A partitioned, defragmented volume on the authoring station's harddisc should be reserved for the programming and integration of assets. Having converted all multimedia asset files into the appropriate file formats, assets should be collected together onto the harddisc and stored in appropriately named folders ("movies", "menu screens" and folders for each topic containing graphic stills).
Many authoring packages allow assets to be imported into the program as linked external files. This means that the files can be changed or edited at a later date and, as long as they remain in, or are returned to, the correct folder in the correct format, no adjustments to the programming will need be to made. Storing assets as externally linked files also has the advantage of minimising the size of the run-time program. Additionally, externally linked files are also available to be more conveniently shared by different parts of the same program if it has been constructed in a modular fashion or by different applications. A problem with externally linked files is that they can so easily be duplicated for purposes other than those intended or licenced by the program producer. It is always possible, of course, to make external files invisible to the end-user.