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Watch the video: “How to Find Designs on Your Janome Embroidery Machine Flash Drive” by Susan Sew Creative
If you’ve ever loaded a flash drive with gorgeous designs and then thought, “Where did they go?”—you’re not alone. This hands-on guide follows the exact steps shown in the video so you can format your USB, transfer your files, and quickly find every single design on your screen—no guesswork required.
What you’ll learn
- How to switch your Janome to Embroidery Mode before browsing a USB
- The simplest way to “format” your flash drive by saving a dummy design
- Where to drop folders (EMB or EMBF vs. root) for faster finding
- How to use the Open Folder, Up Arrow, and page navigation to locate everything
Introduction: The Common Flash Drive Mystery Designs don’t really disappear—they’re just not where the machine is looking yet. Susan starts by naming the universal problem: you put designs on your flash drive but can’t find them on the machine. In this guide, you’ll learn how to prepare your drive and then navigate your machine so every design shows up where you expect it.
Understanding why designs disappear Most confusion comes from two places: the drive wasn’t prepared by the machine, or designs got placed in a folder the machine isn’t currently viewing. The good news is that both are easy to fix once you know where to tap and which folders to use. If you only remember one thing, remember this: your machine has preferred folders and clear on-screen navigation to move between them. janome embroidery machine
What this tutorial will cover You’ll see how to switch to Embroidery Mode, format a flash drive by saving any built-in design, drag-and-drop your design folders from a computer, and then use the Open Folder icon, page arrows, and the Up arrow to surface every design that’s on the drive.
Preparing Your Janome Machine: Embroidery Mode First Before the machine can browse USB content, you need to put it in Embroidery Mode. In the video, Susan does this from the Home screen and dismisses the prompt to resume the last pattern if it appears. This ensures you’re using the embroidery-specific interface with the right icons visible.
Steps to switch modes on Janome CM17, S9, 15000, 14000 According to Susan, this process applies broadly across Janome combo machines like the CM17, S9, 15000, and 14000. From the Home screen, select Embroidery Mode. If you see a resume prompt, choose not to resume, and proceed to the embroidery interface.
Why embroidery mode is crucial Embroidery Mode activates the set of tools and icons you’ll need to save to and browse your flash drive. If you forget this step, some options you rely on—like opening and saving designs—won’t be available.
Watch out Some models or firmware versions may place icons in slightly different positions than what you see in the video. If you can’t find a specific icon, look for its symbol: an arrow into a folder for Save, and an arrow out of a folder for Open.
Formatting Your Flash Drive for Janome Susan uses a clever, low-effort method to prepare (or “format”) the flash drive: she saves any built-in design to the USB’s EMB folder. This step both confirms the port and creates the machine-specific folder structure on the drive.
Inserting the USB drive Plug a flash drive into the USB port on the side of your machine. Wait for it to read. If you’re unsure whether your drive already has content, this process will clarify things soon enough.
Saving a dummy design to create folder structure (EMB/EMBF) Pick any built-in design—it doesn’t matter which—and tap Edit. At the bottom of the screen, select the Save icon (arrow pointing into a folder). When the machine shows multiple USB options, choose the correct one. Then save into the EMB folder (as demonstrated in the video). This action effectively formats the drive for your machine, establishing the folder layout it expects.
Quick check After saving, you should see confirmation on the machine. If you remove the USB and check it on your computer later, you’ll see the EMB folder the machine created or used.
Pro tip If you accidentally chose the wrong USB slot or location, no problem—repeat the Save process and make sure the destination is the EMB folder on the correct drive.
The importance of proper formatting Organizing your designs within EMB or EMBF lets the machine find them faster, since the machine searches those folders first. If you leave designs outside the folder system, the machine can still locate them, but it may take longer to parse everything on the drive.
Transferring Designs from Your Computer Once your USB has the proper structure, plug it into your computer. Open the drive in Windows Explorer (or your file manager). From here, it’s a simple drag-and-drop: move your design folders (e.g., DST) into the EMB folder or, if you prefer, into the root of the drive.
Using drag-and-drop with Windows Explorer Left-click and hold the folder you want to move, drag it to the target location on the USB, and release. That’s it. You’ll see the folders appear on the USB. If you dropped them into EMB, you’ll find them quickly on the machine later.
Best practices for placing designs (EMB vs. root folder) Susan notes you can store designs in the EMB/EMBF folders or at the root of the USB. The difference: the machine searches EMB/EMBF first, which speeds things up. If your files live at the root, the machine may take a little longer to locate everything. Either way, you’ll be able to find your designs via on-screen navigation.
From the comments A few viewers praised the video quality but pointed out that channel titles, tags, and social sharing could be more SEO-friendly. While that doesn’t affect the steps in this tutorial, it’s a reminder that organizing content—on YouTube or on your USB—helps people and machines find what they need.
Finding Your Designs on the Embroidery Machine Back at the machine, it’s time to navigate. Instead of selecting from the on-screen built-in designs, tap the Open Folder icon (arrow pointing up out of a folder) at the bottom of the screen. This opens your path to the flash drive’s contents.
Navigating with the 'Open folder' icon After tapping Open, you’ll be able to browse into the EMB folder (or other folders) on the USB. If you saved your test or transferred designs to EMB, go in there first to see them listed.
Utilizing page arrows for multiple designs If you don’t see what you expect at first glance, check the page indicator—e.g., “1/2” or “1/5.” Use the arrows to move left or right and review every page. It’s easy to think files are missing when they’re simply on the next page.
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Using the 'Up arrow' for different folder levels If your designs aren’t in EMB (for example, you left them at the root or inside a DST folder), tap the Up arrow to move up one directory level and browse other folders. Keep stepping up and in until you’re where your designs are stored.
Watch out If nothing appears, confirm the USB is seated in the correct port and that you’re actually inside the folder where your files live. Use the Up arrow to retrace your steps and try a different folder.
Quick check
- Do you see a page count at the top or bottom (e.g., 2/5)? If yes, tap through all pages.
- Did you save or drag designs into EMB/EMBF? If yes, open EMB first.
- If designs were stored elsewhere, use the Up arrow to reach the correct folder.
Troubleshooting: Why designs still seem “missing”
- You’re in the wrong mode: Switch to Embroidery Mode so the right icons appear.
- The drive wasn’t prepared by the machine: Save any design into EMB to establish the folder structure.
- You’re on the wrong page: Check the page count and arrow over.
- Files are outside EMB/EMBF: Use the Up arrow to back out and browse root-level or other folders.
Pro tip Keep your USB drive tidy. A simple structure—EMB/collection folders—is easier to navigate quickly, especially when you return later to stitch something again. magnetic embroidery hoops for janome
Model notes and scope Susan demonstrates on a Janome CM17, and explicitly notes these steps work across Janome combo machines like the S9, 15000, and 14000, as well as other Janome embroidery models with similar interfaces. Exact icon placement may vary slightly by model or firmware, but the icon symbols and logic remain consistent.
Safety note If your screen displays a message indicating the carriage will move to the center position, keep hands clear and acknowledge the prompt after the carriage stops. This is a normal part of embroidery preparation.
From the comments: Helpful takeaways
- Viewers highlighted that while the demonstration is clear, discoverability (like SEO on the channel) could be improved. In your own workflow, think of EMB/EMBF as your “SEO”—put designs there to be found faster by the machine.
Beyond today’s task: Organizing for your future self Create a simple naming convention for folders so you can scan them quickly on-screen. For example, keep a folder named “DST” inside EMB if that’s a format you frequently use; the video shows browsing into a DST folder from the machine after moving up a level. magnetic hoop for janome 550e
Watch out The video doesn’t specify maximum USB sizes or types. If a drive isn’t recognized, try another known-good drive, and always safely eject from your computer before reinserting into the machine.
Quick check: Computer-to-USB workflow
- Confirm the EMB folder exists (after you saved the dummy design on the machine).
- Drag your design folders into EMB for faster finding—or to the root if you prefer.
- Safely eject the USB before returning to the machine.
FAQ Q: Why can’t my Janome find designs on my flash drive? A: The drive may not be prepared by the machine yet, or designs were placed outside the folders the machine checks first (EMB/EMBF). Format by saving any design into EMB, then move designs into EMB/EMBF or browse to their actual location using Open and the Up arrow.
Q: Do I have to format the flash drive every time? A: No. Formatting (via saving a design into EMB) is a one-time step to establish the folder structure. After that, you can drag-and-drop new designs onto the USB as needed.
Q: Which models does this apply to? A: Susan states the process applies to Janome combo machines like the CM17, S9, 15000, and 14000, and other Janome embroidery machines using similar USB navigation.
Q: Can I put designs anywhere on the USB? A: Yes, but designs inside EMB/EMBF are found faster because the machine searches those folders first. If you store files elsewhere, use the Up arrow and page navigation to locate them.
Pro tip: Building confidence Practice with a small set of files first. Once you’ve verified your navigation flow—Open folder, EMB, page arrows, Up arrow—you’ll know exactly how to surface larger collections later. magnetic embroidery hoops for janome 500e
Watch out: Don’t skip page navigation Seeing “1/5” means you’re only on the first page. Tap the right arrow to move forward. Many “missing design” mysteries are simply on page two, three, or four.
Quick check: Final confirmation
- Embroidery Mode is active.
- Open Folder used to browse USB.
- Correct folder opened (EMB first, or Up to root/DST if needed).
- Page arrows used to view all designs.
Conclusion: Embroider with Confidence! With your USB prepared by the machine, designs placed in EMB/EMBF (or elsewhere if you prefer), and a solid grasp of the Open, Up, and page navigation tools, you’re set. The next time someone asks, “Where did my designs go?” you’ll know exactly where to tap and what to check. Enjoy your stitching—these steps keep your creativity flowing and your files close at hand. janome hoops