Maybe it's just an issue for those of us with metered Internet and who use Windows as MS recommends, but my Documents folder syncs to the Cloud (default OneDrive configuration), so I can't have various temp files in there wasting my bandwidth for no reason, nor would I ever want ANY company to put a bunch of folders in my Documents directory. "Documents" means documents I have created, not templates or other stuff to be installed by the software vendor.
This is precisely why Windows includes the %appdata% folders: for companies to put files that may be user specific, but managed by the app, not the user. The Documents folder is intended ONLY for files managed and created by the user. I know it's hardly a matter of life and death, but it really rubs me the wrong way when companies act like they are so important they can override the OS to do things their own different (and in my case costly) way.
I've used Corel since the '90s, so I know this is not a new thing (Corel has always annoyed me with the folders it puts in my Documents folder), but the sheer number of folders and the inclusion of a "Working Files" directory (so now 2 new directories in the root of my Documents folder) seems to indicate the problem is getting worse, not better.
Is there any way to easily move ALL of the folders out of the Documents directory permanently and without having to edit over a dozen directories manually via Tools -> Global Options -> File Locations?
Thanks,Colin
Why in God's name would you configure your system like this?
I had posted a lengthy response detailing why. The forum default-blocked it as spam. While we await my appeal, to summarize:
1. It's the default for Office subscribers and OneDrive users, so not exactly a fringe config.
2. It's smart for the auto-backup, version history, and cross-platform always-sync'd data, especially for multi-PC users, and I use 3.
3. Windows provides other locations in the Users folder specifically for programs to create their own directories.
4. Live in rural area with satellite Internet (Starlink, which actually is not metered right now, but was for the past several months).
5. Conserving bandwidth by not syncing temp files is helpful, even if not on a metered connection.
6. Personal preference: I like to keep my Documents well-organized, b/c it's the default location for file dialogs.
So, with that in mind, is there an easy way to change the locations and then copy that config change (e.g., a registry export or INI or XML file) to all my PC's?
I run 8 systems in my home studio, my CorelDRAW files vary in size from a few megabytes to 2.5 gigabytes each. I do an eclectic set of work from a business card to 200 feet donor walls and a significant amount of architectural image editing. I also do my own wildlife and landscape photography. I've been doing this for over 30 years, I have 5 terabytes of active files and 10 terabytes of archived files. I can't imagine what that would cost with Microsoft.
I believe I have a reasonable grasp of file organization.
Microsoft wants you to use OneDrive, it's a service that they sell, when creating CorelDRAW documents unless your files are very small it's not an efficient process for a multitude of reasons. In fact w8th clients that I provide support to I find cloud based workflows to be detrimental be it Sketchup, Adobe products or CorelDRAW.
I go either to Newegg or CDW and buy USB 3 backup drives about $150 a piece and I have 2.
I configure CorelDRAW NOT to make backups of its files.
I have one system that acts as a file storage server fully shared, it is also a workstation, I created a folder structure based on client names, job names and job numbers.
My other systems are all attached to that network. Files are opened from that system, saved and backed up there twice a day using the Windows utility.
I do use OneDrive to access files that I may need when on location and for transfer fron non network devices but quite frankly web based file processing with any graphic application is non productive do to internet transfer times, even with a top of the line cable system. I open 2 GB files in 20 seconds across my network. My photography workstation archives client files on the server but holds my own photos which are backed up VIA the Windows utility to a 3TB USB3 drive.
I use WSFTP to upload client proofs to my web site for client download, they markup and upload to their preferred file transfer process.
I've been running this for decades, of course it's easier for clients now with the proliferation of cloud based transfer sites.
David, one of the things in my original answer that Corel blocked as spam was the comment that your initial reply was textbook example of not helpful: you didn't answer my question, provided no helpful information, and just complained about my user preferences. Your second post here continues the problem.If you don't have an answer to the question or constructive advice, then why respond at all?
You are clearly expert (not just on this, but I've seen many of your other posts here over the years), so, as an expert, what are all those locations Corel creates for, specifically, do they change much with usage (like temp files) or they just storing things like fonts and clipart that don't change much once installed? Is there a way to change the locations without having to manually tweak 22 file locations on every PC I use? For example, is there a single master location I can change the root path for all of its subdirectories? If not, if I change on one PC, is that change stored somewhere I can export and copy over to all my other computers?
You seem to agree that CorelDraw should not put files in Documents, as you say, "when creating CorelDRAW documents unless your files are very small it's not an efficient process for a multitude of reasons." Well, given that CorelDraw, for me, is a far less important program than Word and Excel, I'm not going to break everything else just for CorelDraw.
To your question on cost, an Office subscription that includes OneDrive for 1TB for 1 person is about $70/year. 6 TB is $99/year (often available at a discount down to about the 1TB price). That includes unlimited (I think, certainly a lot) of version backups for free regardless of size going back a fixed amount of time (not sure how long, but between a month and a year). So no need for Corel backups or other offsite backups, as OneDrive enables you to revert to an older version of a file anyway (even if hit by ransomware). In my case, it's effectively free, because I need the Office subscription anyway for Outlook, Word, and Excel, so the marginal cost for me is $0.
CorelDraw does not get to dictate how Windows works. As a program running on Windows, it should follow the UI guidelines, which include storing program data in locations other than a user's Documents folder. If it wants to provide additional options for users who want to put everything in Documents, that's great, but unless there's an easy way to relocate its root directories it currently creates in Documents, it's just being a bad actor. I say that as a serious fan of CorelDraw since at least version 4 or 5, maybe 3, in the early-mid '90s, and a guy Corel flew up to their office for a photoshoot around some positive quotes I had posted publicly back around 2000 (but I think that was for WordPerfect Office, when they were pushing that as an alternative to MS Office, not CDGS).
Your use of OneDrive is the issue not how CorelDRAW configures its files. Have you ever tried to open a 2 GB file across the cloud? CorelDRAW is a professional level manufacturing/artistic program, it's not Excell nor is it a word processor.
CorelDRAWs file configuration has evolved over the years to maintain integrity in case of a system failure. Temp files and backup files help many who failed to build systems that relegate those features as useless. I am from the latter camp.
If you start a Draw file yes the very first time it defaults to the documents folder however if you save it to the cloud (which BTW is required to sync interapplicationn features) anytime that file is saved it saves to the cloud drive. CorelDRAW does remember your working directories, so it returns to the last open folder and the last save folder. This has evolved of decades by mass requests from users.
I understand that many today want to work with cloud based storage and the subscription version of 2023 attempts to accommodate that. However looking at the reality of design content, the state of the art of internet file transfer rates and pressure on billing rates CorelDRAW, Auto Desk, Sketchup and Adobe products to mention a few with cloud based storage is unrealistic at best, disastrous at worst.
I get sharing documents in the cloud but only when practical, Word, Excel, PowerPoint files in terms of system stress are child's play.
However my last architectural donor wall with an approved file was 2.87 Gb, the entire package of working, proofing and output files were just over 7GB of content. What good is cloud storage with one project that size? I have 3 more in process right now. I'd spend a 3rd of my work day waiting.
I believe you may want to consider this, with CorelDRAW you've moved into a world where the application is designed for HEAVY lifting. Office concepts are a secondary consideration.
I didn't give you a text book example of an unhelpful answer. I ask the only question that a professional output provider/manufacturer with over 30 years experience would ask. It made you think, I treat all my employees the same, if they don't want to be better than average work somewhere else.
You bought CorelDRAW not a toy, you wouldn't build all the lighting for the parking lot as well as all the signage of a mall in Word so don't expect CorelDRAW to b an office application.
David, thank you for the information on the Corel file storage. I'm not sure I fully follow though. Are you referring to the directories in the screen capture here:
To quote my prior question, "What are all those locations Corel creates for, specifically, do they change much with usage (like temp files) or are they just storing things like fonts and clipart that don't change much once installed? Is there a way to change the locations without having to manually tweak 22 file locations on every PC I use? For example, is there a single master location I can change the root path for all of its subdirectories? If not, if I change on one PC, is that change stored somewhere I can export and copy over to all my other computers?"
You clearly are expert at this. Could you please answer those questions? I really want to understand what Corel is doing. I need that knowledge to document an ongoing solution for myself across many PC's.
On the OneDrive discussion, it seems like you're trying to talk me out of using it? Just as you know CorelDraw far better than I, I'm equally sure I understand the OS and general file storage matters far better than you. You are simply mistaken on how OneDrive works. As a user, all files in OneDrive can be stored and used as if they are fully local files, where OneDrive just syncs them to the cloud like a backup system (yes, you can also have the files only in the cloud, where it makes them available locally via download through the OS, but that would indeed be painful for any large files and is not the way I use it). OneDrive can handle files up to 250GB, many times larger than the largest files you say you use. The largest files are not complex images like your CDR files, but large locally stored database files. These files often exceed even that 250GB limit and best practices with those files is different than the monolithic files like Corel's CDR and CPT files. As long as the total file size is not larger than 250GB, files in OneDrive work exactly the same as if they were a fully local file. When you make changes, OneDrive will sync just the changed sectors of the file up to the cloud. That is, it doesn't re-upload your entire 7GB file for a small change (for some file types, it may not know which sectors have changed and which have not, in which case it would need to re-upload the entire file -- to be fair, I don't know if CDR files are one of the types that would force a full upload after saving changes).
I am certainly not the CorelDraw power user you are, where my CDR files are tiny in comparison. Based on a quick look at some of my most recently used files, I see they all seem to fall between 1-50MB (not GB). I don't immediately see any CDR files of mine that are over 50MB (if there are any, they would be very rare for me).
Those storage sites are for use by the program for multiple internal purposes. Those locations are location markers not file contents. I will post a capture of my file location dialog later today. A bit busy as PopPop and Nanny are hosting the mothers day festivities today.
After some thought I considered that you may be looking for file content source data, (I.E. the files you placed in your document) if so those by default are embedded in the CDR file. I believe after changes are made that the entire CDR file would need to be uploaded because of embedding.
Many graphics applications link the content rather than embed the content. However as an example an image file only edited in an image editor not only would need to be uploaded but the assembly applications native file would also need updatedl
Embedding is much simpler for file sharing, with that said by default Draw also embeds fonts, that's a dubious concept as not all fonts allow it and the concept is great for viewing but iffy for editing. I turn font embedding off as I find on occasion conflicts.
Draw does have a collect for output feature that you need to place on the toolbar which collects the fonts. I'll post instructions on how to place that on the tool bar. What I find easier is to simply make sure all 8 of my systems have identical fonts installed.
In practice, if you're working fron a OneDrive location, Draw will see it just like a folder on the local system. If you were working locally and want to update the OneDrive, all you need do is select save as and write to the OneDrive. If you just want to copy the file, (much faster) all you need is the cdr file and the fonts.
Draw gives you the ability to extract all document contents for editing in other applications if needed. Literally all you need is the cdr file and the fonts.
You can extract images by right clicking, edit bitmap which launches Photo-PAINT and you can save as many formats. Text can be extracted, places art can be extracted via exportation.
I double checked and the capture you posted are locations for Draw internal control data only the location does not change when you open files regardless of the file location.
Here is the collect for output icon, you can drag it to you status bar.
David, thank for you posting a response, but either you don't understand my question or I don't understand your answer. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with my question, but I acknowledge that maybe it's my ignorance on something about how the CDGS works that's preventing me from seeing the connection you're making. My goal, as I've stated several times here, is to remove the folders Corel adds w/o my permission to my Documents folder. I'd also like to understand what those folders are used for, mainly to determine where I should put them after I move them. I DO save all my CDR and CPT files that I have created or am working on in my Documents directory. It's not MY folders or documents I'm asking about but the ones Corel puts there automatically as shown under Tools -> Options -> Global -> File Locations.
Because this thread appears to have devolved more into your opinions on how users should mimic your file behavior than anything related to my question (without even any give-or-take as one would expect in a discussion), I've started a separate thread limited to the precise question I'm trying to answer. Please don't respond to that one unless it's with an answer to the question, not your opinions.
Those folders are used internally to control the application, providing customization and other features, remove them and the application will not work. They are part of the installation and operating process it tells Draw where specific items (example: where your brushes are kept, editing preset, frames, blends and other items). You're stuck with them, in terms of files space it depends on how much customization you do especially user generated frames, fills and transparencies. In the case of heavy customization, you may want to share these between systems. In my opinion it's a fools errand.
Now I know that there are the stupid updated reminders and people struggle removing them, however these files are not those internal operating files for the application. They load on every system but are not required to be identical on each system to open a file correctly.