Cataloging your files?

Canon Fan · Feb 7, 2005

OK here is my situation. I have like 400 CD's and DVD's of archived files that I need to keep around. The problem is that many of the files are not grouped organized or easily referenced for any purpose! I am looking for some type of "browseable/searchable" database proggy to keep track of this. One of the areas I work in at work is our tape library which archives ALL of our files on magnetic tape. The system creates or determines what volume control number goes with what making it very easy to retrive data at a latet time.

Ideally what I would like to be able to do is assign a number for a disc (or have the computer choose one) such as 120543 and so on in sucsession so I can organize them on a shelf but have the computer retain a browseable/searchable "virtual" directory of sorts. I have seen this for mp3 and image files but not much else. Am I making any sense here?

Basically on my screen it would be just like looking through a hard drive. The icons and file/folders look the same only if you tried to actually open/execute a file it would request a disc that the info is on. Then you could easily find disc 120543 on the shelf and have your file.

Anybody know where I can find cataloging software like this for the XP Pro platform?

Canon Fan · Feb 7, 2005

I should add that at one point I did find a BETA version of a program like this that someone was working on but it was completely JAVA based, very flakey, slow, and virtually unusable for my application

Hertz van Rental · Feb 7, 2005

Microsoft do one - but then they would.
I have 4D - they give the old full version away free when bring out the latest one.
Or you could try Tucows. That site has a lot of programs.

Artemis · Feb 7, 2005

Hertz van Rental said:
Microsoft do one - but then they would.
I have 4D - they give the old full version away free when bring out the latest one.
Or you could try Tucows. That site has a lot of programs.

Got any urls to the proggies Hertz...im lazy :greenpbl:

Sorry when I read this thread I got REALLLY interested!

Dweller · Feb 7, 2005

Have you looked at Picasa? Google gives it away for free. I dont know if its exactly what your looking for or not but its free, and pretty well done I think.

Please let us know what you settle on I only have 200 or so pictures to track right now but I know that will be growing and growing as time goes on and I would prefer to get a handle on organization now before it gets out of hand.

Canon Fan · Feb 7, 2005

Thanx Hertz you jumpstarted my brain! Artemis I found a simple freeware version that is slow to load but seems to work pretty good once it's up and running. Seems to do what I am looking for and it's free :thumbup:

It does work with any file but the screenshot below only shows music . . .

http://www.vbknowledgesolutions.com/

Daniel · Feb 7, 2005

Never tried that myself, but I found this here on Luminous Landscape

Hertz van Rental · Feb 7, 2005

Got 4D free on a giveaway CD with MacFormat. I'm sure PC mags will have something similar.
This is the biggest and best site I know of for free and cheap software (next to the Mac site of course...)
http://www.tucows.com/

Artemis · Feb 7, 2005

Found the coolest thing it can do ever!

Canon Fan · Feb 8, 2005

OK Arty I'll bite, where/what did you find to do that? It is kinda neat. Automated I assume?

Oh and Hertz I did find that proggy from tucows, it is a pretty sweet site

Artemis · Feb 8, 2005

Dweller said:
Have you looked at Picasa? Google gives it away for free. I dont know if its exactly what your looking for or not but its free, and pretty well done I think.

Please let us know what you settle on I only have 200 or so pictures to track right now but I know that will be growing and growing as time goes on and I would prefer to get a handle on organization now before it gets out of hand.

The one Dweller mentiond...ive just decided to code them into seperate files such as Animals Abstract and such, and then ill wright c.d.s with each catagory soon

Sharkbait · Feb 8, 2005

For my photography caltaloging, I use Adobe Album. It's a pretty good program, but now that I'm up to around 15,000 photos, it's slooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwww. :irked:

doxx · Feb 8, 2005

for files on CDs and DVDs, try

http://www.cdwinder.de/

I use it on a Mac and it's fantastic!

Sharkbait · Feb 8, 2005

Artemis said:
The one Dweller mentiond...ive just decided to code them into seperate files such as Animals Abstract and such, and then ill wright c.d.s with each catagory soon

Just for curiosity's sake, I went and dl'ed this program. I'm most impressed. It seems to be at least as good as Adobe Album, and it's free. It looks like I might switch all my cataloging over to this one.