crash, he took every single file and that one should be among them if it is the location as had been previously mentioned. When my Mac crashed, it's as I said, a head crash on the hard drive and so there was no coming back from that. It was truly irreparable as I sent it off to a very reputable data recovery company to save it to no avail. However, I had done a full backup three months prior and am hopeful that the file is somewhere on my work server. If not, as you have pointed out, I'm screwed. And so while I still say that the program is to be blamed for some of its odd idiosyncrasies, I also accept that we'll have to agree to disagree on the issue.

Need to get all the files, well music and video, from my ipod touch 5th gen to my itunes libary.

Need to get all the files, (well music and video), from my ipod touch 5th gen to my itunes libary. (So basically sync the other way to normal)
Laptop hard drive broke so had to buy a new one and obviously now need to sort out my itunes.
Did try downloading all my purchased stuff onto itunes but it has missed some things off, and there are some files I did not purchase from itunes so need a way of getting them back on there.
Sure this question has been asked a million times but can't find anything to help me on here so thought I'd ask.
-Did have a look at going onto the start menu and opening the hidden items thing but couldn't see any reference to ipod or device on it so wasn't sure how to do it that way.
-On itunes under my device when its connected, the section about manually restoring and backing up, would that help me? Because that says it will manually back up my ipod to my computer then could restore that back up, obviously I don't want to accidnetally get rid of everything on my ipod so didn't want to try that just in case without checking.
(And yes I have disabled auto sync to device when conncected!)
Can anyone help me please? Sorry if i've overcomplicated this!
Thanks:)
Chris

Backing up an iOS device will copy some data to a backup file within iTunes, but this excludes all media. You can also transfer iTunes Store purchases from the iDevice to iTunes but, without using a third-party tool, nothing else. As long as you do not sync the iPod with your new library, the media that's on it will remain ... for as long as it keeps functioning, is not lost, stolen, eaten by the dog, ...
You may also have an option to recover your previous library from your old laptop; as long as its hard drive isn't fried, a computer repair store or technician may be able to extract the drive, mount it in an external enclosure, and copy your data to another PC. Whatever you choose, there is no real alternative to having all your media on your computer, managed by iTunes, and regularly backed up to another device/location.

Read all the files in a folder over and over again

I want to develop an application that reads all the files in a folder, and once its done reading those files it reads all the files again.
The purpose for this application is to read all the files in a folder that are continuously being stored in that folder, so that when a new file is created, that file is also read by the application. I then need to compare the date and time in which the file was created to the actual date and time of the system, so that way I can get the most recent file, and then I will do other operations with this file.
The thing is that I know how to read all the files in a directory, but I don't know how to cycle through those files again, in order to look for the most recent one, and I don't know how to make the comparison of the time stamps, because I need a precision of one second in the system time and the time the file was created.
Can someone please help me?
Thanks in advance!
Solved!
Go to Solution.

I think that I just went the wrong direction.
What I wanted to do in the first place, was to rename and overwrite every new file in a directory with the same name and file extension, so that every new file overwrites the old file. The thing is that the list folder only lists the files the first time and then keeps on telling me there are no files to be read even though there are new files.
What I need now is a way to overwrite the old files with the same name, and keep searching for every new file that is going to be stored in the directory.
I will leave the code that I have right now, so that you can tell me what do I need to modify in order to read every new file that's going to be created in that directory.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Attachments:
Overwrite Files.vi ‏12 KB

How do I empty all the files in the "Downloads" folder ?

How do I empty all the files in the "Downloads" folder ? Can they all be deleted at once?

PS: when you look into the menu bar commands by mouse, you may note
there are keyboard shortcuts to perform the same tasks; such as they are.
*Edit> Select all* = uses 'Command + A' keys to do this, without mouse/menu.
And, it can be done quickly by keyboard. +(this will select all, for the next step)+
You would have to select the folder to be edited; yet there also are other key
board commands to select items, folders, applications, etc all without a mouse.
Once you choose items in a folder or other location, you can then use a
keyboard command to Move them to the Trash; from there, Empty Trash
with a three-key command; all without use of the mouse.
The keys to *Move to Trash* looks like it is 'Command + Delete'. Some key-
boards have two marked delete keys, so you may have to try both. The
+small delete key+ has an icon with right-facing x in a box.
The three keys, to *Empty Trash* via keyboard instead of menu bar/mouse
appear to be the combination of 'up-arrow, command, delete.'
Understanding some of the iconography of symbols used to indicate function,
or what keys to use, as indicated by icons instead of words, is not too hard.
There are articles and web pages which show various keyboard shortcuts.
Here's an example, from one of several I've bookmarked over a few years.
This one has images and shows what the key shortcut symbols mean.
• Mastering Keyboard Shortcuts: (from myfirstmac site)
http://www.myfirstmac.com/index.php/mac/articles/mastering-keyboard-shortcuts
• Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1343
However, if you have anything you may want to keep before mass deleting, be
sure to move it into another folder. +re: The docked folders in Leopard+ 10.5 have
one .PDF in each, about each of the purposed folders. I haven't deleted mine yet.
{And I've added another folder into the dock near the Trash for my own alias items
and the original is on the hard disk drive (one user) or could be put into an account
folder so it would not have permissions or privilege issues with a second account.}
I'd thought about those 'keyboard symbols' after the first posting; but,
had to take an elder parent on several errands that took quite awhile.
PS: there probably are ways to use AppleScript and Automator to handle folder contents.
Good luck & happy computing!

I want to remove my itunes library to a thumb make memory space - how can I make sure I keep all playlists and organizing intact?

I want to remove my itunes library to a thumb make memory space - how can I make sure I keep all playlists and organizing intact?

Do you mean a flash drive? I don't know if I would trust one of those entirely. Make sure you make a backup.
Copy the entire iTunes folder to the flash drive. Start iTunes while holding down the option/alt key and guide it to the library on the flash drive. If you forget to plug in the flash drive before starting iTunes in the future you will have to do the option start thing again.

Hi there, I have much files saved on pages ( ios ipad) , I just open it today and did not find .all the files !!!! Just 4!!! Taken in consider that I did not delete or making any wrong action. How I can return the lost files!!!! Help please

Hi there, I have much files saved on pages ( ios ipad) , I just open it today and did not find .all the files !!!! Just 4!!! Taken in consider that I did not delete or making any wrong action. How I can return the lost files!!!! Help please
its very important files!

tis true
I know, I always do that but I was in a rush to get somewhere and I was relying on my thousand dollar Mac to do some kind of recovery or something. I know Microsoft always keeps temporary files (I think Mac does too, part of me asking here in this forum was for someone to tell me where I can find those files) and when you go to open Office Works then it gives you the option of opening the last recent documents, saved or not saved.
I usually copy paste into my emial just in case something goes wrong with the created document but I just didn't have the time to login and do all that My loss, you live and you learn, BUT still if ANYONE got any info on this, PLEASE DO CHIME IN *keeping the hope alive*

I am running out of memory on my hard drive and need to delete files. How can I see all the files/applications on my hard drive so I can see what is taking up a lot of room?

I am running out of memory on my hard drive and need to delete files. How can I see all the files/applications on my hard drive so I can see what is taking up a lot of room?
Thanks!
David

Either of these should help.
http://grandperspectiv.sourceforge.net/
http://www.whatsizemac.com/
Or search 'disk size' in the App Store.
Be carefull with what you delete & have a backup BEFORE you start, you may also want to reboot to try to free any memory that may have been written to disk.

How to transfer file from ipod touch to i tunes. i have files in my ipod , ut itunes is new so its telling if u sync the ipod all the files will be replaced but no files in the itunes.. so kindly help me how to transfer the files from i pod to itunesb

how to transfer file from ipod touch to i tunes. i have files in my ipod , ut itunes is new so its telling if u sync the ipod all the files will be replaced but no files in the itunes.. so kindly help me how to transfer the files from i pod to itunes......

Some of the information below has subsequently appeared in a document by turingtest2: Recovering your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device - https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3991
Your i-device was not designed for unique storage of your media. It is not a backup device and media transfer was designed for you maintaining a master copy of your media on a computer which is itself properly backed up against loss. Syncing is one way, computer to device, updating the device content to the content on the computer, not updating or restoring content on a computer. The exception is iTunes Store purchased content.
iTunes Store: Transferring purchases from your iOS device or iPod to a computer - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1848 - only media purchased from iTunes Store
For transferring other items from an i-device to a computer you will have to use third party commercial software. Examples (check the web for others; this is not an exhaustive listing, nor do I have any idea if they are any good):
- Senuti - http://www.fadingred.com/senuti/
- Phoneview - http://www.ecamm.com/mac/phoneview/
- MusicRescue - http://www.kennettnet.co.uk/products/musicrescue/
- Sharepod (free) - http://download.cnet.com/SharePod/3000-2141_4-10794489.html?tag=mncol;2 - Windows
- Snowfox/iMedia - http://www.mac-videoconverter.com/imedia-transfer-mac.html - Mac & PC
- iexplorer (free) - http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/ - Mac&PC
- Yamipod (free) - http://www.yamipod.com/main/modules/downloads/ - PC, Linux, Mac [Still updated for use on newer devices? No edits to site since 2010.]
- 2010 Post by Zevoneer: iPod media recovery options - https://discussions.apple.com/message/11624224 - this is an older post and many of the links are also for old posts, so bear this in mind when reading them.
Syncing to a "New" Computer or replacing a "crashed" Hard Drive - https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3141 - dates from 2008 and some outdated information now.
Copying Content from your iPod to your Computer - The Definitive Guide - http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/copying-music-from-ipod-to-co mputer/ - Information about use in disk mode pertains only to older model iPods.
Get Your Music Off of Your iPod - http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Get_Your_Music_Off_of_Your_iPod - I am not sure but this may only work with some models and not newer Touch, iPhone, or iPad.
Additional information here https://discussions.apple.com/message/18324797

Keeping all the files organized

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