XP Utilities

Word 2002 Patches Microsoft Corp.'s Word 2002 is being shipped with five known bugs relating to: 1) Table of Contents 2) Macro Virus Vulnerability 3) Outlook/WordMail 4) AutoText/Repeat keys 5) AutoShape Unless fixed, Word 2002 will ruin Tables of Contents for both new documents and documents created in earlier versions of Word. Microsoft acknowledges these bugs and provides a fix to download from their Web site, then you re-install Word 2002. See: http://support.microsoft.com/ support/kb/Q300/4/28/ASP and http://office.microsoft.com/ downloads/2002/WRD1001.aspx. --Bruce Brown

Symantec Corp. has released new Internet security and utility software to support Windows XP. Compatible products include 2002 editions of Norton's Internet Security, Personal Firewall, SystemsWorks, AntiVirus, Utilities, CleanSweep, and Ghost software.

Reader Response no. 209.

WordPerfect Office 2002 word processing software is XP-ready, with the release of Service Pack 2, reports Corel Corp. The CorelDRAW ESSENTIALS graphics package also has been optimized for Windows XP, says Corel. It includes graphics, page layout, photo-editing and painting tools that let users design images from scratch, edit existing photos or graphics, and add customizable backgrounds and layouts.

Reader Response no. 210.

Photoshop Elements, from Adobe Systems Inc., is compatible with Windows XP, the company reports. Adobe says it plans to release new XP-compatible versions of many of its flagship products in the near future.

Reader Response no. 211.

VirusScan Online for Windows XP, from McAfee.com Corp., is a Web-based security service that offers managed protection from viruses, trojan horses, and other malicious code. The redesigned service utilizes the integrated .NET features provided in Windows XP, including notification, Passport integration, XML and SOAP support.

The McAfee.com Security Center has been integrated into the new "Windows Messenger" feature of Windows XP.

Reader Response no. 212.

Add/Remove Plus! 2002, from Aurelitec, Inc., uninstalls programs from computers. The software supports the Windows XP platform, and features interface improvements, and a software audit feature that helps the user keep only authorized and useful software.

Reader Response no. 213.

OfficeRecovery 2.0, from Concept Data, is a suite of Windows utility programs that recover damaged Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access files. It supports Windows XP, and fixes corrupted documents, including Rich Text Format files, spreadsheets, etc.

Reader Response no. 214.

CPR for XP, from myEZfix Inc., provides post-problem system recovery on systems running XP. It enhances Microsoft's built-in system recovery feature, and enables "reactive recovery," restoring a non-booting PC.

Reader Response no. 215.

Iparmor 5.17, from LuoSoft, protects Windows systems, including XP, from trojan horses, worm, and virus attacks. It updates its list of definitions daily.

Reader Response no. 216.

ShowBiz and Multimedia Email, from ArcSoft Inc., are digital imaging applications compatible with Windows XP. ArcSoft says it also plans to release PhotoImpression 4.1, PhotoPrinter 4.0, Panorama Maker 3.0, and PhotoBase 3.0, as Windows XP titles.

Reader Response no. 217.

PentaZip 5.0, from PentaWare Inc., is compression software that supports multifile/multifolder, compressed archives larger than 4 GB, using its ZGB format.

Reader Response no. 218.

SurfSecret 4.1, from Advercast L.L.C., destroys the trail left while surfing the Internet, and prevents profiling by mechanical agents. The upgrade supports Windows XP, includes a context-sensitive help system to help users navigate its 50-plus privacy features.

Reader Response no. 219.

NotePager Pro, from EmmaSoft Software C Inc. and NotePage Inc. respectively, have been integrated to provide Microsoft Windows (including XP) users with a reminder system for appointments and important dates. The Darn! Don't Forget! software tracks birthdays, business appointments and more, and is configurable with choices of human voice reminders, "On This Day" facts, and a "To-do" list. The NotePager Pro application sends text or SMS messages as reminders to pagers and cellular phones from a user's computer, and maintains a log of all messages sent.

Reader Response no. 220.

LangPad, from WISCO Computing, inserts foreign language characters and symbols into Notepad and Wordpad documents. The application supports Windows XP, and sits in the Windows system tray until needed.

Reader Response no. 221.