Due to the large file size of media content the Maxedia allows the user several options when saving a showfile.
Please read the notes below to understand the different levels of files and folders used by the Maxedia system.

MEDIA folder:

The MEDIA folder contains the default content which is delivered with each Maxedia (5 DVDs). It should be completely installed on any machine purchased or restored.
If any of the default folders is missing no cues that depend on it would play. Therefore it is important that each Maxedia has all DVDs installed completely.
This enables to keep the showfiles smaller as it is not necessary to store 15GB of content with it. 

Showfiles:

The actual showfile of the Maxedia can be saved with the option "all media" enabled.

This creates an .mxshow that contains all user imported content. The file can be very large depending on how much content was added. It would be advisable to remove / clean up unused content from the user directory before archiving the file. We have seen examples where users have 5-6 different versions, codecs etc of the same 500MB video file. This increased their filesize by 2-3GB for no reason. 

It is advisable to save to the hard drive first (to the root of the E: drive) and then copy it in windows to the USB drive. When saving directly to a USB device there could be potential corruption of the file if there are any hiccups on the USB port. Use the front port of the Maxedia server, the ports on the IO BOX are only USB 1.1

To load a showfile into a Maxedia use the LOAD/Load from mxshow option in the startup screen. This will generate the required show folder and extract the files and settings into the Maxedia.
Loading a showfile can be done straight from the USB drive as the Maxedia reads the content and extracts it anyway.

After the initial loading (or saving) of the file it's not necessary to save the file with media every time. It is sufficient to save regular showfiles as long as no new media gets imported.

To restore a Maxedia load the mxshowfile with media first (so it creates all the folders and extracts the media). Quit the program and load the last saved version from the LOAD menu. It will extract all cues etc as they were written and reference the correct show name.

Internal Showbackup:

It is possible to copy a showfile internally from the E to the D (backup) drive using the show management features in the MENU area.
This will simply copy all files to the internal drive. This can be used to mirror a showfile to a second E: drive as it's faster to copy internally than to a USB device.
To speed up the process enable the "write caching" as it increases disk performance. Disable it afterwards as it otherwise can corrupt a showfile if the Maxedia looses power.

Network / tracking backup:

When two or more Maxedias are networked and synchronized all changes between the machines stay in sync. To load up two Maxedias for a tracking backup only load the show into one machine, then use the networking to push all the content and cues to the backup machine. Refer to the Maxedia User Manual 2.50 Chapter 14 for instructions on networking setups.

Backup using an third party imaging tool:

It is possible to create a PC system with a removable drive bay and create a full disc image of the E: drive. With the correct software this allows to take a drive out of a rental maxedia, launch the restoration and 30 minutes later place the drive back into the Maxedia. This process would allow to restore a drive to “my rental company” default very easily. That image could also include content that sombody purchases the license for and wants the same content on all Maxedia machines he owns.
This imaging process could also be useful for archiving tours etc. Instead of the whole saving process use that workstation to create a “MY TOUR” image of an E: drive, store it on some large drive array and rebuild a “MY TOUR” E: drive at any time. This could be done in addition to the individual LDs or programmers saving their shows.

DO NOT install third party software on a Maxedia system as it compromises the OS and performance. This suggestion requires an external PC.