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In Microsoft Word I copy and paste a lot. My margins are set at .375. A lot of stuff I copy is only 2.5″ wide. Can I reformat to fill up the page margin to margin instead of stopping halfway and starting a new line?

Copying and Pasting Text in Word

Microsoft Word has a few different options for how it handles copied text. Most Word users know about using “Control + C” to copy text and “Control + V” to paste it. However, you can also use the Paste Special command (File > Edit > Paste Special in Word 2003 or click the Paste clipboard icon in the Home tab of Word 2007 and choose Paste Special) to choose how you want the text to be pasted into the document.

For example, if you are copying and pasting text from a Web site, not only are you copying the text, but also any underlying HTML code which could be affecting the margins. Instead, try using the Paste Special command and choose “unformatted text.”

Adjusting Word Options

You can also adjust how Word handles the formatting of pasted text by going into Word Options and clicking on the Advanced option. Here, you’ll find options for keeping the source formatting or matching the destination document’s formatting for:

• Pasting within the same document
• Pasting between documents
• Pasting between documents with style conflicts
• Pasting from other programs

Using Word’s Ruler

You can also adjust the way text displays on the page using the ruler across the top of the page. The ruler takes some getting used to. However, if you hover your mouse over the space that represents the margin (usually where the color changes from white to blue) and wait until your cursor turns into a double sided arrow, you can drag the margin to the desired width.

Source Formatting

It is also possible that the source text has hard breaks within the text in which case, these breaks have been created by pressing the enter key. For example, the original writer may have used the enter key to purposely break up the text, such as when typing a poem:

Roses are red

Violets are blue

I want the text in four lines

Rather than one or two

You can use Find and Replace to remove the paragraph breaks made by pressing the enter key. First, if you want to see the hard breaks, press the button on your Word toolbar that looks like this: ¶ (similar to a backwards P). In order to remove all of these instances of paragraph breaks, click the Control + F key combination and enter ^p in the Find What box. Now, click on the Replace tab and put an empty space in the Replace box and then click Replace or Replace All. You may want to select paragraphs at a time so that you don’t end up with one huge block of text with no paragraphs.

This process isn’t perfect. In our poetry example, you’ll notice problems with capitalization and punctuation as shown below:

Roses are red Violets are blue I want the text in four lines Rather than one or two

Microsoft MVP has more tips on the MVP FAQ page.

I need help with Microsoft Word. Do you know where I can get telephone support? I have a book typed in Word and I need to put a ~ after every period. Is there any way to populate this without typing in everyone?

Help Using Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is a complex word processor with tons of useful features - if you know how to use them. In this case, it’s not necessary to try to call Microsoft for help as you have found Filetonic.com and we’re always eager to do our best to lend a helping hand. I’m not sure why an editor would want a “~” mark after every period and I can see how tedious that would be to do manually, even in a relatively short document - let alone a book. However, we can accommodate this request fairly easily using Microsoft’s Find and Replace feature.

Using Word’s Find and Replace Feature

The Find and Replace feature is most often used to find certain words and replace them with new words. For example, let’s say that you wrote a book and your main character was named “Ralph.” Later, you decide that you’d rather Ralph have a different name, such as Benny. Rather than going through and replacing each instance of “Ralph” with “Benny” (and possibly missing a few), you can use the Find and Replace feature to find “Ralph” and replace it with “Benny.”

Word can also search your document for every single period (.) and replace each one with a tilde (~) mark. To do this, hit the Control key plus the ‘F’ key. I remember this by thinking ‘F’ for “Find.” A box appears. Enter a period mark in the box that says “Find what” and then click the “Replace” tab. Now, enter a tilde mark in the box that says “Replace with.” When you’re ready, click either the Replace button or the Replace All button. You can do it one period at a time by clicking the Replace button followed by Find Next, but that’s going to be quite tedious.

Problems with Find and Replace

Before you click on Replace All, keep in mind that this will replace all periods, not just the ones that end a sentence. For example, if your text contains a Web site address such as Filetonic.com, the period will be replaced and you’ll end up with “Filetonic~com.” You can avoid problems like this by including a space after the both punctuation marks when you enter them in the Find and Replace dialog boxes. That way, when Word finds a period followed by a blank space, it will replace the period and the blank space with a tilde and a blank space. When Word finds a period followed by a letter, it will ignore it.

Exploring Word

I hope this little trick helps make your job easier. Word is a powerful tool with tons of timesavers. Explore Word’s built-in Help files or check out Microsoft Office Online for tutorials and tips. Microsoft even offers a free self-paced training course covering Word 2007.

An Introduction to Phoenix Technologies

Phoenix Technologies is a California-based computer system firmware/BIOS developer founded in 1979. This company trades on the Nasdaq under the PTEC symbol and employs about 600 employees. Phoenix Technologies first came into notice in the early 1980s with its original BIOS product’s introduction.

Since their inception, Phoenix Technologies has shipped over one billion products with over 125 million new systems shipped each year. Phoenix dominates the market with over 50% market share overall and over 60% of the mobile market.

Phoenix Technologies Flagship Products

Phoenix Technologies is best known as a BIOS developer. Among their flagship products are:

• AwardCore
• SecureCore
• FailSafe
• HyperSpace

Additional Phoenix Technologies Products

While Phoenix Technologies is well known for its Award BIOS, the company also offers many innovative products. For example, BeinSync is an online backup service offered by Phoenix Technologies that allows for the real-time backup of files as they are created or edited. These files are immediately backed up and stored online with minimal user interaction required. In addition to online backups, this product also allows for file sharing, remote access, PC synchronization, and easy-to-use shared spaces.

Another exciting technology from Phoenix Technologies is HyperSpace which creates an “instant on” environment. Imagine being able to skip the boot up process or work with your computer applications even if Windows won’t load. With HyperSpace, this, and much more, is possible.  

Phoenix Technologies Support

If your computer has Phoenix Technologies technology (as the most do based on market share figures), the Phoenix Technologies Web site provides a wealth of information. The Technical Support tab features a detailed knowledge base, product documentation, downloads, BIOS support and FAQs, and BIOs updates.

More Information about Phoenix Technologies

If you want to learn more about Phoenix Technologies, Filetonic has detailed information here:

Phoenix Technologies

Phoenix Technologies Failsafe 
Phoenix Technologies Driver Agent
Phoenix Technologies BiosAgentPlus
Phoenix Technologies Hyperspace
Phoenix Technologies BeinSync
Phoenix Technologies Esupport

Microsoft home/student trial was installed on my computer when I got it. I have purchased Office Pro and need to know if I need to uninstall the trial version before installing it. If so, what all do I need to uninstall?

Uninstall or Convert

Microsoft Office trial versions have a convert feature that allows you to convert the trial to the commercial version by entering the purchased product key. This is convenient as uninstalling and reinstalling are not necessary. However, the conversion is version specific. In your case, you will need to uninstall the Home/Student trial version of Microsoft Office because it is a different version than the Office Professional version. If you were converting to the Home/Student version of Office, all you’d need to do is enter your product key information.

Uninstalling the Office Trial Version

Microsoft recommends uninstalling the trial version prior to installing the full product. Uninstalling the trial version is relatively simple and painless. To do so, go to the Control Panel and use the Add and Remove Programs tool to remove it. If you have Windows Vista, go to the Control Panel and use the Programs and Features (which is the same utility as Add and Remove Programs with a new name) tool to remove it.

Once you’re in Add and Remove Programs, click Change or Remove Programs and then scroll through the list in search of Microsoft Office. Keep in mind that the label for Microsoft Office might not say “trial version.” Highlight the program and uninstall it.

In Programs and Features, the steps are slightly different. You’ll find Microsoft Office in the list first and then click the Uninstall/Change button.

Reboot and Install

While it’s not necessary to reboot, starting with a freshly booted computer for a major installation is smart. Close any running programs that may have preloaded with the reboot to minimize any potential interference and then install Microsoft Office Pro.

Activate Office

Once installed, you’ll be prompted to enter your product key. In addition, you will need to activate your copy of Office Pro. An Activation Wizard will walk you through this process. You can activate your copy over the Internet or by calling Microsoft. While you do not need to activate your copy immediately, you will eventually need to do so or else the software will go into limited functionality mode so you might as well take the time now to do it.

For about 3 weeks now I have been PLAGUED by an UN-invited guest. (extent of info; SOLID EDGE 2D DRAFTING v.20) I have tried everything that I can figure. Help?

Since you have already tried quite a few strategies to correct the problematic situation yourself, you may have already tried some of my suggestions. Hopefully we can solve this.

What is Solid Edge 2D Drafting?

The Solid Edge 2D Drafting application is designed for those who use 2D capability. It offers diagramming, drawing layout, goal seeking, and dimensioning. It is used primarily with CAD software. This is a free download that requires Windows Vista or Windows XP as well as Internet Explorer 6.0. The Solid Edge 2D Drafting v.20 is the latest version of this CAD software.

Solid Edge Cleanup Utility

Look in your Solid Edge directory for the Solid Edge Cleanup Utility. It should be located here:

\Solid Edge\SptTools\SECleanup\SECleanupAll.exe . This should cleanup any remnants leftover from previous uninstall attempts.

Uninstall Solid Edge 2D Drafting

Look through the list of all applications that are installed on your computer. Once you locate Solid Edge 2D Drafting v2.0, open it and look for directions on how to uninstall it.

Uninstall Solid Edge 2D Drafting Using the Add/Remove Utility

Since this application must be downloaded and installed by the computer user, use the Add/Remove utility to uninstall the application from your computer.  Go to Control Panel and select Add and Remove Programs. Find Solid Edge 2D in the list and click on Remove.

Problems after Upgrading Solid Edge 2D Drafting

If you have recently upgraded your version of Solid Edge 2D Drafting v2.0, it could be giving you problems due to the fact that it needs to be uninstalled prior to completing any upgrades in order for it to work properly.

Disable Solid Edge 2D Drafting v 2.0

If you still want to have access to the application but you are having problems with it starting up on its own, try disabling it from automatically starting up each time you load Windows. Do this by going to Start > Run and typing: msconfig. Once the next window loads, go to the Startup Items tab and remove Solid Edge from the Startup list.

Use System Restore

If you have a saved restore point on your computer, you can use the “System Restore” utility to return your computer to a time when this application had not yet been installed on your computer.

Contact Support for Solid Edge 2D Drafting

For help directly from the software developer, visit this link: Siemens Help. It offers phone numbers and email addresses that can be used to get in touch directly with the company itself.

Contact Outside Support for Problems with Solid Edge 2D Drafting v2.0

Since you’re having trouble uninstalling this application, you might try an uninstall utility such as Perfect Uninstaller. In addition, you mentioned that this program is an “uninvited guest” which has me concerned. If you didn’t download this program from Siemens, and it suddenly appeared, we may have a spyware issue. While Solid Edge 2D is a legitimate program, I’m concerned that it arrived uninvited.

If you still haven’t had any satisfactory results up to this point, additional help can be obtained by contacting live support at http://www.filetonic.com/support to receive assistance with your problem.

Register Perfect Uninstaller

About Perfect Uninstaller

An uninstaller program like Perfect Uninstaller is a good software piece to have. An uninstaller can get rid of the remnants of deleted programs after they are removed with Windows Add/Remove, as well as difficult to remove programs like McAfee, Norton and Adobe. Corrupt and flawed registry keys can slow down your system and interfere with new downloads and an uninstaller can completely remove this garbage.

Perfect Uninstaller Trial Version

Unfortunately, the free trial version of Perfect Uninstaller is reputably far inferior to the full paid version. User reviews report that the Perfect Uninstaller trial version lacks many functions that the full featured version of the program can perform.

Register Perfect Uninstaller

If you have already paid for the full version of Perfect Uninstaller, you can register your program by following the instructions and filling out the registration forms on the Perfect Uninstaller website. Insert your personal information and follow the prompts to complete the process. To get your registry keys, use the registration process to enter your user email and serial number to login.

It is important that you keep track of the first email that you used to download your version of Perfect Uninstaller so that you can continue to use the same one as time goes on. Perfect Uninstaller uses your email address as a user name and requires that you use the same one.

Get your Perfect Uninstaller Serial Number

Once you register with Perfect Uninstaller, you can access a serial number for your version by completing this form on the Perfect Uninstaller website. If you have problems registering your program, there are a few support options offered by the manufacturer. If you are having trouble entering your email and serial number to access you registry key, unfortunately you are not alone. There are some reports of difficulties getting the online forms to register and to provide users information. In this event, Perfect Uninstaller suggests that you cut and paste the data as it appears on the website.

Contact Perfect Uninstaller Support Technicians

There isn’t a user support forum on the support page of the Perfect Uninstaller website, which makes troubleshooting your registration issues difficult, but you can contact Perfect Uninstaller technical assistance at support@perfectuninstaller.com anytime, day or night, and their customer support center guarantees a response within 24 hours.