--==>>OFFICE WATCH <<==--
OUT NOW! Creative Certificates with Word
http://shop.office-watch.com/cert
27 September 2006 - Vol. 11 No. 39
Excel and Access users will converge on beautiful Marina del Rey, CA
(Los Angeles, near LAX) for the first Excel/Access User Conference,
October 25-27, 2006. The event will provide a fantastic opportunity for
database and spreadsheet users to learn about one or both platforms.
Add-on classes will provide a unique opportunity to learn about Access
and Excel from the masters.
http://www.exceluserconference.com/wceuc.html
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2. Creative Certificates with Word
3. Revised security updates
4. New Powerpoint problem
5. Office 2007 release possibilities
6. Random Numbers
7. Keep OW Alive and Free
8. Administrivia & Advertising
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1. 9.9999
Next week will be the tenth anniversary of Office Watch so it's special
time for us. We're pleased to celebrate with the release our latest
ebook which, like all our publications, is not only good value but also
a practical way to support the continued free distribution of Office
Watch http://shop.office-watch.com/eb/
In this issue we'll let you know about an important security update for
Windows which is important for all Office users and should be installed
immediately. There's also a new threat that uses Powerpoint files to
infect your computer.
There are some intriguing possibilities for the marketing of Office
2007 which puts more money in Microsoft's pocket and takes it away from
retailers. Finally a look at the important RAND() function in Excel.
2. Creative Certificates with Word
Now Available!
Peter Deegan and Maryjane Almer are delighted to announce the release
of their latest ebook 'Creative Certificates with Word' with easy step-
by-step instructions, examples ready for to use and low price.
You've got Microsoft Word already, we'll show you how to use it to
create gorgeous certificates for home or office just using Microsoft
Word. http://shop.office-watch.com/cert
* Step-by-step guide to making an effective certificate from blank page
to finished product with plenty of color screen shots to guide you.
* You discover some of the tricks that Word experts use to make text
and images appear exactly where they should.
* Fonts - suggested combinations of fonts.
* Tips for advanced users. Easy access to common symbols (including
many you probably didn't know were there), choosing page orientation,
even tips on choosing the paper.
This isn't just another computer how-to book, the tips on using Word is
combined with practical design advice from a professional graphic
designer, Maryjane Almer.
Premium Edition
You want more? Our Premium Edition has even more example certificates
and advice:
* Step-by-step instructions on printing many certificates from a list
of recipients (in Excel, Access or other source). How to convert raw
data (like a grade) into something that looks good, printing out only
some certificates (top students) and sorting.
* Extra examples -- more than 20 extra professionally designed
certificates. Word documents ready for you to use.
* More resources - links to sites with Maryjane's personal choices of
suitable backgrounds and fonts
* Page borders. A full, easy-to-read list, of all 164 page borders in
Word 2003.
Go to http://shop.office-watch.com/cert/fasttrack.asp for the Premium
edition.
New! If you'd like to try Google's new Checkout service you can do
that buying our new ebook
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'Creative Certificates with Word' works for Word 97, through Word 2000,
Word 2002 (XP) Word 2003 and even Word 2007. The Certificate Gallery
of ready-to-use examples are Word documents compatible with Word 97
through Word 2007. The versions of Word also include Microsoft Works
packages that include a full version of Microsoft Word.
The first few pages of the ebook, covers and comparison between the two
editions are available at http://shop.office-watch.com/cert
This is just the latest in our series of popular ebooks, all available
at http://shop.office-watch.com/eb/
3. REVISED SECURITY UPDATES
Microsoft has finally caught up with what most security analysts and
Office Watch were saying a week ago - that the VML security issue is a
serious one that should not wait until the October patch release.
The update is available from
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms06-055.mspx for
Windows XP and Windows 2003, including the 64bit versions.
You may already have the update courtesy of Windows Update. If your
computer rebooted itself overnight that's probably why. To check go to
Control Panel | Add Remove Software and tick the 'Show Updates button.
In the long list of Windows XP updates look for one with the label "
(KB925486) ".
Microsoft says, rightly, that the vulnerability affects Internet
Explorer. That's strictly true but deliberately obscures the fact that
many programs make use of the core IE technologies. People might
think they are safe because they don't use Internet Explorer as their
web browser, but that's not the case.
Most importantly for Office users, Outlook uses IE systems to display
email messages. Other Office programs use the VML systems in IE to
display any VML graphics.
Despite Microsoft's efforts to reduce the apparent level of severity of
the problem with weasel words - this is a serious problem that everyone
should patch immediately.
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4. NEW POWERPOINT PROBLEM
There is a new, unpatched, vulnerability spreading around the
Internet - it uses infected Powerpoint files.
As is the common tactic these days, the infected file allows a program
(aka a backdoor) to be run on your computer. It is the backdoor that
can potentially do the damage while the infected file provides the
means of access.
Currently these infected files are getting around the Internet as email
attachments with the names:
* FinalPresentationF05.ppt
* 2006-Jane.ppt
But it's quite possible that other filenames will appear.
The Microsoft security advisory says the vulnerable programs are
PowerPoint 2000, PowerPoint 2002, PowerPoint 2003, PowerPoint 2004 for
Mac, and PowerPoint v. X for Mac.
Until Microsoft produces a fix, all you can do is take the usual
precautions. Be careful of any incoming attachments, regardless of the
source and apparent file name. Always keep your anti-virus software up
to date (while Microsoft takes time to produce a patch, the AV
companies update their software quickly to detect new infections).
The severity of this infection is currently rated low, possibly because
Powerpoint files are less used than Word or Excel documents.
It's worth remembering that while Word documents are the most common
Office documents to be infected, it is also possible for Excel,
Powerpoint or Publisher documents to be used by the bad guys. All
incoming files should be considered suspect, regardless of where they
appear to come from, until your updated anti-virus software says
otherwise.
5. OFFICE 2007 RELEASE POSSIBILITIES
Microsoft still has some more tricks up their sleeve for selling more
software and keeping more of the money for themselves.
Windows Vista will ship on a single DVD regardless of which variant of
the operating system you buy. That opens up the possibility of buying
a low priced Vista from a store then choosing to get one of the higher
priced versions simply by ordering online direct from Microsoft and
getting a new product key to unlock the features on the DVD you already
have.
This isn't a big surprise; it was one of the long term goals of the
product activation technology introduced into Office and Windows.
So it's no surprise that the same thing may well happen with Office
2007. You could buy Office Standard 2007 and later decide you need
Access 2007 as well - to do that you just buy a product key from
Microsoft and install Access from the DVD you got with Office Standard
2007.
It's simple and easy for you, and good for Microsoft too. Not so great
for retailers who rely on those types of sales to get people in the
door.
Microsoft has already announced that OEM's (sellers of computers with
pre-installed software) will be able to include a trial version of
Office 2007 which can be converted to a fully working version. In
that case the upgrade will done via the OEM's web site.
The ability for retail customers to convert to other versions directly
would be a logical extension of that but without the commission of the
retailer. All the upgrade money goes into Microsoft's pocket.
6. RANDOM NUMBERS
Over in our sister newsletter, Office for Mere Mortals, Michael Barden
has done a neat article on the RAND() function in Excel
http://office-watch.com/wowmm/archtemplate.asp?v7-n21
Random numbers are more widely used in worksheets than many people
might think. They can be used for complex mathematical calculations
and also for more mundane purposes.
For example, a worksheet can be used to randomly pick staff for testing
(drugs etc) or simply emulating the roll of a dice.
In all cases it's important that the random number generator is as
random and even distributed as possible.
In the 'dice' example you need to be assured that there's the same
chance of each digit 1 to 6 appearing on each 'roll' of the
calculation. If the random number function is faulty, one number
might appear more or less often than others.
The Excel 2003 RAND() function is more than enough for regular use,
despite a false start mentioned in Michael's article.
If you need a better random number generator then look at Zrandom
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which boasts a more complex random number generator plus
various Excel functions which will make sense to people who were awake
during maths classes (unlike me!).
7. KEEP OW ALIVE AND FREE
Since 1996 we've given Microsoft Office users the straight scoop,
whether Microsoft likes it or not. Our email newsletters are
absolutely free to all comers and we never misuse your email address.
You can support us the way thousands of other people do, by buying one
of our OFFICE WATCH ebooks.
"Office BACKUP Handbook" http://shop.office-watch.com/obh/
"Eye-Catching Signs with Word" http://shop.office-watch.com/esw/
"Office Extras Handbook " http://shop.office-watch.com/oeh/
"The Desktop Search Handbook" http://shop.office-watch.com/dsh/
There's also these excellent paper books to consider:
"Office 2003 Timesaving Techniques for Dummies" , Wiley
http://www.office-watch.com/l.asp?0764567616
"Special Edition Using Microsoft Office 2003" with Ed Bott, Que
http://www.office-watch.com/l.asp?0789729555
"Windows XP Timesaving Techniques For Dummies", Wiley
http://www.office-watch.com/l.asp?0764537482
8. ADMINISTRIVIA
We've started a gradual change from our woodyswatch.com domain to
office-watch.com and you'll see links changing over time. If you want
to prepare for the future we ask that you add office-watch.com to the
'white' or 'safe senders' list in your anti-spam filter.
ADVERTISING
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OFFICE Watch
Copyright 2006 Office Watch. All rights reserved. ISSN 1328-1674.
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