Computer Info – May 8, 2002

 

No Meeting This Week

           

 

Special Notice

            Are you getting tired of reading this message about the library replacing the carpeting – well, guess what – here’s another message.  The library has canceled the use of the auditorium until June 12th.

 

Viewers

PaperPort Viewer

            Have you received a MAX files as an attachment and wondered what to do with it?  MAX files are created in PaperPort and the files are not viewable in your normal graphics programs or viewers.   You can download the PaperPort Viewer from  http://www.stack.com/#paperport  (scroll down and select the PaperPort Viewer).  This does a nice job of viewing the files.

 

Gedcom Viewer

            GedView is a great self-contained (no need to install) program that allows you to see a gedcom file without having to have a genealogy program to import it into.  It displays the information in a format that is similar to a genealogy program.  It can be downloaded from

                        http://www.chabot.demon.nl/genealog/gedview.htm

 

Gedcom Reader

            This is a beautiful little program that I found that will read a gedcom file and create it into a very nice spreadsheet display that can be sorted.  It will also allow you to save it in a comma delimited type file that can be read into any spreadsheet program.               http://www.yate74.freeserve.co.uk/GedReader/ged_read_faq.htm

My biggest problem with this program is how to pay for it and how much --- since it is a 15 day trail version.  But it is not easy to find out how you would pay for it.

 

PowerPoint Viewer

            Go to the Microsoft web site and search for PowerPoint Viewer or ppview.exe to download a free viewer for viewing PowerPoint files.

 

Word Document Viewer

            Go to the Microsoft web site and search for Word Viewer to download a free viewer for viewing Word documents when you don’t have Word installed on your computer.

 

Windows XP – Add or Remove Programs

            Have you been to Windows XP’s Add or Remove Programs and found a number of Windows XP Hotfix items listed.  These are the Critical Updates that you have installed from the Windows Update page from Microsoft.  The note that you see listed after it (ex. See Q309521 for more information) tell you the number (or name) of the support document that tells you about what the update is suppose to correct.  You can search the Microsoft website for this document.  You can also search your computer for this document – which will be a log of what files were changed and what registry entries were changed by this update.

            The other item listed under the Add or Remove Programs that read Windows XP Application Compatibility Update (Q313484) is also a patch that Microsoft keeps updating to try to make your operating system compatible with more and more software programs.  If you read the support document (Q313484) you will see the list of programs.