I'm not sure exactly how to word this question:

My goal is to preserve the file integrity of the original jpegs that I have stored in my computer elsewhere.

I have a document I've created in Xara that is full of photographs. To get the photographs into the xara file, I opened the photographs in another image viewer (irfanview), copied them to the clipboard, and pasted them in xara. I now have the original photos, stored on my computer; and the copies of the photos, pasted into xara.

1. So, now the question, when I click on the photo, in Xara, and choose to optimize it, will it ever alter the original file that the photograph comes from? Meaning, somehow, xara is holding the original file, and allowing it to be manipulated losslessly---is that a copy of my original that xara is messing with, or can xara somehow reach into the depths of my computer, as part of the optimization process, and ruin my original file?

2. Also, in the example above, I opened the original file in irfanview, copied to the clipboard, and pasted. What if I were to *not* copy to the clipboard, but instead open a windows explorer window, and drag and drop the icon for the image into xara? Would optimizing *that* image mess with the original file?

I don't want to in any way affect the original files, as they are my only copies. Any help would be appreciated; I am happy to try and clarify if I haven't gotten my meaning across.

Thanks!