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Below are just some of the comments that we have recently received. Although not all comments may display a direct reply, we do reply and also do thank you for all your comments.

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A subscriber writes...

RE: Wild About Wildcards

I read your web page where you talk about the MS Word's Advanced Find and Replace Function but didn't find anything on replacing the following. I want to globally change the words in quotes to bold, underlined and italics. Is there a wildcard expression that I can use to accomplish this?

Dian Chapman, TechTrax Editor, replies...

When you go into Edit Replace, you need to click the MORE button and then the FORMAT button. There you can click Font and add the bold, underline, italic attributes to the find or replace to handle find/replacing formatting.

If you need further assistance, you can find free support groups listed here: http://www.mousetrax.com/resources.html, where you can post your questions and get more detailed help from users in the group.

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Neil, writes...

Hi Dian, Well despite my very limited computer knowledge I have paid up for the next year [as a member]. I'm hoping to get some lessons from my 15 yr old and try to understand some of your articles, which over the last couple of years I've found really good, but often beyond my understanding. I really want to wish you all the best with the paid version of TechTrax. Kind regards

Dian Chapman, TechTrax Editor, replies...

First, thanks for the good wishes, Neil.

As for not being able to understand many articles, yes...we do try to cover all bases so many of our articles may be beyond basic knowledge. But as I like to say "Ask and ye shall receive."

As a TechTrax member, you will soon notice more and more basic articles, as well as advanced ones, that will help get you rolling. And I hope to organize them in a way that will make it easier for you to move along through training series articles, which should help you get a better idea of what you need to learn to move up to new skill levels. This month we start with a public article on MS Office to make sure we all know what it is all about. And members will soon start learning more about each application from additional, specific training series that will move through lessons for various applications within Office.

So with luck...your skills will be getting better and better in short order.

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Hey Fellow MVP... Jeremy Moskowitz, Group Policy MVP here.

Just wanted to let you know that I ran up against a problem you outlined and FIXED in one of your tech notes. http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=593

Just a quick thanks!! So.. thanks !

Jeremy Moskowitz
Author, Instructor, Infrastructure
Architect Moskowitz, Inc.
jeremym@moskowitz-inc.com

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Garrett, writes...

Good luck on the changes. I am glad to support your efforts and those of your staff and volunteers.

Dian Chapman, TechTrax Editor, replies...

Thank you VERY MUCH for this very nice email, Garrett. It's for people like YOU...that we want to be able to do more for so they can get the best out of us. I love teaching people who appreciate my efforts and want to learn...which is why I'm very excited about this new format. It will be like having a classroom of students [members] who are eager to learn. And when I find people who want to learn, it's hard to stop me from teaching! <wink>

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Julie Hollister from Arlington, TX, writes...

Just had to thank you (finally!) for all of your wonderful work on behalf of computer users everywhere. During your summer break I really missed TechTrax, then I saw Dian's name in my In Box and raised a long "yes!" The highlight of my month. And then you went and did it again the next month! Quality, timeliness, and excellent radar about what we need. I also look forward to your regular contributors coming back. Thanks, again!

Dian Chapman, TechTrax Editor, replies...

Thanks so much for the thanks, Julie. And remember, members will no longer have to suffer through a summer hiatus, as TechTrax will supply them with a full 12 issues.

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Frances from London, UK, writes...

RE: Creating a Table of Contents Spanning Multiple Documents

I enjoyed your lucid instructions. However, I fell at the first hurdle. After typing Ctrl-F9 I successfully get the empty field braces. However, when I attempt to type RD within the braces, they disappear when I get to the letter D. I have Word 2000.

Dian Chapman, TechTrax Editor, replies...

You can also insert the fields with Insert > Fields > RD. Then move your cursor within the field to modify as needed by selecting it and hitting Shift + F9.

I don't understand why they would disappear? I know it works fine in 2000, as I've been doing it for many years in that version. Check to make sure you are doing it exactly right. Here's an article to show you the manual way to do this: http://www.mousetrax.com/mastdoc.html. Check out this article. Maybe these instructions will allow you to see what you have wrong?

Further reply from Frances...

Many thanks Dian. The manual method worked. When using CTRL - F9 on my work PC the same thing happened. However, this morning, having re-booted I am able to use it. Must be something in an application I run which caused the problem.

I'm very interested in the consulting services you run on optimizing business documents. Will check the web-site you list in your signature. In the meantime, if there is any other info you can send me, pls do.

Further reply from Dian...

Thanks for the thanks. Glad the info helped.

As for doc optimization and automation, you can see several sample solutions here: http://www.mousetrax.com/Consulting_Solutions.html

And be sure to check out my training courses, as there are several free lessons you can read/view here: http://www.mousetrax.com/TechCourses.html#samples

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Doreen from UK, writes...

There appears to be a problem voting for your magazine from http://www.mousetrax.com/techtrax.asp. I just tried it and nothing happened. Vote worked fine from the first page of the magazine though.

Dian Chapman, TechTrax Editor, replies...

Hi...thanks for the info, Doreen. I assume you mean the VOTE logo part-way down the page along the right? I just tried it and it worked. So it may have been just a temporary glitch, as it works now. But thanks for letting me know so I could check.

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Lou Melton from Petal, MS, USA, writes...

TechTrax just continues to get better and better! I love the new Premier Membership benefits. While free is good, there are some things in life worth paying for and your subscription price is so low! Thanks for all your hard work and all the wonderful articles. I love being able to download them in PDF format....and 12 issues, too!! I can see I won't get any household chores done today! Keep up the great work.

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Faye Partridge from New Zealand, writes...

Hi there - is it possible to get the newsletter all in one "file" rather than having to click through to various topics (as listed down the left hand side of the screen) - I would love to print it all out and read it at a more convenient time - I love it, so keep up the good work.

Dian Chapman, TechTrax Editor, replies...

We do offer a doc version that you can subscribe to by changing your requested format through the Manage Your Profile page. Or you can download them directly here: http://www.mousetrax.com/TechTrax_DocDownloads.html. But do realize that that version has had all the images removed to make it easier for our many blind subscribers to use.

However, if you are a member, you can download any articles in PDF format that you can easily save and/or print. You can also download any of the training videos to view offline.

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Irene Holmes writes...

RE: Word's Document Retrieval Menu Article

Totally awesome article. First one I've tried and it works great! Does Excel have one similar? Keep up the great info!

Dian Chapman, TechTrax Editor, replies...

Excel does have the Recently Used Menu under the File menu. You can max that list out by going to Tools > Customize > General and upping the number of files to display. However, it doesn't have the other one.

Glad you liked it...MUCH more great stuff coming.

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Nora Pike writes..

With the onset of Office 12, will we still need to know VBA or just XML?

Dian Chapman, TechTrax Editor, replies...

VBA and XML are two different animals and Office 12 will support both. So it will depend on what you need to do, but I would say it would be good to learn both, as both are valuable tools in the battle to get the custom results you want/need.

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Allan Reiss writes...

I am trying to make a form in Word 2002 for XP and I have "Company Name: [text field]" and then "# of locations: [text field]". If the company name is too long, it moves the # of locations to the next line. How do i make it so that the # of locations stay's right aligned no matter what?

Dian Chapman, TechTrax Editor, replies...

You'll need to format the doc differently...with a hidden table.

I have a course on Forms and I give the first lesson away free. That lesson just happens to be about formatting forms...with tables and hidden border tables, which is what you'll need to do.

So go here: http://www.mousetrax.com/TechCourses.html#samples

Once there, click on the VBA ONLINE sample to read that lesson. You might want to read the free lesson from the WAT (Word Advanced Techniques) course, too...as that also has tips about formatting tables.

And you can find many additional free forms tutorials here: http://www.mousetrax.com/techpage.html#autoforms

There are many images in those articles so you can get a better idea of ways to layout forms.

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Dick Lemay writes...

RE: Hard & Soft Asset Management with VBScript

Neat application, with one problem - it seems to miss constructing the inventory for the last machine listed in the network. The machine is listed in the "Investigate These Hosts.txt" file. We have run this VBScript in three environments, all with the same perplexing results. Our lab is configured with W2K AD server and two W2003XP clients. Any ideas?

Greg Chapman, author of this article, replies...

A machine will wind up in that list when it returns an error to one of the queries in Inventory.vbs. Have you tried running the inventory script against that machine alone?

At the console, run: Cscript inventory.vbs <machine-name>

If it returns the same error, run the script on that machine locally. If it operates locally but not remotely, you'll need to try the techniques listed at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=875605 to determine the cause.

Greg Chapman
http://www.mousetrax.com
http://www.layer1wireless.com

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Mike Neale from Barrie, Ontario, Canada, writes...

There is little or nothing about this topic in your archives. Does Microsoft even produce it any more? I have it in my XP Professional and have written one website so far and need to do others sometime next year. I would like to have it when I upgrade next time.

Any comments would be appreciated

Dian Chapman, TechTrax Editor, replies...

There's little info on FrontPage in TechTrax because we just don't have anyone willing to write about it these days. Sorry! Linda Johnson wrote a few articles, but hasn't been writing lately because she's busy writing a book on Excel. I use Dreamweaver and just don't know FrontPage very well.

Yes, they still make it and it is still part of the Office Family. If I can find a FrontPage user willing to write some tutorials, I'll be happy to publish them. In the meantime, be sure to read my article on Office 2003 this month, as there is a link for more info on FrontPage.

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Don writes...

Dear Dian, I am so pleased to be able to finally pay back in a small way for the enjoyment and enrichment I have always taken away from every visit to the TechTrax web site. I have been very much a lurker but I have admired the quality and depth of the technical presentation of the contributing authors as well as the personal touch you bring to these pages. Your web page layout is stunning in its simplicity and presentation. It is so refreshing to visit this oasis away from the bombardment of flashing ads that prevail on most other web sites. Thank you so much for your efforts to educate, inform and entertain the masses. Your humanitarian work has not gone unnoticed either.

I am now retired from my work as a System Analyst in Ontario but I fully intend to keep my hand in on the technical side. In fact, I will have more time now to devote to my continuing education since my retirement and I am looking forward to pursuing some projects that I have never had time to do. I take great pleasure in becoming an early subscriber to TechTrax Membership. I trust your venture will be enormously successful. I will be watching for all the good things to come. Good luck in your endeavours.

Dian Chapman, TechTrax Editor, replies...

Wow! What a wonderful note, Don. Thanks so much for your kind words, encouragement, good wishes and thanks. It is for people like YOU that we do this! And it's thanks like these that keep us enjoying what we do. I will do my best to make your membership a valuable commodity.