______________________________________________________ ABC ~ All 'Bout Computers. The ezine YOU subscribed to. If you want to change your subscription options or unsubscribe, see the bottom of this email for full instructions. Thank you. Linda http://www.personal-computer-tutor.com/abc ______________________________________________________ ABC ~ All 'Bout Computers Second Anniversary Issue Volume 24; May, 2003 - mailed to 4031 subscribers <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> Please rate this Ezine at the Cumuli Ezine Finder http://snurl.com/6si ABC is also listed at FreeTechMail. Please visit their site and rate it there too: http://snurl.com/6sj <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> If you would prefer to read the online Web-azine, which includes pictures and screenshots and is, basically, more user-friendly, follow either of these links: http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc (frames) http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/vol24.htm (no frames) or, scroll down to the Contents where you can click on over to any individual article NOTE: Unsighted readers or anyone who uses a screen reader shoud probably go online and read that version if my separator lines are making too much "noise". <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> For definitions of any terms you do not understand, visit the GeekSpeak Translator: http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc/gs.htm <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> You are receiving this newsletter because you (or someone using your email address) subscribed to it voluntarily. If you would like to remove yourself from ABC, please see SUBSCRIPTION MANAGEMENT at the bottom of this newsletter. Using the "Reply" function will not unsubscribe you! My subscriber list is NOT made available to other companies or individuals. I value every subscriber and respect your privacy. <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> .,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^IMPORTANT!-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,. <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> WATCH FOR LONG LINKS! Most of these have been replaced with SnipURLs http://www.snipurl.com so you shouldn't have to copy/paste URLs anymore, unless you have a reeeeaaallly tiny monitor ;-) So...if the links are longer than a certain amount, I've "snipped" them. <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> To help prevent broken links, maximize your email window to FULL screen. <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- **************STATION BREAK***************** ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- THIS MONTHS' FEATURED SPONSOR: ********************************************* @@@@@@@@@@ SPAM INSPECTOR @@@@@@@@@@ Here's another product I have added to my computer. Because I own a website and my email address is readily available to every spammer on the net, I get over 200 garbage spam mails a day! The subject lines in my inbox would impress even sailors. I get advertisements, pornography, and "business" proposals from all over the world. I've tried filtering this out with my mail rules, blocked senders lists, and even freeware programs like Mail Washer and found that none of these methods were as effective as I needed. But, this one DEFINITELY works. And, it's so easy to setup and monitor. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE AND DOWNLOAD A DEMO: http://personal-computer-tutor.com/spami.htm ********************************************* ********************************************* <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> Do you love ABC? Click here to donate any amount. http://snurl.com/pks Heck! If half the subscribers donated 25 cents each, I would be in business. LOL All contributions are greatly appreciated! <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> CONTENTS (all links below these items take you to the non-frames online versions) (items with *** behind them include pictures and/or are better if viewed online) 1. Important How-To Message for Reading This Ezine http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/vol24.htm#HowTo 2. Linda's Thought of the Month http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/vol24.htm#thought (and special animation) *** http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/vol24.htm#gif 3. WHAT'S NEW AT LINDA'S COMPUTER STOP ~ WOOHOO ABC IS TWO YEARS OLD (And the format has changed) http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/newabc24.htm 4. Office Tips ~ PRINTING YOUR VBA CODE ~ by James La Borde http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/ot24.htm 5. GeekSpeak Translation from the Cap'n http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc/gs.htm ~ by Patt Meara <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> THIS MONTH'S FEATURES ~ 6. SNEAK PREVIEW OF MS OFFICE 2003 http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/chad24.htm ~ by Chad Welch 7. MICROSOFT PATCHES: GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/mike24.htm ~ by Mike Baynes <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> 8. Special Review by Terry Dean ~ MARK JOYNER'S FAREWELL PACKAKE http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/mj.htm 9. Steve's Ravin' REVIEWS *** ~ by Steve Mills http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/steve24.htm <> IMAGE ANALYZER - 5 geezers <> PDFPRODUCER - 6 geezers <> ICONART - 5 geezers 10. WINDOWS SHUTDOWN & RESTART SHORTCUTS ~ by Vic Ferri http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/vic24.htm 11. TWO HELPFUL POWERPOINT TIPS & Info on the PPTLive Conference ~ by Kathryn Jacobs http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/kath24.htm 12. All About Publishing with FrontPage 2002 *** PART II: I'VE DONE MY HOMEWORK. CAN I PUBLISH NOW? ~ by Tina Clarke http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/tina24.htm Miscellaneous: 13. Subscription Management 14. Contact Information *** means the article includes pictures in the online version or is better viewed online ********************************************* ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- **************STATION BREAK***************** ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- ********************************************* ECLECTIC ACADEMY ~ A Better Choice in Distance Learning DO YOU WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL WITHOUT LEAVING THE HOUSE? It's the latest rage and it's called Distance Learning. Most colleges now offer Distance Learning classes because they know some people work hard and just can't fit a classroom into their busy lives. But, sometimes you don't want to enroll in a full program; you just want to take one class. ECLECTIC ACADEMY IS YOUR ANSWER! http://eclecticacademy.com Eclectic Academy offers a large range of classes to suit many needs. Go there now and check out their curriculum and roster. Classes are only $20 for 6 weeks. HOW CAN YOU BEAT THAT? Here's a sampling of what they offer: *Art Courses, both digital and traditional *Business Courses, including all of the MS Office Programs (many taught by none other than Linda Johnson herself) *Graphics Courses - Flash, PhotoShop, Paint Shop Pro & more *Website Development Courses - FrontPage, Dreamweaver, ASP, DHTML, Website Promotion, and on and on and on *Eclectic Classes - Computer Maintenance, Writing Workshops, Feng Shui, Eating Safely - just about anything you can think of Go to Eclectic Academy now and sign up to be notified when classes are added or ENROLL NOW in the class of your choice. Go there now to enroll in the next set of classes. ONLY $20 FOR A SIX-WEEK CLASS! http://eclecticacademy.com ********************************************* FLASH!! NEXT CLASSES START SUNDAY, JULY 6TH. DON'T DELAY -- SIGN UP NOW!! ********************************************* Also, don't forget that Eclectic Academy offers classes on many different programs and techniques. As a matter of fact, some of the EA staff have put together forums on their areas of expertise that you might want to check out here: http://www.pixelparity.org/ ********************************************* <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> (1.) IMPORTANT HOW-TO MESSAGE <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> If you decide to go to the Online "Web-azine" version, go here first for navigation instructions: http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v23/vol23.htm#HowTo If you are reading this plain text issue, maximize your email window for best viewing. <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- **************STATION BREAK***************** ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- Computer Help Central Presents... A BRAND NEW RESOURCE: Does your computer "scare you" at times? Are you tired of not getting answers to your computer questions? Don't worry, Mad Mick can teach you "How to Solve All Your Computer Problems... Fast & Forever...Even if You're Brand New to Computers And Think You'll Never Learn Them" He'll Answer Every Single Computer Question You'll Ever Have - BEFORE You Even Ask! (And if he doesn't, you'll have a chance to personally ASK HIM!) Download Mad Mick's 200 Computer Questions & Answers in pdf format **includes 30 days of FREE email support** http://hop.clickbank.net/?buntah/likeapro **SUPPORT ABC BY ORDERING THIS PRODUCT** <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> (2.) LINDA'S THOUGHT OF THE MONTH <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> What can I say...it's Mother's Day so how can I let this go by without saying HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to my 86 year old mom? I only hope I can outlive her, but I seriously doubt it LOL And a happy day to all of you moms out there and to all of you who have moms :-) <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> And go here for this month's SPECIAL ANIMATION (you will need the free Flash viewer installed to see it): http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/images/iconstory.swf Thanks to my buddy Luke, the owner of the Windows_humor Yahoo Group, for sharing this with us http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Windows_humor/ If you join Luke's group, tell him Linda sent ya ;-) <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> (3.) WHAT'S NEW at Linda's Computer Stop http://personal-computer-tutor.com <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> Well, first of all, the big news is that this is ABC's 24th issue, which means we are two years old today. Happy Birthday to us. :-) And, along with this comes my announcement that our format will be changing slightly. Because the writers for this webazine all do this on a voluntary basis, I've decided to stop being such a slave driver and forcing them to write stuff they may not feel like writing. So, from now on, ABC is going to have a much looser format. The writers can write about anything they want to write about, as long as it's computer related and I think it would interest the readers. So, don't be surprised if you see one of your favorite writers writing about something totally different than what you expect from them. AND, I want to open up our writing staff to anyone who is interested in contributing. If you think you can teach us something, by all means contact me and let me see your stuff. But don't panic...none of the Fleet are leaving... they just may be branching out a bit, to write about other areas they know about and want to share with you. Another change I've made is I've made ABC a bit smaller. Believe it or not, most of the feedback I receive says it's too big! So, since I really don't have the time to do it more than once a month, I am simply being more selective about what I include and only including the creme de la creme. LOL As usual, I appreciate feedback from all of you, but can't possibly please everyone, but I try to go with the majority. ***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<> And the next announcement I have is this: Our own PowerPoint expect, Kathy Jacobs, has just been made a Microsoft PowerPoint MVP!! I hope you all will join me in congratulating her. She sure deserves this recognition for all the help she has given many people thru newsgroups, support groups, ABC, and, of course, her own wonderful website, http://www.powerpointanswers.com ***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<> And, our own multimedia expert, Vic Ferri wants to tell you about the great offer being made by VideoMaker Magazine. You can now get a free trial issue and free Ulead CD of video editing software. No obligation, no cost. NOTE - the free CD is for US only. Other countries, free trial issue only. More info and instructions from Vic here: http://www.angelfire.com/va3/expert_guides/videomaker.html ***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<> Well, I have wicked spring fever so I have to admit I haven't added a lot of new stuff to my site this month...but I've been given some review copies of a few pieces of software I'm checking out and I will report to you about them in the next issue. I'm also still working on some new ebooks and video tutorials that I will be making available for you by late summer or early fall, so keep an eye out for them. ***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<> Of course, I've also added some new links to my favorite links page, so go there and check out the revolving Ns: http://personal-computer-tutor.com/internet.htm ***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<> Well...that's about it for this month. Please come back to my site often to see what else I've added and drop me a line if you have any suggestions. Linda Email: linda@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ********************************************* Linda Johnson is a college instructor of all of the Microsoft Office Programs, as well as Adobe PhotoShop and Windows. She also teaches online distance learning classes in Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Word at Eclectic Academy. http://www.eclecticacademy.com She has worked helpdesk and teaches and lectures at Many local businesses and tech schools in her area. Support this newsletter by checking out Linda's website http://www.personal-computer-tutor.com and her ebook series, MS Word MAGIC! Part I: Fonts, Fun & Formats http://snurl.com/6sk Part II: Table Wizardry http://snurl.com/6sl AND, How To Get Started As a Software Trainer: http://snurl.com/6sd ********************************************* <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> AND DON'T MISS LINDA'S NEWEST EBOOK SERIES: If you have been interested in taking any of Linda's Online Classes but don't want to wait six weeks to complete all the lessons or don't have the desire to be part of an online classroom, why not SKIP THE CLASS & BUY THE BOOK INSTEAD? Check out the eBook .exe versions of all of Linda's classes here: http://personal-computer-tutor.com/library.htm Only $15 each!! Where else can you master a software Program for that price? Separate eBook tutorials on Access, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Word. Terrific value!! OR BUY THEM ALL ON ONE CD Only $45.00!! Order online or by regular mail Details here: http://personal-computer-tutor.com/cdtutorial.htm Download the free Sample Version at CNET: http://snurl.com/6sc And PLEASE rate it there for me? Thanks!! <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- **************STATION BREAK***************** ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> DREAM JOBS TO GO Check out OVER 80 INSTANT GUIDES to your DREAM JOB or LIFESTYLE, by real world been-there, done-that authors. Click here to get YOUR REAL LIFE moving NOW: http://snurl.com/6sd Including Linda Johnson's "How to Get Started as a Software Trainer" AND LOTS MORE! <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> (4.) Office Tips ~ PRINTING YOUR VBA CODE ~ by James La Borde http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/ot24.htm <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> How many of you have tried to print out your VBA code in the hopes of sitting down and going over it to try to troubleshoot a problem? Maybe tried to print it for posterity sake? Maybe even print out someone else's code to try to learn from it and follow the logic? If you have tried to print your VBA code you have probably learned one very disappointing fact, the nice color-coded code does not remain when printed. That makes it rather hard to read. I don't normally endorse products here. However, there is a free application available on the web that takes care of this annoyance. It is called PrettyCode.Print from http://www.VBCity.com. This is a simple file that allows you to import your VBA code and print it out to a color printer and retain the nice formatting. As an added bonus it also groups your logic. This can prove to be an invaluable troubleshooting tool if you have faulty logic or a mismatched loop. It groups the following logic for you: With. End With Do. Loop If.Then. Else The nice thing about it is that it shows each component of your statement linked by a single line. Each level is included so if you embed an If. then. Else within a Do.Loop, it still shows up as a unique grouping. Your code is unchanged other than the lines to help in your grouping. VBCity does require that you register the product online but that is a free process and this is definitely a valuable tool for such a minor hassle. If you would like to check it out for yourself, visit: http://www.vbcity.com/page.asp?p=pcp_index ********************************************** James La Borde works in the computer department at a Credit Union, where he uses Access, SQL Server, VBA, and ODBC daily. He also teaches online Access classes at Eclectic Academy. http://eclecticacademy.com/curriculum.htm ********************************************** NOTE FROM LINDA: Those of you who are new to Access or VBA coding, might want to join my Microsoft Office email group where James and many other members are happy to help newbies learn this stuff. To join this group, just go here and enter your email address and hit the Subscribe button. //www.freelists.org/webpage/mso ********************************************** <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- **************STATION BREAK***************** ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> If you want to see over 100 tips, tricks, methods, shortcuts and more work right on your computer, check out the Video Tutorials at http://showmewindows.com/indexlj.htm Get your free sample video while you're there, and see if this method of discovery doesn't rock your computing world. Tom Glander is the creator of Show Me Windows for Windows 98 computers. He specializes in making information easy to understand, writing and speaking primarily to those with little computing experience. SHOW ME WINDOWS http://showmewindows.com/indexlj.htm Imagine having a trusted friend sit down with you, guide your hand, telling you where to click and showing you each step to get the results you want. There's No Easier Way To Gain Control Over Your PC And Master Every Aspect Of Its Operation. Guaranteed! Want proof that what I'm saying is true and totally honest? Of course you do. The best way is to Download my FREE sample video and See for yourself. Tom Glander Show Me Windows http://showmewindows.com/indexlj.htm <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> (5.) Cap'n Patt's GEEKSPEAK TRANSLATOR ~ by Patt Meara <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> Visit the Cap'n's Official GeekSpeak Database at http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc/gs.htm If the word you need defined is not there, or the definition is not clear, too geeky, or just plain confusing to you, email the Cap'n. He would love to hear from you at CapnPatt@xxxxxxx <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- **************STATION BREAK***************** ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> Are you into Video Computing? VIDEOMAKER is the world's most popular monthly consumer video production publication and covers the use of digital video editing, camcorders, cameras, and desktop video and audio production for novice and expert enthusiasts alike. Its articles teach production techniques, survey and review the latest equipment, and explain the newest technological advances. Published monthly, and is available on select newsstands and to subscribers. In addition, you receive a password giving you full access to Club VId, Videomaker's vast online resource of information about making video. And the best part is, it's CHEAP! Only $14.97 for 13 issues! http://snurl.com/6t1 And, our own multimedia expert, Vic Ferri wants to tell you about the great offer being made by VideoMaker Magazine. You can now get a free trial issue and free Ulead CD of video editing software. No obligation, no cost. NOTE - the free CD is for US only. Other countries, free trial issue only. More info and instructions from Vic here: http://www.angelfire.com/va3/expert_guides/videomaker.html <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- *****THIS MONTH'S FEATURES***** ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> (6.) SNEAK PREVIEW OF MS OFFICE 2003 http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/chad24.htm ~ by Chad Welch <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> I'd be curious to see a survey of how many people use the different versions of Microsoft Office. My parents use Office 97. At work I use Office 2000. At school I use Office XP (2002). Now Office 2003 is slated to hit the shelves late this summer. I've been able to obtain a prerelease version and have been using it for more than a month. There are already plenty of reviews out there for the newest version. This article simply adds to that heap. I haven't seen any articles written for us simple people who use Office at home, school or small offices. I think that most changes and enhancements in Office 2003 are geared towards corporations and large organizations, so the reviewers have been writing about those changes. However, there are plenty of changes that I have been able to test and think will be a hit for all Office users. One thing that you will need to get used to if you make the switch is the phrase "Downloading from Microsoft.com.." I should have started a list of all the times I noticed it was pulling information from the web. This is a great enhancement. The Internet has such a wealth of information; I am excited anytime I see a program checking for updated or more recent information. Some things that use the Internet will still work without a live connection. For example, the Help files are installed on the computer, but it checks for updates on the web. Without an Internet connection you will see a message, "Unable to communicate with the server," but the local Help files will still be displayed. Translation and stock quotes, on the other hand, require a live connection. Speaking of translation, Office 2003 uses WorldLingo.com to translate documents. It is translated using machine translation, so it isn't perfect, but I translated a couple of documents from French and Spanish to English. The grammar was off, but I understood the gist of the documents. In other words, use the tool to translate documents that you receive in a different language, but don't try to translate your original document to a foreign language before sending it to others. For a price, WorldLingo offers to have your document proofread by a human to ensure that it is grammatically correct. Another enhancement that impressed me is the added editing features. Word has added a new view called Reading Layout. It optimizes the text in a document for the resolution of your monitor for easier reading. When I first heard of this, I thought it was hogwash, but I'm now convinced, I can read and review a document quicker when I have the view set for Reading Layout. You can also compare documents side by side. This is a very easy way to take an original document and one that has been changed and compare them. You can scroll both documents at the same time and easily find the changes. Another enhancement that has been getting mixed reviews for the last couple of years is Microsoft's error reporting and customer feedback. I have always believed that feedback by the user to the developer is a great idea. In this version of Office the error reporting is handled the same way (at least the part that we consumers see). Microsoft is now collecting information about hardware and how you use office. They use the information to identify trends and usage patterns. Ideally, they can make more enhancements and upgrades to the parts of Office that are used more often. Of course, participation is optional, but I recommend it. Well, this article is growing long, and I've barely scratched the surface. I'll add to this review next month. As you can tell, I'm excited by the new options available in Office 2003. However, I'm not sure whether the cost to upgrade is worth it or not. Next month I'll explain why. As always, if you have a topic or question that you would like to have addressed in this column send me an email with "Idea for ABC" in the subject line. If you are the first to send me the idea and I use it, I'll send you $5.00. ********************************************** Chad Welch works as a technician/enabler in Utah and is pursuing a degree in Biology. He is looking for a competitive and challenging position as a crime scene technician or forensic scientist. He is willing to relocate anywhere in the US as long as it is close enough to a good university so he can finish a bachelors and masters degree in biology or forensic science. He will also become POST certified if needed. Contact him at chad@xxxxxxxxxxxxx for more information. ******************************************** <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> (7.) MICROSOFT PATCHES: GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/mike24.htm ~ by Mike Baynes <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> As you are probably all aware, Microsoft's Windows XP is the latest and greatest Windows program from Microsoft. In their efforts to maintain the security of XP, Microsoft frequently issues Critical Updates and patches That's the good news. Unfortunately, sometimes the patches can cause unforeseen problems and that's the bad news. Most recently Microsoft issued the "Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-013" http://snurl.com/1c0h "Buffer Overrun in Windows Kernel Message Handling could Lead to Elevated Privileges (811493)" Originally posted: April 16, 2003 Updated: April 25, 2003 and http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-013.asp The installation of the patch resulted in a slowdown of many XP systems after it was installed, which was reported in many of the online news reports: Microsoft Security Patch Slows XP Systems http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,,1037305,00.asp By Mary Jo Foley Monday, April 21, 2003, who says "Microsoft is said to be looking into a fix to its kernel buffer overrun remedy." See also: Latest Windows XP Patch Slows PCs http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,110385,00.asp Joris Evers, IDG News Service Tuesday, April 22, 2003, who says "Microsoft works to repair bug in bug fix...Microsoft's latest security patch can cause computers running Windows XP to slow down to a crawl, affected users say. Windows XP can take up to ten seconds to start an application after installation of the patch released last Wednesday with security bulletin MS03-013, say some users. The complaint is echoed in dozens of postings on several online discussion boards. Removing the patch brings system speed back to normal, according to these users." There is more to both of these articles on their respective pages. The problem can be cured in most cases by removing the patch. Click on Start> Settings> Control Panel> Add and Remove Programs Scroll down the list. Near the bottom of the list of programs is the installed patch: Windows updates 4-16-2003 Windows XP Hotfix (sp1) Q811493 File size 18 MB. Click Remove You will be prompted to reboot the computer to finish the uninstall. You should be able to install the program again if you save the download to a specified location. Then shut down your Anti-Virus program and install it. Although it is frustrating to experience problems like this and earlier problems with XPSP1, we are fortunate that the problems are made public and solutions or alternatives to the problems are found. I still download the security patches as they come out. I do, however, always set a Restore Point before installing any update, download, or patch, whether it be an Anti-Virus update or a security patch. ********************************************** Mike Baynes is the editor of MikesWhatsNews. To subscribe, send a blank email to mikeswhatsnews-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" in the subject line (without the quotes) See Mike's Anti-Virus pages ~ http://virusinfo.hackfix.org To subscribe, send a blank email to: virusinfo-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with subscribe in the subject. ********************************************** <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> (8.) Special Review by Terry Dean ~ MARK JOYNER'S FAREWELL PACKAKE http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/mj.htm <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> Overall Opinion: Highly Recommended I was impressed. And if you know me, you know that doesn't happen very easily. I paid for the Mark Joyner Farewell Package when it was first offered. I've been in this business for over 6 years and have earned millions online personally, but I had to jump on the offer. There was so much invaluable code in this package that something would have had to be wrong with my head to miss it. This source code allows you to create your own products, run an affiliate program, set-up a membership site, and so much more... I received my package a few days ago and opened it up immediately. Several parts of it immediately took me by surprise. Most of the time when you read a sales letter you expect that they may be hyping it up a little. "OK, their product may be good, but it probably isn't quite as good as what they're saying. " So you take it all with a grain of salt. But the package I received actually excelled over the sales letter this time. The sales letter is a good one of course, but his package is actually much better than the sales letter represents. You can see the sales letter here, but as I said, it really doesn't do the offer full justice: http://snurl.com/1c0j In fact, here are 3 reasons why this package is the best purchase decision I've made this year (and I buy a lot). 1. Besides including all the source codes that he promised, he has included extra surprise codes. I looked through the CDs immediately and noticed several programs and source codes that Mark didn't even mention in his letter. There are even little additions in each code that will easily multiply the results and sales anyone will get from it. Mark definitely knows how to run his business and how to get code developed for maximum profits. If you use only one of these codes, then you will have gotten 10 times your value from the package. http://snurl.com/1c0j 2. The audio interviews are worth way more than the total cost of the package. I had looked at the audio interviews as the "free bonus" Mark was using to add a little additional value to the package. I was wrong. I've listened to 7 of the interviews so far... These interviews are brand new. They were created specifically for this package and include many steps, strategies, and techniques Mark Joyner personally gives you to use the source code to maximum advantage. Mark handpicked the people interviewing him on these CDs to make sure he had the cream-of-the-crop. In fact, he turns the interview around several times to actually pull never before revealed information out of the person doing the interview. The CDs are done so that some of them are on a basic level to get a beginner started. Other ones are so advanced that a pro like me was actually taking notes with plans to implement those techniques soon. No matter what level you're at, there is definitely something for you in these recordings. Even if you were drop dead lazy and never used a single source code, you would still get way more than your money's worth with these interviews. http://snurl.com/1c0j 3. You get to take part in a private support community to network and work together with other users. This is never once mentioned in the sales letter, but he has actually built a support community for all buyers. You'll find developers who can help you modify the code, top marketing experts, and a place to network with others. I don't have any idea why Mark never mentioned this in the sales copy. It easily doubles or triples the value of the package. To put it simply...you are not alone when you buy this. You instantly become a member of a closed door community who are striving for success online together. http://snurl.com/1c0j And I'm not the only one who has been impressed with the package so far. I've corresponded with Mark personally and he shared some of the other rave reviews that have come in already... Donna Knight of sitehits.com said, "After examining only part of the source code, I've seen lots of previously unrevealed gems. I really believe this package can make my company at least a million dollars with only a fraction of what's included ..." Lan Turner, the CEO of Gecko Software (geckosoftware.com) said, "It has already saved my company hundreds of thousands of man hours of my own companies' development time, in being able to implement the tools and services he has provided. Having this information handed to us as Mark has done will propel my own company forward by over a year ..." Here's what Bill Hibler of rudlreport.com said: "My package arrived yesterday morning and I haven't had much sleep since then. I bought this package for the software, plain and simple. This is just a license to print money as far as I'm concerned. I was interested in the recordings but assumed these were old interviews just thrown in to sweeten the pot. Boy, was I wrong! When I heard you refer specifically to the Farewell Package in your interview with Chayden Bates, I knew I was getting fresh information." Mark is only selling 2,000 of these packages total and with all of his partners they are moving fast. So check right now to see if the sales letter is still up. If the sales letter is still online, then you haven't missed your chance...yet: http://snurl.com/1c0j ******************************************** Terry Dean's Brand New Free eBook Reveals More Time Tested Proven Internet Marketing Secrets Than 99% of the Paid Products Available...Showing You Step-By-Step How to Increase Your Traffic, Drop Your Expenses, and Drive Your Profits Through the Roof: http://www.bizpromo.com ******************************************** <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> (9.) STEVE'S RAVIN' REVIEWS *** ~ by Steve Mills http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/steve24.htm <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> Happy Anniversary Linda and ABC. I truly hope everyone appreciates the amount of work and care she puts into this ezine. Here's my anniversary present - a Mills brain dump: * The next big Internet thing - Blogs and RSS/XML feeds. Go back to last month and look up NewsDesk and see what the fuss is all about. You can take this one to the bank. * Biggest danger to the Internet - SPAM activists - I strongly believe this - more dangerous than the spammers. I was an ISP and I can't tell you how many times we had hell raised over legitimate and requested emails. False positives in any Spam filter is the worst of all results. Programs like Cloudmark are relying on idiots and zealots to create a filter using collective wisdom - Do you think that has a chance? * Baddest of the bad - Intuit. Their choice of copy protection was criminal. Just wait till more people have to reload on a new computer. Personally, I changed to Tax Cut. It's technically inferior, but much more user friendly. Now if only someone, besides Billy's boys, would come up with a competitor for Quicken. * Good guys - The crew at ecommerce templates. http://www.ecommercetemplates.com/default.asp If you are building a web site, check these guys out. They are located in Spain, so the time difference for those of us in the U.S. can be a little cumbersome, but it's been a long time since I've seen a product developed with more care and supported with greater passion. If you're considering building a web site, check them out. * Software, I use daily (and like) - Photocopier, NetCaptor, RoboForm, MassDownloader, Task Plus, Copernic, Clipmate, Shooting Star, MusicMatch Jukebox. See my reviews of them here: http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc/authors.htm#steve * Software, I use daily (and wish I had an alternative) - Outlook - That's the list - at least the leading contender! * Favorite new hardware - Sony DVD writer and external Firewire hard drive * Hardware I want - High definition scanner, like the Epson 3200 * Something I wish would go away - The DMCA Your suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Take Care... Steve steve@xxxxxxxx ***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<> This month's reviews: <> Image Analyzer - 5 geezers <> PDFproducer - 6 geezers <> IconArt - 5 geezers <screen captures of the software interfaces online> http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/steve24.htm ***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<> Image Analyzer Version: 1.14 Date: 4/17/2003 Author: MeeSoft Web Site: http://meesoft.logicnet.dk/ Freeware Rating: 5 Geezers (EDITORS NOTE: I've had intermittent problems reaching this site, so if this link doesn't work for you, keep trying or contact Steve at steve@xxxxxxxx) I've been into graphics stuff recently and there's some good stuff out there. Adobe Photoshop Elements continues to be my workhorse in the commercial arena, but I find more and more Freeware niche programs that are very impressive. I'm sure you can create a terrific suite and never spend a cent on software. I'm used to Elements and too darn old to change! Image Analyzer gives you a wide range of tools to correct and improve virtually any photo. Some features are: * Automatic brightness, contrast, gamma and saturation adjustment * Build-in conventional and adaptive filters for noise reduction, edge extraction etc. * Deconvolution for out-of-focus and motion blur compensation * Easy red-eye removal * User specified filters in spatial and frequency domain * Resize, rotate, crop and warping of images * Scanner, camera and printer support * File format support: Read/write BMP, ICO, CUR, WMF, EMF, JPEG, PNG, PCX and JPEG 2000 images Read RAS, PNM, PGM, PPM, HIPS and Matlab files * Morphological operations * Color model conversion: RGB, CMY, HSI, Lab, YCbCr, YIQ and PCA * Distance, Fourier and discrete cosine transformation * Math expression module for creating and transforming images * Advanced *pocket* calculator with equation solver ***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<> PDFproducer Version: 1.2 Date: 2/6/2003 Author: Paras Chopra Web Site: http://naramcheez.netfirms.com Freeware Rating: 6 Geezers I very rarely give 6 Geezers, but I believe it is justified here. This is a program that does exactly what it is supposed to do. PDFproducer converts plain text into PDF documents. It does not require Acrobat to be installed on the system. It means that it does not use any component of Acrobat to produce PDF files. As it is freeware you don't have to pay anything for producing PDF documents. You can change the page size also. It offers 90, 180, 260 and 360 degrees of rotation. It also offers a choice of 3 fonts which you can use in PDF document and 3 types of predefined paper sizes. Grab this now! ***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<> IconArt Version: 1.4 Date: 4/29/2003 Author: ConWare Web Site: http://www.conware.org Freeware Rating: 5 Geezers It's been a LONG time since I messed around with creating and modifying icons, but when I was this program I couldn't resist. Boy, have they com a long way. If you just want to have some fun or have a higher purpose for creating and editing icons, you won't go wrong with this. Some of the features: * Web-based update program offering instant updates and icon packs * Vastly improved support subsite accessible directly in IconArt * FULL animated and static mouse cursor support * Simple layout - Microsoft Paint style drawing tools. * Detailed color pallet options * Multiple color depth options for different applications * Icon Assimilator - save multiple icon images in the same *.ico file * Import images from picture or clipboard * Capture icons from Dll or Exe files * Assign icons to folders * Add text * Move, rotate and flip icons * Scale image between grid sizes * Full icon transparency * Easy access to reference file * Multi-size options ***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<> Final Thought: "In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love; they had five hundred years of democracy and peace and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock." Orson Welles ********************************************** Steve Mills has been reviewing software in different capacities for many years. He has recently left his job with a search engine consulting firm and is looking for a new adventure. ******************************************** <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- **************STATION BREAK***************** ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> LOCK&HIDE from Vic Ferri High level desktop folder security for Windows 95/98/Me Keep your personal and most valuable files locked and hidden from prying eyes, viruses, and other users of your computer. Easy to use and extremely secure. Lock&Hide is an extremely easy to use program that allows you to lock and hide any folder on your desktop. Folders secured with Lock&Hide cannot be seen, found, or accessed. Your folders remain totally invisible and highly secured, yet can be accessed quckly and easily at any time! More Info here: http://personal-computer-tutor.com/lh/lockhide.htm Screenshots and instructions here: http://personal-computer-tutor.com/lh/scrnshots.htm Or download the free demo here (the demo does not include the "Restore All" feature or the password protection utility.) http://personal-computer-tutor.com/lh/demoinf.htm <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> (10.) WINDOWS SHUTDOWN & RESTART SHORTCUTS ~ by Vic Ferri http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/vic24.htm <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> To create any of these shortcuts, unless otherwise stated, right click your Desktop and choose New>Shortcut and enter the appropriate command line for your system. Once the command is entered, click Next and enter whatever name you want for the shortcut. Then click Finish. If you want to change the icon, just right click your shortcut, go to Properties and under the Shortcut tab, click Change Icon. You can also enter these commands in a bat file. To do that, simply enter the command you want in a new text document and save it with a .bat extension. You may want to add the echo off and clear sign commands to make the bat file run without displaying the command lines being executed and to make it close automatically. i.e.: @echo off RUNDLL32.EXE user,exitwindows cls WINDOWS 95/98 ONLY Shutdown command RUNDLL32.EXE user,exitwindows Restart Command C:\WINDOWS\RUNDLL.EXE user.exe,exitwindowsexec Quick Restart Method This will restart Windows (win.com) quickly without going through the entire boot process - great for refreshing the registry after changes to it in order to make them take effect. The typical way to do the same without a shortcut is to click Start>Shutdown and hold down the shift key after selecting Restart and clicking OK. Note - before beginning this, make sure you are not hiding file extensions. Open any Folder and click View>Folder Options> in Windows 95 or Tools>Folder Options>View tab in Windows 98, and remove the checkmark from "Hide extensions of known file types" if there. Once done, click Ok to save your changes and proceed as follows: Right click your desktop and choose New>Text Document. Type this line only: @EXIT and save the document. Now rename your text document with a BAT extension. i.e.: Restart.BAT Move the bat file to your C: drive and then right click and drag it to your desktop to create a shortcut to it. Right click the new shortcut and under properties, click the Program tab and put a checkmark next to "Close on Exit". Under the Advanced tab put a checkmark next to "MSDOS Mode" and uncheck "Warn Before Entering MSDOS mode". Click OK twice to save your changes and close. You now have a desktop icon that when clicked will restart Windows without rebooting. WINDOWS 98/ME ONLY Shutdown rundll32.exe shell32.dll,SHExitWindowsEx 1 Restart rundll32.exe shell32.dll,SHExitWindowsEx 2 Log Off only rundll32.exe shell32.dll,SHExitWindowsEx 0 Force a shutdown rundll32.exe shell32.dll,SHExitWindowsEx 4 The above will shutdown any running processes and shutdown your computer without saving any data or warning. It should only be used if you have problems shutting down normally. Note the numbers at the end of each of the above command lines. They are what make the different actions possible and they can be combined. The most common combination is using the Force shutdown action with a restart. Restart = 2 Force =4, so you would just add 6 to the end of the main command line: rundll32.exe shell32.dll,SHExitWindowsEx 6 If your computer supports the power-off feature, you can also use the number 8 which is a Power Off action which will not only shutdown your computer, but turn off the power too. rundll32.exe shell32.dll,SHExitWindowsEx 8 To summarize: 0 = Logoff 1 = Shutdown 2 = Restart 4 = Forced Shutdown 8 = Power Off (Shutdown and turn off Power) Another restart method is by using this command in a shortcut: RUNONCE.EXE -q What the above will do is bring up the familiar Windows setup dialog box with the progress bar indicating that Windows will restart in 15 seconds. WINDOWS 2000 AND XP Windows 2000 and XP come with their own shortcut utility, shutdown.exe but it isn't the greatest as it does not do a complete shutdown of XP and doesn't always work that great in 2000 either. It doesn't usually shutdown your entire computer - it just shuts down Windows to the point of "It's Now Safe To Turn Off Your Computer". For both 2000 and XP, I recommend a better shutdown utility developed by a Microsoft MVP - Andrej Budja - which you can download from my Wintips&Tricks File section if you are a member (and if not, you are most welcome to join) I named it shutdown2.exe so that the original shutdown.exe in 2000 and XP won't be overwritten. After downloading, place it in your Windows\System32 folder. Then, back at your desktop, use the following command lines for your shortcuts. Shutdown shutdown2.exe -u -t 0 Restart shutdown2.exe -r -t 0 Log Off shutdown2.exe -I Note the -t switch, this stands for TIME. -t 0 means the shutdown or reboot action will begin immediately without delay after clicking your shortcut. If you wanted to hold off the shutdown and restart for a certain length of time, for whatever reason, then just indicate the number of seconds after the -t. i.e. -t 30 would wait 30 seconds before shutting down or restarting. If you'd like to try the default shutdown utility shipped with XP and 2k, click Start>Run and type SHUTDOWN /? This will show you all the options you can use with it. You can also use this method to see all your options for shutdown2.exe.Just type SHUTDOWN2 /? instead. You can also create hibernate or standby shortcuts. For this, Windows own shortcut utility works fine. For standby use: shutdown.exe -s For hibernate use: shutdown.exe -h You can use the - t switch with the above as well. In fact, you can use the -t with any of the shutdown actions. i.e.: shutdown.exe -s -t 45 would countdown 45 seconds before beginning standby. You might also find it convenient to assign keyboard shortcuts to any of your shutdown shortcuts. A handy one might be for the straight shutdown shortcut. Assign it to Ctrl-Alt -S, for example. To do this: Right click the shutdown shortcut you created on your desktop and go to Properties. There you will see the Shortcut key box. Just type S in the box and it will change to Ctr-Alt-S. Click Ok to save your changes and you are done. Another shutdown tool that ships with 2000 and XP is tsshutdn.exe that is mostly used for shutting down servers. You can find out more about this here, if you are interested: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320188 ******************************************** Vic Ferri owns the very popular WinTips and Tricks email group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WinTips-Tricks He is also in charge of the Printing Tips page at Linda's Computer Stop. http://personal-computer-tutor.com/printing.htm and also the Registry Tips page. http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc1/v4/vic4.htm Vic has also created a program which allows you to Lock & Hide desktop folders in Windows 9X/ME. Read more and get the free demo here. http://personal-computer-tutor.com/lh/lockhide.htm And, he now offers a service to convert PowerPoint presentations to .exe files which can be viewed on computers which do not have PowerPoint installed. http://www.angelfire.com/va3/vic3/index.html ******************************************** <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> (11.) TWO HELPFUL POWERPOINT TIPS & Info on the PPTLive Conference ~ by Kathryn Jacobs http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/kath24.htm <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> Two issues have recently become very popular in my email and on the various PowerPoint discussion boards. This month, I am going to offer suggestions on both of them, plus another place to get some great PowerPoint advice. Tip 1: OLE Links vs. Servers OLE links and OLE servers are a common cause of confusion for PowerPoint users. Both are ways to get information into your presentation that is developed elsewhere, but they cause drastically different results to your presentation. OLE Links You should use OLE links to link to the output of another program. If you wanted to include an existing Word file, but still wanted to be able to edit that file in Word, you would use an OLE link to get the file. To do this, you would use the Insert->Object menu option and select "From File". Then, you would be able to browse to the file on your hard drive and link to it. There is a potential problem with linking to a file. Since PowerPoint uses absolute addresses when linking files, distribution of the presentation gets a little tricky. If you are going to share the presentation, you should be sure to place the file to be linked in the same folder as your presentation and then link to it. OLE Servers OLE servers should be used when you need to create a file during your presentation from another application. In this case, you are imbedding a whole copy of another application (or at least the information needed to set it up) into your presentation. If the other application is an Office application (such as Word), the overhead isn't that much. However, if the application is not an Office application, you will be adding a lot to your file size. You won't have the problems related to finding the file that you do when you link, but your presentation is much more likely to bloat and corrupt. A real life example This issue was brought to my attention via a presentation that was bloated and corrupted for no known reason. One of the people working on the presentation asked me to help diagnosis what was going on. When we looked at the "Properties" for the presentation, we noticed that there were entries for both types of OLE objects. In this user's case, instead of insert clip art from the Gallery, the actual Gallery had been imbedded multiple times. When the gallery objects were removed and replaced with the clip art desired, the presentation size shrunk back to expected size. I am not suggesting never use OLE Servers. There are very logical places for them, especially if your presentation is designed to train users on a specific application. I am suggesting that you decide ahead of time whether you need the application or the file and work from there. Tip 2: Sounds The other issue that has been on the boards lately is adding sounds to your presentation. There are a few basic rules to keep in mind when using sounds in PowerPoint: * All sound files are linked unless they are WAV files * WAV files are only imbedded up to the size defined on the Tools->Option window * The default maximum size for imbedding WAV files is 10,000K * The actual maximum size for imbedding WAV files is 50,000K * You cannot fade, edit, or merge sounds natively in PowerPoint * If you are using sound files other than WAVs, put them in your presentation directory, then insert them All is not lost on the sound front. Chirag Dalal has developed an addin to allow you to change the volume of your sounds while your presentation is running. Check out the Volume Control add-in at his site. http://officerone.tripod.com/volctrl/volctrl.html (By the way, Chirag is one of the new Microsoft MVP's for PowerPoint.) <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> Join me at PPTLive! http://www.pptlive.com/ Looking to get some great PowerPoint training and information at a very reasonable price? Join me at the first PPTLive in Tucson, AZ from October 12 to October 15, 2003 at the Radisson. This reasonably priced conference will provide exactly the answers you are looking for! Who is putting the conference on? PPTLive is being organized by R Altman Digital Productions. While this is the first PowerPoint conference they have done, they are not new to the conference business. The Altman crew has been putting on CorelWorld every year since 1989. Assisting with the design and presentation of PPTLive are some of the biggest names in the PowerPoint on-line community: Rick Altman Cliff Atkinson Geetesh Bajaj Bill Blinn Sonia Coleman April Dalke Kathryn Jacobs Glen Miller Brian Riley Steve Rindsberg How is the conference structured? PPTLive is not just for the computer or PowerPoint guru. It starts Sunday with pre-conference sessions on basic topics. These sessions are introductions to PowerPoint, digital photography, animation, and images. Each of these sessions costs US$95. During the remainder of the conference, information will be presented in sessions divided into three tracks: The Tool Shed, The Studio, and The Corner Pub. What kind of information will be presented in each of these tracks? Let's check out what the PPTLive site has to say: * The Tool Shed: Tips, tricks, techniques, and strategies to help you better understand PowerPoint and become more proficient and effective with it. * The Studio: The softer side of presenting: Incorporating photos, using graphics, employing tasteful effects, perfecting your message. * The Corner Pub: Less formal presentations: Lots of Q&A sessions, round-table discussions, and workshops on specialized topics. The formal sessions presented during the conference will be done presentation style to groups of participants. Have no fear: There is still a large hands-on segment to the conference. Each day from 9:30 a.m. to the end of the conference day, there is a full staff of experts standing by in the Help Center ready to answer any question you have. There will be computers available for your use and personnel ready to attack your problems and help you figure out solutions. What can I learn about? Conference sessions cover a wide variety of PowerPoint related topics. The majority of the sessions are designed to help you improve what you do in PowerPoint, how things look when you do them, and how to wow your viewers. There will be sessions on graphics, automation of presentations, building and using macros, existing PowerPoint tools, expert tips, templates, PowerPoint 2003, and presentation makeovers. If that isn't enough, there will be roundtables on finding help, Section 508 (accessibility of presentations), and PowerPoint gotchas. Is the conference all work? In addition to the work and learning, PPTLive participants will have plenty of time for fun and games. For example, there is a trivia contest Tuesday after the sessions which is guaranteed to get your funny bone acting up. If that isn't enough fun, that same evening PowerPointAnswers will be hosting a cookout with food provided by the folks at OutdoorCook.com. (Yeah, you read that right, yours truly has been convinced to cook a meal for those participants who RSVP. Food should be great, company even better!) Add to this the Prize Train which will make regular stops throughout the conference, free lunches on Monday and Tuesday, and an opening reception Sunday night, and you come up with one great conference plan! So.. What's it cost? The conference itself costs US$750 for those who register before July 1st, US$795 for those who register after that. Hotel rooms at facility are available for US$124 while rooms are available. You will need to provide your own dinner Sunday and Monday nights, as well as lunch on Wednesday. All other breakfasts and lunches are included. Hope to see you all there!... http://www.pptlive.com/ ********************************************** Kathryn Jacobs, BrainBench MVP, MS PowerPoint Get PowerPoint answers at http://www.powerpointanswers.com Cook anything outdoors with http://www.outdoorcook.com Kathy is a trainer, writer, Girl Scout, parent, and whatever else there is time for. I believe life is meant to be lived. But, if we live without making a difference, it makes no difference that we lived. ******************************************** <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- **************STATION BREAK***************** ^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^- <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> Do you want to know the latest on FrontPage? Do you want Tips, news, articles, links and ebooks on FrontPage? Well the AnyFrontPage Bytes Ezine is the best place for your FrontPage and web crafting needs, join up at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AnyFrontPageBytes Are you looking for resources for FrontPage? Want to know where all the best FP links are? The hosts, the lists, the forums? Use AccessFP - FrontPage Resources Centre as the start site for your FrontPage Information facts. http://accessfp.net <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> (12.) All About Publishing with FrontPage 2002 *** PART II: I'VE DONE MY HOMEWORK. CAN I PUBLISH NOW? ~ by Tina Clarke http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/tina24.htm <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> So, you've read Part I of this article http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v23/tina23.htm and you've reserved your domain name, built and prepared your site and are now ready to get your content up on a server. Depending on your personal choices when you selected a web host you will now want to publish your website to a server with FrontPage Server Extensions or FTP for the first time. Publishing To a Web Server (HTTP) Log onto the Internet. Open your web within FrontPage and make sure all pages are closed. Click on the navigation view and then go to Tools | Recalculate Hyperlinks - as outlined under 'Making a checklist' in Part I GoTo File | Publish Web. In the 'Publish Destination' dialog box that pops up insert the location of the web server you wish to publish to (e.g. http://accessfp.net/ ) and press OK. A dialog box may appear asking if you want to create a web at that location, press OK to enable this to happen. Next the 'Enter Network Password' dialog box will pop up. Type in the user name and password that were given to you by your host in the welcome emails. To save you re-entering these next time you publish, tick the box marked 'Save this password in your password list'. This makes sure only authorized users can access your web server. NOTE: Always keep a hard copy in case your computer crashes. FrontPage will think about it for a while and after your user name and password have been verified by the web server the 'Publish web' dialog box will appear and fill up in the left pane with the site you're publishing FROM and in the right pane the server or drive you're publishing TO. NOTE: If your 'Publish Web' dialog box does not look like the one I show here: http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v24/tina24.htm you might have your 'Show/Hide' button selected in 'Hide' mode. Just click the 'Show' button on the bottom right if so. NOTE: Next time you publish the website the location will already be filled in for you. FrontPage will compare the remote files (the one's on the web server you're publishing TO) with the ones you are publishing FROM and will then transfer only files that have changed since the last time you published. Before you press that Publish button click the Options button on the lower left hand side. Click the Publish Tab and, since this is the first time you have published, make sure the 'All pages, overwriting all pages already on destination' radio button is selected. NOTE: Next time you publish make sure the 'Changed pages only' radio button is selected, though it should be. Thereafter you can ignore this feature, unless you need to change the status. In the same 'Publish' Tab under 'Changes' the 'Determine changes by comparing source and destination webs' radio button is selected by default, or you can change this to the 'Use source file timestamps to determine changes since publish'. This means FrontPage will look at the local publish logs and publish any updated pages since the last publish date. NOTE: Be aware that if your sharing uploading with anyone else it can cause problems as the most recent files might not be the correct files. It is best to use the default option. You can choose to 'log changes during publish', which I think is a good idea. Sometimes you need to check if files have been published or deleted. There is an option to tick the box marked 'Include subwebs', however, in my experience, it is always best to publish subwebs by themselves. Merely open up the subweb in FrontPage and, when asked for the path, instead of using, for example http://accessfp.net/, insert http://www.accessfp.net/msbulletinarchives/, where /msbulletinarchives/ is the name of the subweb. (example. www.yoursite.com/yoursubweb) When you have completed your Option selections press OK. NOW you can press that publish button. The 'Publish Web' dialog box will disappear and a box comes up that shows the progress as your files are uploading. The time this takes depends on the size of the web you're uploading and the speed of your connection. Once your transfer is complete, FrontPage give you two choices of: Click here to view your published site Click here to view your publish log file Clicking either will open up your web browser to display the site or the log. You can then press 'Done'.-- Make sure you do this before logging off from the internet. NOTES: 1. FrontPage 2002 now allows you to continue editing pages while it is publishing. 2. If you cancel publishing in the middle of the operation, files that have already been published remain on the destination Web server. Managing Your Publishing Process Selective Publishing All files are, by default, marked for publishing, this is a setting that can be changed in the 'Publish Web' dialog box however. For instance, you might have a page that is not quite ready, so if you right click on a page and choose page properties then click the 'Workgroup' tab and tick the box marked 'Exclude this file when publishing the rest of the web' then press OK, that file won't be published. There are a number of ways to do this. For instance, you can select files at the point of publishing or through the folders view en masse. Go to File | Publish Web |. When the 'Publish Web' dialog box comes up, in the left hand pane either select a row of files by holding down the Shift key on the keyboard and clicking on the first file to be selected and then the last and the ones in-between will be selected, then right click and choose 'Don't Publish'. They will then be marked with a bright red circle with a white cross in it. Or you can select individual files in the column by holding down the Ctrl key on the keyboard and selecting them with the left mouse button, and the, again, right click and choose 'Don't Publish'. If you want to select the files through the 'Folders View, the same method applies. NOTE: If you want to change the publishing status, just right click on a file and choose 'Publish selected Files'. After you publish your first web site, if you have a guest book or discussion web and then later update your web site and publish all your files, your guestbook and discussion web content will be replaced with a blank page. Include pages with hit counters will also be over written, so it's important you choose to publish only those files that have changed. FrontPage compares the files in the working web site on your hard drive to the published files on the web server of the host and if FrontPage detects a newer version of a file on your hard drive, the file will be published to the Web Server (unless you specify otherwise). If you need to publish all pages again you should open the website live and keep a copy of the content files for the guestbook and discussion web. Publishing Single or Selected files If you just want to publish one file or a few selected files, go to the Folders List or Folders View. Select the files you want to publish by holding down the Shift key on the keyboard and clicking on the first file to be selected and then the last and the ones in-between will be selected, then right click and choose 'Publish selected files'. Or, you can select individual files in the column by holding down the Ctrl key on the keyboard and selecting them with the left mouse button. The 'Publish Destination' dialog box will appear. Make sure the location is correct. If not, type it in or browse to it and press OK. A dialog box will appear called 'Confirm copy' and proceed to publish the files you have selected. Using this method, however, the 'Done' dialog box will not appear. This can be a problematic method however and should be used sparingly. Errors may occur and FrontPage might be prevented in transferring all files so it's best to publish the entire web every now and again if you use this method so FrontPage can make sure everything is up-to-date. Publishing to an FTP Server This is basically the same method however you publish to a ftp location instead of a http. e.g., ftp.thedomain.com. The host will give you the details you need, similar to the http publish details outlined in Part !. You will be prompted for a user name and password, if this is the first time you have published to this destination and FrontPage will warn you that a web does not exist and ask if you wish to create one. Click OK. You can also use a third party publishing application such as WS FTP PRO http://www.ipswitch.com/ or WS FTP Lite http://www.tucows.com/preview/195136.html or Cute FTP http://www.cuteftp.com/ Publishing To a Location on Your Hard Drive Again you use the same method but your destination is your hard drive. If you're using disk based webs it will look something like this: C://my documents/my webs/nameofweb TROUBLESHOOTING 1. HTML Filenames are case sensitive I recommend you upload your files in lowercase only. If you have already made your web with uppercase file names Jimco has a FREE FrontPage add-on at http://www.jimcoaddins.com/com.aspx called Case Changer 1.5 FrontPage 2k0/02, that will change all uppercase file names back to lowercase for you. This is a life saver when working with Unix servers! They have another add-on called Space Replacer FrontPage 2k0/02, which replaces spaces in file and folder names with an underscore character. When you write your html files, be sure to refer to any image or other html files in lowercase also. Your HTML and actual filenames must match exactly, in order for your page to display correctly. 2. Member Names and Passwords are case sensitive so make sure to check whetther or not your cap lock key is on. Remember that your Member Name and Password are case sensitive and you must enter them exactly as shown on your Welcome email: e.g., if your member name is "joe", entering JOE will not work. This also applies to your password, and the names of any files you upload. 3. If, after you publish your web site, certain components don't work: You may have published to a Web server that does not have the most recent version of the Microsoft FrontPage Server Extensions or SharePoint Team Services from Microsoft. Without the server extensions, certain features will not work, such as most form handlers, search forms, and hit counters. Check with your Internet service provider or web site administrator to find out if the Web server you are publishing to has the necessary server extensions. 4. If you want to publish a file that you originally set as Don't Publish. On the File menu, click 'Publish Web'. Right-click the file, and click Properties on the pop dialog box. Click the Workgroup tab. Untick the check box that says 'Exclude this file when publishing the rest of the Web'. 5. If you re-publish a web site with a guestbook that has site visitors' input, and now the pages are blank: Certain files should not be published again after you first publish your web site. If you have created and published a web site with a guestbook, and then later update your web site and publish all of your files, your guestbook will be replaced by a blank one, causing you to lose all of your information. Other examples include pages with a hit counter or discussion web sites. 6. If your SharePoint Team Services document library, interactive list, or survey is not published when you publish your web: If your web site contains a SharePoint Team Services document library, interactive list, or survey, you must author your web site directly on a server that is running SharePoint Team Services from Microsoft. 7. If you can't publish your Web site based on SharePoint Team Services to another server. Because a Web site based on SharePoint Team Services from Microsoft contains certain components that only work on the server on which they were authored, you can't publish it elsewhere. Happy publishing! ******************************************** Tina Clarke is the Webmaster of AccessFP - FrontPage Resource Centre at http://accessfp.net and an editor of "AnyFrontPage Bytes Ezine". Subscribe to the FrontPage ezine and get FREE FrontPage E-Books upon joining. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AnyFrontPageBytes ******************************************** <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> <>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<> Well, gang.....that's about it for this edition of ABC ~ All 'Bout Computers. I sure hope you enjoyed it! If any of it was over your head and you need some clarification from one of the Fleet, just send me an email to linda@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and I will pass it on to them. Remember that they do this in their spare time on a voluntary basis, so you might have to wait for an answer. To make all things work more quickly, include as many details as you can in your email and make your questions as specific as possible. Also, feel free to write to me and let us know what you want the Fleet to teach you. This is YOUR newsletter! Happy computing, my friends! Linda Johnson http://personal-computer-tutor.com ********************************************* READ THIS CAREFULLY! ********************************************* ------------------------------------- (13.) SUBSCRIPTION MANAGEMENT ------------------------------------- If this newsletter was forwarded to you and you would like to subscribe, send an email to abcomputers-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=subscribe To unsubscribe, send an email to abcomputers-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=unsubscribe Or, you can go to the homepage for this text newsletter and subscribe, unsubscribe, or change any of your subscription preferences: //www.freelists.org/webpage/abcomputers This FREE publication is sent ONLY to people who have requested it. Note: My subscriber list is NOT made available to other companies. I value every subscriber and respect your privacy. Do you know anyone who might be interested in receiving this newsletter? Please feel free to forward it on to them and invite them to subscribe. ------------------------------------- (14.) CONTACT INFORMATION ------------------------------------- Routine Disclaimer: Although I make an effort to check out every advertisement and link, I cannot assume responsibility for the actions of my advertisers, or the availability of links. You use the information provided at your own risk, it is always wise to back up your data before editing. All advice given in this newsletter/ezine or at Linda's Computer Stop is given with the best of intentions and should only be taken as a suggestion and not a definite fix to a problem. ABC ~ All 'Bout Computers and Linda's Computer Stop are the property of Linda F. Johnson. The views expressed by readers or contributors are not necessarily those of Linda F. Johnson and, as editor, she reserves the right to deny inclusion of any contributions if she feels they could be harmful to someone's computer. However, just because she allows it to be included, does not mean she is responsible if it causes problems. ALL READERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN COMPUTERS! Please help promote ABComputers by linking to my sites. http://personal-computer-tutor.com http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc or, click on these links to become an affiliate under me and you will earn money if you sell any of my ebooks (or any other books published by these companies, for that matter): http://newbieclub.com/cgi-bin/sgx/d.cgi?affiliate-buntah http://intellectua.com/cgi-bin/sgx/d.cgi?affiliates-10456 Thank you for reading "ABC ~ All 'Bout Computers". (Copyright) 2001, 2002, 2003 - ABC ~ All 'Bout Computers, Linda F. Johnson, MA. ABC may only be redistributed in its unedited form. Written permission from the editor must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this newsletter. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to any of your associates who might benefit from this information. If you are receiving this issue as a forward, and would like to get your own free subscription, please see subscription management above, or visit http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc/abcomputersarchives.htm to see back issues. Thank you and I hope to continue to bring you a newsletter that you will actually want to read. Linda Johnson http://personal-computer-tutor.com linda@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ******************************************************** PLEASE READ!! You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to it, either through YahooGroups, Freelists, Ecumuli Ezine Finder, or FreeTechMail. If you no longer want to receive it, go here to unsubscribe or set yourself on vacation (which is Freelists' version of "no mail"). //freelists.org/webpage/abcomputers ********************************************************