There is nothing more frustrating than to spend hours on a project and then watch it disappear into cyberspace when your computer suddenly freezes or goes blank for no apparent reason. You can save yourself from potential disaster by saving your project frequently.

Photo Story provides a Save Project button at the bottom of every page. Use it!! I recommend that before you ever press the Next button on any page, you hit Save Project first. And when you're editing photos, hit the Save Project button after every edit!! You can't use this button too often.

When you save your project, Photo Story creates a .wp3 file. This is the project file that you will want to re-open for future edits. However, be aware the .wp3 files can be opened ONLY by Photo Story 3. If you do not have this program on your computer, you won't be able to open the file. In other words, don't send the story of your Baby's first tooth to Grandma in .wp3 format. She won't be able to do a thing with it and that's not what you want to view the story with anyway.

In the final step, we will output the story into a format that is suitable for viewing. Just be aware that the .wp3 file is a working file, not a finished product. It is the file you will want to open when you want to make additions or corrections. It is not the file you want to open when you invite your family over to watch the story of your trip to Hawaii. We're not done yet.