Saving Files FAQ

Learn how to save files while working in The New School Technology Labs.  

Where do I save my files? 

Always save your file to Work in Progress first and then work from there to avoid the possibility of files becoming corrupted. The Labs are not responsible for missing or damaged files, tapes or other media used in the Labs. 

Back-up your files and media. Labs are not responsible for files stored locally at workstations. Such files may be accessed by other users and are subject to deletion by other users. When you are done, copy your files to your removable media to take with you. Delete your files from the local computer drive, both for security and to make disk space for the next user. 

What if I get a "Disk Error" while copying? 

Always save to Work In Progress. Then copy your file from there to the Drop Box or your removable media. If you save directly to your disk, it may result in disk error or could corrupt your files. If you are trying to save to the Hard Drive and not Work In Progress, you may get this error. The Hard Drive is locked so you cannot copy to or from it. If you get the error when trying to copy to your removable media, it may be that your removable media is damaged.

Why would my removable media work one time and then not work the next? 

There are two principal causes: 

Cause 1: Writing files directly to your removable media. Files can become corrupt. When you work in the Labs, make sure that you work with files located in Work In Progress and when you are done copy the files onto your removable media 

Cause 2: Pulling a flash drive from the computer without properly unmounting it. To properly unmount, on a Mac drag the disk icon to trash and on a Windows PC right-click the icon in the system tray and select disconnect or eject. 

What does it mean if the computer keeps asking me to reinitialize or reformat a removable media which I've been using? 

It is likely that your removable media has problems. Please consult lab staff, depending on the issue they may be able to assist you. The labs are not responsible for damaged removable media.

If my computer crashed, can I recover my work? 

In Microsoft Office Programs (Word, Excel, etc.), there is an automatic data recovery system that may save your work. After you have restarted your computer, open the program and your document should open automatically if the program is able to recover it. 

Some other programs offer an auto-save option, which you would need to configure. In Adobe and other graphic programs (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.), there is no data recovery system. You need to remember to save your files periodically so that you do not lose any of your work if your computer crashes. The labs are not responsible for missing or damaged files. 

I keep getting a memory error when I launch my application 

Free up memory by closing programs you are not currently using. If that does not work, restart your computer. Remember to open the application which requires the most memory first, if you are going to use two or more applications at the same time. You may need to delete all extra files from Work In Progress to make room, save your file, and restart the computer. If using Illustrator or Photoshop, change or set Scratch Disk to Work In Progress. 

My application is running slowly or seems to have frozen. Any tips? 

Try not to have more than one application running at the same time to keep memory allocated to the one you're using. Never work off your flash drive, the Drop Box, or an email attachment. Always copy the file to the Work In Progress, and open and work from there. You may need to delete all extra files from Work In Progress drive to make room. You may need to save your file and restart the computer. If using Illustrator, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, or a similar program, change or set Scratch Disk to Work In Progress. 

How do I open and use my Apple iWork pages file? 

Right click on the file then select extract all. This will create a folder called Quicklook in which there is a PDF with the text of the document. You can then copy and paste the text portion into a MS Word document. 

You can also save directly to MS Word from the iWorks Pages application from your computer.