Sorcerer Software Users Newsletter Issue 0404 Welcome to our monthly newsletter, covering the latest updates, tips and user questions about our software programs. If you have an issue or question you would like to see addressed in a future newsletter, either by me or by your fellow users, please email me and I'll include it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- April 30, 2004 CONTENTS: 1. The Abacus 2. Envelope Printer 3. Commentary on solar power (continued from last month) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Abacus http://www.TheAbacus.biz Some users have reported to me problems when installing the Word add-in version of Abacus onto computers with Word (or Office) 2003. This is the problem I want to address this month. With the release of Word 2003, Microsoft has gotten more serious about security. If you have Word 2003 and look at the available security options ("Tools- >Macros->Security"), you still find "High", "Medium", and "Low". But in addition, there is now a new setting: "Very High". This highest setting does not allow many add-in files, including Abacus, to load when Word starts up, and therefore Abacus can't be used if this security setting is selected. So if you wish to use Abacus with Word 2003, your security setting should be set to "High". But there is a second problem. When the Word security setting is at "High" (and this applies to earlier versions of Word as well), Word will not automatically load Abacus, but instead will ask you if that's what you really want to do. Here's the way it will go, and this is how the problem should be handled: When you start Word and see the "Security Warning", it will say that the macro file it is trying to load contains macros from Abacus Medical Systems. At the bottom of this warning screen is a checkbox that says "Always trust macros from this publisher". If this checkbox is NOT grayed out, check it and then click on the Enable Macros button. You should then be all set. If the checkbox IS grayed out, look in the upper right section of the screen where you should see a button labeled "Details". Click on the Details button to open a screen entitled "Digital Signature Details". Halfway down this screen is a button that says "View Certificate". Click on this button to open the "Certificate" screen. At the bottom of the Certificate screen you will find the "Install Certificate" button. Click on this button to start the "Certificate Import Wizard". You should now be at the Certificate Import Wizard screen. Click on the "Next" button. At the top of the next screen it will say "Certificate Store". The selection "Automatically select the certificate store..." will probably be selected. Underneath this, click on the "Next" button. It will then tell you that you have successfully completed the process. Click on the "Finish" button and click your way back to the Security Warning screen. You should now be able to enable the macros in the Abacus (see the first paragraph above). I know this sounds a bit complex, but on the other hand it's something you will need to do only once. So if you upgrade to Word 2003 and wish to install Abacus, just print out this part of the newsletter, follow the instructions, and you should be in business. The current version 3.0 Abacus build is 040402. If you have an earlier build of version 3.0, you may want to download and upgrade to this build. This is the Word "add-in" version. To get your Abacus version and build number, start Abacus and click on the copyright message at the bottom of the main screen. The current Abacus SE build is 040415. If you have an earlier build of Abacus SE, you may want to download and upgrade to this build. This is the freestanding version. To get your build number, start Abacus and click on "Help->About". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Envelope Printer http://www.sorcerersoftware.com/envelope.htm I recently received this email from a registered program user: "I am using v 7.0 of Envelope Printer. It has been working beautifully except suddenly now it won't print my return address. I have tried different things like deleting and re-entering the return address. I have previewed and the address and return address are there, but upon printing the address is there but not the return address." Perhaps you have had this or a similar problem. If so, here are a few things to think about: 1. Make sure you have a return address entered into the program. To do this, just start Envelope Printer and then press the F3 key to open the Return Address screen. The default return address should be displayed. If it isn't, you need to enter one if you wish to use return addresses. 2. Make sure you haven't check the checkbox, "Don't print a return address". You will find this option on the Return Address screen. 3. If it still doesn't work, try deleting the file "return.add" (you'll find it in the Envelope Printer folder, "c:\envelope") and then enter and save a new return address. The "return.add" file is the return address database file. Envelope Printer will create a new one if you delete the old one and enter a return address using the Return Address screen. But none of these ended up being our mystery user's problem. He checked these steps, and then emailed me upon discovering the source of his problem (Eureka!): "I have stumbled upon the answer -- something in the printer software had somehow gotten set at a smaller paper size than normal -- which cut off the return address." Sometimes we solve computer problems by careful analysis and checking our system one step at a time. And sometimes we just get lucky. The current Envelope Printer build is 040125 of version 7.0. If you have an earlier build or version, you may want to download and upgrade to this build. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Commentary on solar power (continued from last month)... University of Toledo researchers have found a way to increase energy production using red wine. One challenge in making solar cells more efficient is countering the effects of bad spots. These spots drain current, making devices like solar cells less efficient. The researchers have found a way to use properties of the bad spots to seal them off from the working area of the cell. The researchers used the method to boost the efficiency of a cadmium telluride/cadmium sulfide solar cell from 2 percent to 11 percent. The researchers fixed the problem by using red wine to cause electrochemical reactions where the currents are drawn to the bad spots that blocked those spots. A mixture of an acid, water and aniline also works, according to the researchers. http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/rnb_031904.asp?trk=nl -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That's all, folks. Look for our next newsletter in about 4 weeks... -- Bill bill@sorcerersoftware.com Sorcerer Software http://www.sorcerersoftware.com To read all the old newsletters, go to: http://www.sorcerersoftware.com/archives.htm To be removed from our mailing list, send me an email with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.