Simple Help » Office http://www.simplehelp.net Common questions, simple answers Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:12:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 How to add bookmarking functionality to the OpenOffice.org suite of tools http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/08/05/how-to-add-bookmarking-functionality-to-the-openofficeorg-suite-of-tools/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/08/05/how-to-add-bookmarking-functionality-to-the-openofficeorg-suite-of-tools/#comments Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:30:11 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/?p=818 Add-Ons -> [...]]]>

Using the excellent Bookmarks Menu extension for OpenOffice.org, you can easily bookmark files, commands, shell commands and macros from within the OpenOffice.org apps – and quickly access them from those same apps.

  1. First up, download the extension. If you need help installing extensions, see this tutorial.
  2. Once installed, select Tools -> Add-Ons -> Bookmarks Menu… from any of the OpenOffice.org apps.

  3. The Edit Bookmarks Menu window will appear. You can explore the options from this section, but may want to hold off until you’re a bit more familiar with using the extension. For now, click OK.


    4. click to enlarge

  4. Open one of the OpenOffice.org programs (for this example I opened a document with Writer). A new Bookmark menu item will appear. Select it, and choose Bookmark This Document… from the drop-down list.

  5. Similar to bookmarking sites in your web browser, give the file (bookmark) a name and click OK.

  6. And now you’ll be able to quickly access that file from within any of the OpenOffice.org applications!

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/08/05/how-to-add-bookmarking-functionality-to-the-openofficeorg-suite-of-tools/feed/ 0 How to install OpenOffice.org extensions http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/08/05/how-to-install-openofficeorg-extensions/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/08/05/how-to-install-openofficeorg-extensions/#comments Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:30:25 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/?p=815 Extension Manager… Click the Add… button in the Extension Manager. click to enlarge [...]]]>

This brief tutorial will guide you through installing OpenOffice.org extensions.

  1. First up, download the extension you want to use. Save it to your desktop (or any location on your hard drive, just remember where).
  2. Launch OpenOffice.org and select Tools -> Extension Manager…

    3. openoffice.org tools drop-down menu

  3. Click the Add… button in the Extension Manager.


    4. click to enlarge

  4. Navigate to the extension you’ve already downloaded and would like to install (extensions end with .oxt). Select it and then click Open.


    5. click to enlarge

  5. Depending on the extension, you may have to agree to a license agreement – and the main window may provide some instructions on how to use that extension – so it’s worth reading. When you’re done, click Accept.


    6. click to enlarge

  6. If you select the small “arrow” next to My Extensions the list will expand, revealing the extensions you have installed. That’s it!


    7. click to enlarge

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/08/05/how-to-install-openofficeorg-extensions/feed/ 0 How to use the Content Library feature of Publisher 2007 http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/07/15/how-to-use-the-content-library-feature-of-publisher-2007/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/07/15/how-to-use-the-content-library-feature-of-publisher-2007/#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:30:15 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/?p=652 Windows

This tutorial will show you how to add items to the Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 Content Library, and then re-use them whenever you want.

The Publisher Content Library is a repository of frequently used items. You can add frequently used phrases (text), images, even entire text boxes – to the library. Then when you want to re-use an item, just pull it from the content library and add it to your document.

  1. Right-click on the item you want to add to your content library (in this case an image – see the screenshot below) and select Add to Content Library…

    2. right click an image in microsoft publisher and select add content to library

  2. Give the item a descriptive name in the Title: field. You can also add it to a Category to make finding pieces of content easier once you have a lot of them.

    3. content library adding an item window
    click to enlarge

  3. To re-use an item, make sure the Task Pane is displayed (select View -> Task Pane).

    4. publisher view task pane menu

  4. Select the top menu of the Task Pane and select Content Library from the drop-down list.

    5. task pane menu with content library selected

  5. All of the items in your content library will be displayed.

    6. publisher content library

  6. To insert one into your current document, click it and select Insert from the drop-down list. That item will be added to your document.

    7. insert an item from the content library into a document

  7. You can also drag items right out of the content library into your document. It can be easier/faster to place the item this way.

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/07/15/how-to-use-the-content-library-feature-of-publisher-2007/feed/ 0 How to transfer Outlook auto-complete addresses to a new computer http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/07/07/how-to-transfer-outlook-auto-complete-addresses-to-a-new-computer/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/07/07/how-to-transfer-outlook-auto-complete-addresses-to-a-new-computer/#comments Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:00:32 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/?p=633 Office

I’m very pleased to introduce the 2nd guest blogger at Simple Help, Aseem Kishore. Aseem is a technology enthusiast and lead blogger for Online-Tech-Tips, a terrific how-to site I’d strongly suggest you subscribe to.

-Ross

If you’re one of the millions of people using Microsoft Outlook, either at home or at the office, you’ve probably had to move your email from one computer to another at some point in time. Transferring Outlook emails, calendar, contacts and tasks is a fairly simple procedure, but it would also be nice to transfer the autocomplete addresses we’ve come to depend on.

In case you’re not sure what I am talking about, autocomplete is when you open a new email form and begin typing in an address into the To: box:

outlook autocomplete

Notice that I typed the letter c and several Outlook contacts automatically appeared below. These are addresses that I have previously sent emails to and that’s why they show up. This is extremely useful if someones email address is very different from their name because all you have to remember is there name instead of “greek_god109293@supermail.com”!

So here are the steps in order to successfully transfer the auto-complete history to another computer.

  1. If Outlook is open, go ahead and close it.
  2. Next you’ll have to turn on viewing of hidden files, so go to My Computer in XP or Computer in Vista, then go to Tools and finally Folder Options. In Vista, you might have to press ALT in order to see the menu.

    3. XP Folder Options

  3. Click on the View tab and then select the Show hidden files and folders radio button under the Hidden Files and Folders option. Also make sure the Hide extensions for known file types checkbox directly below hidden files is unchecked.

    4. show hidden files and folders

  4. Now in My Computer, go to your profile folder under Document and Settings. In Vista, you will find your profile folder in the Users folder.

    5. windows explorer

  5. Once in your profile folder, go to Application Data directory, then to Microsoft and finally to Outlook. So the final path should be something like:

    C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

  6. In the Outlook folder, look for a file with a .NK2 extension. This is the file that contains all of the autocomplete information. Copy that file and transfer it to the new computer.

    Finally, go to the same location on the new computer as described above, namely, Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook and paste the .NK2 file there. Start Outlook and open a new email. When you start typing, all of your previous autocomplete addresses will show up. Enjoy!

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/07/07/how-to-transfer-outlook-auto-complete-addresses-to-a-new-computer/feed/ 25 How to speed up Word 2008 launch time (OS X) http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/06/26/how-to-speed-up-word-2008-launch-time-os-x/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/06/26/how-to-speed-up-word-2008-launch-time-os-x/#comments Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:45:30 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/?p=612 Office

If you’re using Word 2008, even on a very, very fast Mac, you’ve probably noticed that Word 2008 can take upwards of a minute to open a .doc file. Here are 3 tips to speeding up MS Word 2008’s opening time.

  1. Follow the steps outlined here. The results of this suggestion vary, so be sure to try the next two as well.
  2. Update to the very latest version of Microsoft Word 2008. Version 12.1.1 (080522) included something that caused the launch time to improve significantly. To update, click Help when any of the Office applications are open, and select Check for Updates
  3. Give FontNuke a shot. The installation is very straight forward. Once installed, launch it from your Applications folder.
  4. Click anywhere in the main window


    5. click to enlarge

  5. Click the Nuke Font Caches button.


    6. click to enlarge

  6. Now update the Update Caches List button.


    7. click to enlarge

  7. And your font caches will update..


    8. click to enlarge

  8. FontNuke will notify you of the number of font caches that it found. Click OK


    9. click to enlarge

  9. Now make sure to close down all of your open applications and save any data in the open programs. FontNuke will reboot your system when it’s done, whether you like it or not. Click the Nuke Font Caches button in the bottom right-corner of the screen. When prompted, click Continue.


    10. click to enlarge

  10. Enter your password…

  11. And FontNuke will run, then force your system to reboot after it has cleared the font caches.


    12. click to enlarge

  12. After trying the above 3 suggestions, try opening a Word document. It should load faster now that previously (I went from around a minute to about 7 seconds).

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/06/26/how-to-speed-up-word-2008-launch-time-os-x/feed/ 0 How to import Facebook events to iCal or Entourage http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/05/28/how-to-import-facebook-events-to-ical-or-entourage/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/05/28/how-to-import-facebook-events-to-ical-or-entourage/#comments Thu, 29 May 2008 04:00:15 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/05/28/how-to-import-facebook-events-to-ical-or-entourage/ Office

This brief tutorial will guide you through the steps required to export Facebook events and import them to iCal or Entourage on your Mac.

  1. Find the Facebook event you want to add to iCal/Entourage and click the Export button.

    2. a facebook event

  2. Save the .ics file to your desktop or downloads folder.

    3. firefox save as window
    click to enlarge

  3. Navigate to that downloaded .ics file and double-click it.

    4. an ics file

  4. iCal will pop up a window asking you which calendar you want to add the event to. Select the appropriate calendar and click OK.

    5. ical asking which calendar you want to add an event to
    click to enlarge

  5. And now that event will be added to iCal :)

    6. ical with an event

  6. If you want to add the event to your Microsoft Entourage calendar, right-click (ctrl-click) the .ics file and select Open With and then Microsoft Entourage.

    7. right-clicking an ics file and selecting open with then MS entourage
    click to enlarge

  7. Entourage will open (if it isn’t already) and add that event to your calendar.

    8. an event in entourage
    click to enlarge

  8. Now that the event has been stored in iCal and/or Entourage, you can delete the .ics file.

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/05/28/how-to-import-facebook-events-to-ical-or-entourage/feed/ 0 How to set up and use PortableApps on your USB thumb drive http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/05/06/how-to-set-up-and-use-portableapps-on-your-usb-thumb-drive/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/05/06/how-to-set-up-and-use-portableapps-on-your-usb-thumb-drive/#comments Tue, 06 May 2008 12:15:50 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/05/06/how-to-set-up-and-use-portableapps-on-your-usb-thumb-drive/ Office Windows

The PortableApps.com Suite is a collection of free portable apps including a web browser (Firefox), email client (Thunderbird), office suite, calendar/scheduler, instant messaging client, antivirus, sudoku game, backup utility and integrated menu, all preconfigured to work portably. This guide will take you through installing and setting up PortableApps to best suit your needs.

  1. To get started, plug in your USB thumb drive. You don’t have to delete everything on it, but it might be a good idea to copy the contents over to your hard drive just in case something goes wrong and your data gets erased during the PortableApps installation. Visit PortableApps.com and decide which package is right for you. I went with the Standard Edition, so that’s what you’ll see screenshots of in this tutorial. One of the best features of PortableApps is how customizable it is, so even if there’s something in the Standard Edition that you don’t want, you can remove it at any time. Or if there’s something missing from the Standard Edition, you can add it at any time.

    After the download has completed, run the file by double-clicking it. Make sure to select the root of your thumb drive as the installation location. In the screenshot below, you’ll see that my thumb drive shows up as E: – yours may be a different letter. Click the Install button when you’re ready.

  2. PortableApps can take a while to install. You might want to grab a cup of coffee at this point.

  3. Once the installation is complete, navigate to your thumb drive in Windows Explorer (via My Computer). Double-click StartPortableApps.exe.


    4. click to enlarge

  4. The PortableApps icon will appear in your system tray.

  5. And the PortableApps menu itself will probably appear. If it doesn’t, just click the tray icon and it will.

  6. To customize your version of PortableApps, click the Options button. From here you can increase the font size of the PortableApps menu, install or uninstall apps etc. Click Get More Apps…

  7. Firefox – the portable edition that’s already on your thumb drive – will launch….


    8. click to enlarge

  8. and take you to the PortableApps page that lists all of the applications you can install.


    9. click to enlarge

  9. Select one that you want to include on your thumb drive (I opted for PuTTY) and click its download button.


    10. click to enlarge

  10. You can save the file to your hard drive – or – your thumb drive.

  11. Double-click the file once it has downloaded, and it should auto-detect the correct installation location.


    12. click to enlarge

  12. Once the installation has completed, select Refresh App Icons from the Options list.

  13. The application you just installed will now appear in the list.

  14. The next time you plug in your thumb drive, Windows will prompt you on what you want to do. Select Start PortableApps and you’ll be up and going in now time.

  15. Remember that when you set up the applications on your thumb drive, the settings for the applications are stored on the thumb drive itself. So you can take your drive to use on another PC, and everything will ready to go. If you use Thunderbird to check your email through PortableApps, you may want to set it to leave mail on the server, so that your email is available to your main mail application.

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/05/06/how-to-set-up-and-use-portableapps-on-your-usb-thumb-drive/feed/ 9 How to add custom folders to the Microsoft Office 2007 Save As dialog box http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/05/05/how-to-add-custom-folders-to-the-microsoft-office-2007-save-as-dialog-box/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/05/05/how-to-add-custom-folders-to-the-microsoft-office-2007-save-as-dialog-box/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 13:00:20 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/05/05/how-to-add-custom-folders-to-the-microsoft-office-2007-save-as-dialog-box/ Windows

Previously I did a tutorial on how to customize the “Save As” shortcut folders in XP. But that tutorial doesn’t apply to the Microsoft Office Save As window. This brief overview will show you how to add custom folders to the MS Office 2007 “Save As” dialog box. By adding custom folders you can save valuable time by jumping to folders with fewer clicks.

  1. To get started, open a file in MS Word 2007, Excel 2007, PowerPoint 2007 etc. The custom folder(s) you add will apply to all of the Office programs. Click the Office “Orb” and select Save As from the menu.

  2. From the very top Save in: drop-down menu, navigate to the folder you want to add to the list of locations in the left pane.

  3. Right-click in an empty spot in the left pane, and from the pop-up menu select Add ‘Folder Name‘

  4. And now that folder will appear in the left pane of the Save As dialog box for all of the Office applications. You can also move the folder up or down in the list by right-clicking it and selecting Move Up or Move Down.

  5. If you ever want to remove a folder you’ve added to the list, right-click it and select Remove.

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/05/05/how-to-add-custom-folders-to-the-microsoft-office-2007-save-as-dialog-box/feed/ 6 Screenshot Tour: Sunbird 0.8 http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/04/02/screenshot-tour-sunbird-08/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/04/02/screenshot-tour-sunbird-08/#comments Thu, 03 Apr 2008 02:28:33 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/04/02/screenshot-tour-sunbird-08/

Sunbird, the open source calendar application from Mozilla, is approaching version 0.8 (the current stable release is 0.7). If you’d rather not upgrade to a beta version, but are curious to see the changes, here’s some info on the new release, and a few screenshots.

From the Sunbird 0.8 Release Notes -

The following features have been added to Sunbird 0.8:

  • A new icon set which matches more closely the icon style of other mozilla applications
  • Category colors are now shown next to an event box, giving users a much better overview of their differently categorized events
  • Events with alarms now have a visual indicator showing an alarm bell
  • A totally overhauled alarm dialog
  • Sunbird now recognizes the timezone definitions in .ics files created by other applications. This fixes the longstanding issue of Sunbird miscalculating the date or time of events contained in those files
  • The timezone guessing has been significantly improved
  • Sunbird now contains experimental support for viewing remote calendars offline. This feature has known bugs and is included for testing purposes only
  • Sunbird contains several performance fixes, which should improve working with larger calendar files
  • You can now define for each of your calendars, whether you want to be notified of alarms for events in these calendars or not

    • Mozilla Sunbird 0.8 Screenshots

    sunbird day view
    Default (Day) View (click to enlarge)

    sunbird month view
    Month View (click to enlarge)

    adding a new task in sunbird
    Adding a New Task(click to enlarge)

    Sunbird general preferences
    General Preferences (click to enlarge)

    sunbird view preferences
    “Views” Preferences (click to enlarge)

    adding a remote calendar in Sunbird
    Adding a Remote Calendar (click to enlarge)

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    ]]>     http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/04/02/screenshot-tour-sunbird-08/feed/ 0     How to set the Properties of multiple MS Word documents http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/04/02/how-to-set-the-properties-of-multiple-ms-word-documents/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/04/02/how-to-set-the-properties-of-multiple-ms-word-documents/#comments Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:18:24 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/04/02/how-to-set-the-properties-of-multiple-ms-word-documents/

    This tutorial will guide you through using Easy Microsoft Word Document Properties, a small and free tool that allows you to set the properties of multiple Microsoft Word documents in just a few simple steps. You can set the properties for an entire folder of docs (and sub-folders) or only selected files.

    1. First up – download Easy Microsoft Word Document Properties. It’s a very small download, and the installation is straight forward. Once it’s installed, launch it from your Programs list.
    2. Start by clicking the Change DOC File Initial Search Folder button.

      3. Easy HR Microsoft Word Document Properties
      click to enlarge

    3. Navigate to the folder with the .doc files you want to set the Properties for, select it, and click OK.

      4. Easy HR Microsoft Word Document Properties

    4. If you want to include the subdirectories of the folder you selected in the previous step, make sure the box labeled Include Subdirectories in Search is checked. Now click the Refresh Selected Document List button.

      5. Easy HR Microsoft Word Document Properties
      click to enlarge

    5. All of the .doc files that were found will be listed in the Selected Word Documents To Update window. It’s also worth noting that although not officially supported, it appears (in my testing) that Easy Microsoft Word Document Properties is also able to update the properties of Microsoft Word 2007 “docx” files.

      Enter the information you wish to apply to all of the selected documents, and then click the Set Word Document Properties button.

      6. Easy HR Microsoft Word Document Properties
      click to enlarge

    6. The program will run and you can see the status in the ‘progress bar’ at the bottom of the window.

      7. Easy HR Microsoft Word Document Properties
      click to enlarge

    7. Once completed, you’ll get a small Done! pop-up. Click OK.

      8. Easy HR Microsoft Word Document Properties done box

    8. To confirm it worked, take a look at the properties of the files you just modified.

      9. Easy HR Microsoft Word Document Properties
      click to enlarge

    9. You may not want to modify all of the files in a given directory with the same information. To modify specific files, use the Source Document File Filter box. The wildcards * and ? are especially useful.

      10. Easy HR Microsoft Word Document Properties
      click to enlarge

    10. After running Easy Microsoft Word Document Properties with a filter in place, only the specific documents with the strings you specified will be displayed.

      11. Easy HR Microsoft Word Document Properties
      click to enlarge

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    ]]>     http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/04/02/how-to-set-the-properties-of-multiple-ms-word-documents/feed/ 0     How to open Office 2007 files using Office 2000, XP, or 2003 http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/12/06/how-to-open-office-2007-files-using-office-2000-xp-or-2003/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/12/06/how-to-open-office-2007-files-using-office-2000-xp-or-2003/#comments Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:50:19 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/12/06/how-to-open-office-2007-files-using-office-2000-xp-or-2003/ Windows

    You can open, edit and save Office 2007 files using an older version of Office (2K/XP/2003) if you download and install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack. So if you’ve been sent a file created with Word, Excel, or PowerPoint 2007 – and you don’t have MS Office 2007, you’ll still be able to view and edit it (though some of the features very specific to 2007 might not work, you’ll usually be notified if it happens).

    via freeware genius.

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    ]]>     http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/12/06/how-to-open-office-2007-files-using-office-2000-xp-or-2003/feed/ 0     Overview: Microsoft releases Office Mobile 6.1 http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/11/30/overview-microsoft-releases-office-mobile-61/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/11/30/overview-microsoft-releases-office-mobile-61/#comments Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:00:16 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/11/30/overview-microsoft-releases-office-mobile-61/ Windows Mobile

    Office Mobile 6.1 has been released for Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC and Windows Mobile 6 devices. The upgrade is a free download and will allow you to open and edit Office 2007 documents from Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx) and Powerpoint 2007 (pptx).


      Other updates include:

    1. Enhanced viewing experience for charts in Excel Mobile.
    2. Ability to view SmartArt in PowerPoint Mobile.
    3. Ability to view and extract files from compressed (.zip) folders.

      4. Office Mobile 6.1 will install via ActiveSync or the Windows Mobile Device Center (Vista). Your device will have to be restarted for the installation to complete.

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    ]]>     http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/11/30/overview-microsoft-releases-office-mobile-61/feed/ 0     Use your Menu Bar to quickly create OpenOffice.org documents http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/11/27/use-your-menu-bar-to-quickly-create-openofficeorg-documents/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/11/27/use-your-menu-bar-to-quickly-create-openofficeorg-documents/#comments Tue, 27 Nov 2007 13:00:18 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/11/27/use-your-menu-bar-to-quickly-create-openofficeorg-documents/ Office

    Using the small and free program NOMu, your OpenOffice.org documents are just a click or two away.

    open office documents from the menu bar

    Download and install NOMu (drag NOMu from the .dmg to your Applications folder to install it). Then launch it from your Applications.

    From your Menu Bar select the NOMu icon. From here you’ll be able to create new documents in Writer, Calc, Impress etc. Or you can switch between open documents.

    open office documents from the menu bar

    Though there are only a few, NOMu does include a couple of options/preferences.

    open office documents from the menu bar

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    ]]>     http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/11/27/use-your-menu-bar-to-quickly-create-openofficeorg-documents/feed/ 0     How to sync your Windows Mobile device to a Windows Vista PC http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/11/22/how-to-sync-your-windows-mobile-device-to-a-windows-vista-pc/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/11/22/how-to-sync-your-windows-mobile-device-to-a-windows-vista-pc/#comments Thu, 22 Nov 2007 12:20:30 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/11/22/how-to-sync-your-windows-mobile-device-to-a-windows-vista-pc/ Windows Windows Mobile

    This article will take you through the steps to set up and sync your Windows Mobile device with a PC running Windows Vista.

    Before you get too far into it, make sure that you meet the following requirements:

    System Requirements

  • Windows Vista Ultimate
  • Windows Vista Enterprise
  • Windows Vista Business
  • Windows Vista Home Premium
  • Windows Vista Home Basic
  • Windows Vista Server “Longhorn”

    • Microsoft Outlook 2003 or Microsoft Outlook 2007 are required for synchronization of e-mail, contacts, tasks and notes to your PC.

    Supported Devices

  • Windows Mobile 2003
  • Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition
  • Windows Mobile 5.0
  • Windows Mobile 5.0 with Messaging and Security Feature Pack
  • Windows Mobile 6
  • Windows Embedded CE 6.0

    • As long as you have one of the above mentioned versions of Vista, and a mobile device/PDA running one of the above listed operating systems, you should have no problem setting everything up.

    Setting Up the Windows Mobile Device Center in Vista

    1. When you plug your Windows Mobile device into a PC running Vista for the first time, you should be notified the device drivers are being installed, and eventually a window similar to the screenshot below will pop up. Just close this window if it appears.

      2. syncing a smartphone in windows vista
      click to enlarge

    2. Navigate to your Control Panel and double-click the Windows Mobile Device Center icon. If it’s not there, don’t worry – just skip down to step 4.

      3. syncing a smartphone in windows vista
      click to enlarge

    3. When opened, you can set a couple (not many) of the Windows Mobile device connection settings. Make sure at least one of the connection methods is enabled.

      If you’re not presented with the window below (Connection Settings), scroll down and see if the window similar to the one in step 6 is displayed. If it is, that means you have the full Windows Mobile Device Center already installed, and can continue on at step 6.

      4. syncing a smartphone in windows vista
      click to enlarge

    4. In order to sync your email, notes and calendar from Outlook, you’ll want to download Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1 for Windows Vista. Save the file to your desktop (or any folder) and once the download has completed, run it.
    5. Follow the few installation steps (which mostly consist of clicking ‘Next’ a few times).
    6. Now go back to the Control Panel and double-click on the Windows Mobile Device Center. Make sure your Windows Mobile device is plugged in and the status is set to Connected. Click the Set up your device button.

      syncing a smartphone in windows vista
      click to enlarge

    7. Select the elements you want to sync to your mobile device and then click Next.

      8. syncing a smartphone in windows vista
      click to enlarge

    8. Give your device a name, and if you want to quickly access the Windows Mobile Device Center from your desktop, leave the Create a shortcut option selected. Click Set Up to continue.

      9. syncing a smartphone in windows vista
      click to enlarge

    9. Your mobile device and PC will now start to synchronize.

      10. syncing a smartphone in windows vista
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    10. And once completed, you’ll be presented with the Device Center ‘home’ screen.

      11. syncing a smartphone in windows vista
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    11. You’ll know when your device is synchronizing by the small ‘green arrows’ system tray icon (very similar to the Active Sync icon you may have seen/used in previous versions of Windows).

      12. syncing a smartphone in windows vista

    12. From the Windows Mobile Device Center ‘home’ screen you can change your device settings, upload and download files to/from your device etc. Select the Change content sync settings in the Mobile Device Settings window.

      13. syncing a smartphone in windows vista
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    13. Below you’ll see the options for changing the sync settings. Select the Sync Settings link in the E-mail section.

      14. syncing a smartphone in windows vista
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    14. From here you can customize exactly how you want your email to be synchronized. Make any changes you wish, and then click the Save button.

      15. syncing a smartphone in windows vista
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    15. Repeat step 13 but choose the Calendar settings. Again, make any changes you deem appropriate.

      16. syncing a smartphone in windows vista
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    16. Clicking Save will make the changes immediately.

      17. syncing a smartphone in windows vista
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    ]]>     http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/11/22/how-to-sync-your-windows-mobile-device-to-a-windows-vista-pc/feed/ 69     NeoOffice 2.2.2 Patch 1 now available http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/11/10/neooffice-222-patch-1-now-available/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/11/10/neooffice-222-patch-1-now-available/#comments Sun, 11 Nov 2007 06:28:54 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/11/10/neooffice-222-patch-1-now-available/ Office

    I’m a big fan of NeoOffice. I actually prefer Open Office.org to Microsoft Office. So I’m always pleased when new patches and releases are issued, as they almost always include bug fixes. Patch 1 for 2.2.2 is no different.

    As an aside, the folks over @ NeoOffice are also providing a list of known issues and incompatibilities in Leopard (OS X 10.5). Though none of the problems are specific to NeoOffice, they’re just providing the list as a service to their users. Pretty cool of them.

    The updates/fixes for 2.2.2 Patch 1 include:

    1. Fixed problems displaying MathType objects created on the Mac or Windows
    2. Fixed a problem where the spellchecker would not fall back to OpenOffice.org dictionaries
    3. Fixed an error saving a new file to iDisk
    4. Fixed several crashes or hangs when opening or saving documents
    5. Fixed several problems specific to Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard”
    6. Fixes for many PDF and printing-related bugs
    7. Fixed a number of other bugs reported against NeoOffice 2.2.2 with Patch-0

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