- Storage - so that the images do not use up a lot of space on your computer
- Security - having a backup in case your computer crashes and you lose data
- Organization - by organizing the photos into files by date or occasion, you will have quick access to what you are looking for
Burning the files onto a CD may seem like a large task, but it really is quite simple. Here are the steps that I follow using Windows XP:
- Create a folder with the photos that you want to save and place it under the "My Pictures" folder
- Insert a blank CD (CD-R or CD-RW) into drive
- Right-click on the new folder you created and click "copy"
- Open "My Computer" and double-click on the recording drive where your CD is
- Click on the option "Write these files to CD"
- The computer system should burn the files onto the CD
- Remember to label the CD with the photo files you have included
I have been using basic CD's for this process. However, if you are concerned about the shelf life, archival-quality CD's are available from photography suppliers.
