I knew right away what had happened. She had recently installed Apple QuickTime to view a movie that a friend had sent to her and must have clicked yes when the installation procedure prompted her to alter the default programs. As such, QuickTime had taken over all the default graphic file associations. Fortunately, my assumption that it would be an easy fix was indeed true; however, I decided to take the procedure one step further and remove QuickTime from the Open With list by using a quick Registry edit.

In this edition of the Windows Vista Report, I’ll show you how to clear out Vista’s Open With list.

This blog post is also available in the PDF format as a TechRepublic Download.

Using default programs

As I began my investigation, the first place that I looked was in the Default Programs tool. To launch it, just type Default in the Start Search box on the Start menu and press [Enter]. When you launch the Default Programs tool, as shown in Figure A, you’ll see that there are four links that allow you to configure how Windows Vista works with programs:

• Your default programs
• File type associations
• AutoPlay settings
• Computer default programs

Figure A

The Default Programs tool provides you with four different ways to configure your default program options.

For this type of investigation, I selected the file type association option — Associate a File Type or Protocol with a Program. I then scrolled through the list of file types until I located .PNG, as shown in Figure B. As you can see, the .PNG file type is associated with QuickTime PictureViewer.

Figure B

You can see that the.PNG file type is associated with QuickTime PictureViewer.

To reset the file type association back to Windows Photo Gallery, I selected the Change Program button. When I did, the Open With dialog box displayed. At this point, all I had to do was choose the Always Use The Selected Program To Open This Kind Of File check box and select Windows Photo Gallery from the list, as shown in Figure C. To complete the operation, I just clicked the OK button.

Figure C

Using the Open With dialog box, you can easily reset the default program that you want to open a particular file type.

Testing the result

I then returned to Windows Explorer, double-clicked a .PNG file and up popped Windows Photo Gallery. However, when I right clicked on a .PNG file and accessed the Open With sub menu, I discovered that PictureViewer was still linked to the .PNG file type even though it wasn’t set as the default program, as shown in Figure D.

Figure D

The QuickTime PictureViewer was still linked to the .PNG file type even though it wasn’t set as the default program any longer.

Now, I am not totally against Apple (Even though I’m a PC), but I was annoyed that the program had taken over the .PNG file type and so really wanted to remove all traces of it.

Investigating the Registry

Doing a bit of research on Vista’s Registry structure, I discovered that there are five registry keys that have the potential to control the list of programs that display on the Open With sub menu:

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.xxx\OpenWithList
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.xxx \OpenWithProgIDs
• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.xxx\ OpenWithList
• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.xxx\ OpenWithProgIDs
• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\PType\OpenWithList

Where .xxx is the file extension you are concerned with and PType for a file extension could be audio, image, system, text, or video.

In my case, I found that the link between the QuickTime PictureViewer and the Open With sub menu was located in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.png\ OpenWithProgIDs registry key, as shown in Figure E.

Figure E

The link between the QuickTime PictureViewer and the Open With sub menu, was located in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.png\ OpenWithProgIDs registry key.

After deleting the QuickTime.png Binary Value from the Registry, the QuickTime PictureViewer disappeared from the Open With sub menu. (Keep in mind that whenever you delve into the Registry, you are potentially playing with fire. So make sure that you have a recent backup.)

In most cases, you’ll find the item that you want to remove from the Open With sub menu in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.xxx\OpenWithList registry key as a String Value.

For example, I later went that registry key to remove Windows Movie Maker from the Open With sub menu. In that case, I had to delete the moviemk.exe String Value and the MRUList String Value, shown in Figure F. The reason being, that while the moviemk.exe String Value represented the actual application link, the MRUList String Value contains the actual list.

Figure F

In some cases you may have to delete more than one registry key.

What’s your take?

Have you ever discovered that an application has essentially hijacked a file type on your Vista system? Have you ever encountered a program on the Open With sub menu that you didn’t want to have there? If so, please take a moment to drop by the Discussion Area and let us hear.

This blog post is also available in the PDF format in a TechRepublic Download.

Steps

1. On the computer containing your favorite desktop theme, right-click the desktop and select properties. On the theme tab, with your theme selected, click the Save As button and save the file to the My Documents folder (or folder of your choice).
2. Launch Windows Explorer and access the My Documents folder.
3. Look for files with the .theme extension, locate your file, and copy it to a floppy disk or USB thumb drive.
4. Go to the other computer on which you would like to have your favorite desktop theme and copy the .theme file to My Documents.
5. Right-click the desktop and select Properties to open the Display Properties dialog box.
6. On the Themes tab, click the Theme drop-down and select Browse.
7. In the Open Theme dialog box, access the My Documents folder, locate your theme file, and double-click it.
8. Click OK to load the new theme and close the Display Properties dialog box.
9. While Windows XP loads the desktop theme, you’ll see a Please Wait message in the middle of the screen. Your current desktop colors will fade to gray while the new settings are applied.

There is one caveat to this approach — if part of your theme involves wallpaper you created or other graphical elements unique to that particular PC, those elements will have to be copied over along with the .theme file.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional.

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As you may know, the system requirements for Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate all list 1GB of RAM as a minimum. However, we all know that Vista runs better with 2GB of RAM or more. If you’re currently running Vista on a system with only 1GB of RAM you know that the system can, at times, be frustratingly slow — especially when you are running extremely memory intensive applications.

Of course the ultimate solution would be to add another 1GB of RAM to your system, but what if doing so is not feasible at this point in time? Are you stuck with a sluggish system? Fortunately, you can bump up Vista performance by trimming back startup programs that may not be needed. By preventing unnecessary programs from automatically starting, you’ll have more memory to spare for the programs that you do want to run.

In this edition of the Windows Vista Report, I show you several methods that you can use to investigate the programs that automatically start up on your system. I show you how you can eliminate or at least temporarily prevent them from automatically starting up.

This blog post is available in the PDF format in a TechRepublic Download.

Using WMIC

You can investigate startup programs using a specially configured WMIC (Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line) command. WMIC is built into the Windows operating system and allows you to tap into a wide variety of application systems, hardware components and operating system subsystems.

Using WMIC command, you can easily create a very nice HTML-based report of those programs that automatically start up on your system. You can then print the report to have on hand as you investigate whether you can safely eliminate any of those programs.

To create the report, open a Command Prompt window and type the following command:

wmic startup get /format:hform > startupreport.htm

When you do, the report will be created in a matter of moments. To access the file, just type the following:

startupreport.htm

You’ll then see a report displayed in Internet Explorer similar to the one shown in Figure A.

Figure A

Using a specially configured WMIC command you can create a nicely formatted report on startup programs.

As you can see, the report is set up in a table and uses color to make it very easy to read.

Using Reliability and Performance Monitor

You can also investigate startup programs using the Reliability and Performance Monitor. Open the Control Panel, click the System and Maintenance category, and the click the Performance Information and Tools subcategory. Then under the Tasks panel, select the Advanced Tools and click the Generate a System Health Report icon. When you do, you’ll encounter a UAC and will need to respond accordingly.

When the Reliability and Performance Monitor window opens, the utility will begin compiling its report, which will take about 2-3 minutes. Once the report is compiled, expand the Software Configuration section and scroll down to the Startup Programs section, as shown in Figure B.

Figure B

The Reliability and Performance Monitor creates a much more concise report on the Startup Programs.

Using System Configuration

You can investigate and disable startup programs using System Configuration. Open the Control Panel, click the System and Maintenance category, click the Administrative Tools subcategory, and then click the System Configuration icon. When you do, you’ll encounter a UAC and will need to respond accordingly.

When the System Configuration dialog box appears, select the Startup tab, as shown in Figure C. As you can see, the Startup tab provides a straightforward listing of the programs that automatically start up on your system.

Figure C

You can view and easily disable startup programs on the Startup tab of the System Configuration utility.

You can disable a startup program by clearing the adjacent text box. As you can see, the Startup tab makes it easy to keep track of those programs that you have disabled by recording the date and time they were disabled. When you click OK, you’ll be prompted to restart the system to activate your changes.

Using Software Explorer

You can also investigate and disable startup programs using Windows Defender’s Software Explorer. Click the Start button, type Defender in the Start Search box and press [Enter]. When you see the Windows Defender Home page, click the Tools link on the menu. Once you see the Tools and Settings page you’ll find the Software Explorer link in the second column under the Tools heading. Once you click that link, you’ll see the Software Explorer, as shown in Figure D.

Figure D

Software Explorer combines detailed descriptions of each startup program with the ability to disable those programs you deem unnecessary.

As you can see, the Startup Programs category contains a list of programs and provides a detailed description of the currently selected program. To disable any program, you first click on the Show For All Users button and deal appropriately with the UAC that pops up. Once you do, you’ll see that the Remove and Disable buttons are activated. You can then click the Disable button, which will display a confirmation dialog box. To remove a program from memory and reclaim the RAM, you’ll need to restart your system.

When the system restarts, you’ll receive a pop up message in the notification area that tells you that Vista is currently blocking some startup programs. This warning will only display momentarily, but serves as a reminder that you have disabled some startup programs each time the system is restarted.

What’s your take?

Is your Vista system bogged down by unnecessary startup programs? Have you used any of these methods to disable certain startup programs? What was the result? If you have comments or information to share about this topic, please take a moment to drop by the Discussion Area and let us hear.

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But OpenDNS doesn’t stop with domain name service services. OpenDNS also offers a phishing filter, domain blocking, and typo correction. But the most important service offered by OpenDSN is their namesake - DNS.

Do not be confused by the name; OpenDNS is not an open source software app or service. OpenDNS gets a portion of its revenue with advertising on an OpenDNS server when an unknown URL is directed to OpenDNS. You may have come across one of these pages. You enter an address only to come to a site that lists possible existing URLs - instead of the Page Load Error page displayed by your browser. This is OpenDNS.

But let’s get to the point - DNS. Setting up Vista to use OpenDNS is simple. Let’s see just how simple.

This blog post is also available in the PDF format in a TechRepublic Download.

Configuring for OpenDNS

Let’s assume you are using a laptop that gets its IP address and gateway via DHCP but that you often have problems with the DNS entries you receive from one access point or another. The first thing you need to do is click on the Star button (or “Orb” as some call it) and then enter ncpa.cpl in the search text area (you can just start typing as soon as the Start Menu appears - see Figure A).

Figure A

This is nothing more than a short cut to bring up the Network Connections window.

Once the Network Connections window is open (Figure B) you will want to select your current active network connection.

Figure B

A right mouse click will open up the necessary menu to get to the connection properties.

When the new menu opens, select Properties which will open up the Wireless Network Connection Properties window (Figure C).

Figure C

You will want to select TCP/IP v4.

Once you select TCP/IP v4 click the properties button to open up the TCP/IP v4 Properties window (Figure D). This is where you will take care of the actual configuration.

Figure D

One option here will be changed.

From the TCP/IP window select Use the following DNS server addresses and enter the following:

208.67.222.222

208.67.220.220

Now click OK on the TCP/IP Properties window and then click Close on the Wireless Network Connection Properties window. The changes should automatically take effect. And by configuring OpenDNS in this manner, no matter which network you connect to, your DNS entries will always come from the same reliable OpenDNS entries. So networking should be smooth sailing.

Final thoughts

OpenDNS is a very reliable solution to the often confounding problem of slow DNS servers. And since ISP DNS servers can’t always be relied upon, why not choose a solid, never-changing solution? OpenDNS is a very intelligent DNS configuration for anyone, especially those with mobile solutions who must count on speedy connections but can not always count on having speedy DNS servers.

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Previous TechRepublic Microsoft Windows Blog posts in the Patch Tuesday are available on the Special Reports search page.

Security Patches

MS08-0068 / KB957097 - Important (2000, XP, 2003) / Moderate (Vista, 2008): The Microsoft SMB handlers have a vulnerability that allows remote code execution. This is not a critical concern, since you should not be exposing SMB across the Internet, but it is still important to get it patched. This patch is for 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008 (including Server Core). Note the lower priority on Vista and Server 2008.

MS08-069 / KB954430 / KB954459 / KB955218 / KB955069 - Low to Critical (depending upon the precise system): This set of patches (different patches for the same bug) addresses a number of problems with the Microsoft XML Core Services (MSXML). At worst, it allows remote code execution attacks to occur, using IE as an attack vector. Luckily, locked-down users are less of a risk than administrative users.

The criticality is “critical” for MSXML 3.0, “Important” for MSXML 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0. Because MSXML is used not only for IE, but in Office and in the Office Server products, this patch applies to just about every system under the sun. I think that instead of trying to figure out if this patch is truly critical to you, you should play the “better safe than sorry” game and treat it as critical.

Also of note: this patch seems to have a few conflicts and issues in it (ugh); luckily, these issues seem confined to systems with older copies of MSXML installed. Additionally, the conflicts do not seem deadly, just annoying (it will fail to install depending upon what other items are being installed at the same time). On Vista, if you are using MSXML 4 SP2, make sure that you install the update in KB941833 as well to improve reliability.

Other Updates

KB957200: This is a minor bug to fix a problem with the error reporting feature in Vista and Server 2008 64-bit editions. I don’t think many people get much value out of reporting those errors, but if you really think it’s important to do those error reports, and you installed SP1 to Vista or Server 2008 after the initial installation (the only affected configurations), install this patch.

The Usual Suspects: Updates to the Malicious Software Removal Tool, Junk e-mail filters, Defender, group policy client side extensions, and the system update readiness tool.

The compact disk drive auto play feature, common to most operating systems, is a good way to simplify user experience. Auto play is controlled by a simple text-only file called autorun.inf. While there are dozens of software utilities available that will help you create the file, all you really need is a text editor and some basic knowledge.

This How do I… is based on Microsoft Windows, but other operating systems will read the autorun.inf file in a similar fashion.

Solution One: Create autorun.inf

The basic configuration of the autorun.inf states the program to run when the CD is inserted in the drive and the icon to display when the disk is viewed by Windows Explorer or other directory listing software. The text-only file, which resides in the root directory of the CD, should follow this pattern:

[autorun]
open=myprogram.exe
icon=myicon.ico

The icon file should also reside in the root directory of the CD.

Variations

Often the program you want to run will not be located in the root directory of the CD. If that is the case you must include the path:

[autorun]
open=folder1\folder1A\myfile.exe
icon=myicon.ico

Sometimes you may need to pass an argument to the program to be auto played:

[autorun]
open=myprogram.exe /argument
icon=myicon.ico

Not a program

Sending customers, salespeople, investors, and employees presentations, PDF files, and HTML documents requires a slight variation to the basic autorun.inf file and the addition of a DOS batch file to the CD root directory. The autorun.inf file opens a batch file, which then opens the file using the default program designated for that file type. For example:

[autorun]
open=autorun.bat index.htm
icon=myicon.ico

And the autorun.bat file reads:

echo off
@start %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
@exit

There is a variation on this idea that takes advantage of the ShellExecute command:

[autorun]
ShellExecute=index.htm
icon=training.ico

Using the autorun.inf file to auto play your burned CDs will prevent another headache for your users and increase the likelihood of reaching your target audience. And because it is a simple text file, it can be created with a text editor and your normal disk burning software.

Solution Two: Create autorun.inf

While creating your autorun.inf file according to Solution One will work for most your users, it will fail for a small percentage of users who have issues with the autorun function in their particular installation of Windows. The batch file in the first solution makes no allowances for errors and will merely fail when an error is encountered.

This is where a shell utility can save the day, because these third-party applications contain routines for handling common errors and will complete the autorun process even if an error is encountered. For this example, we’ll use autorun.exe, which can be downloaded from Tarma Software Research. Tarma has made autorun.exe freely available for both personal and commercial use and there are no requirements for copyright notices, etc.

To use autorun.exe, you make a simple modification to the autorun.inf file by replacing autorun.bat with the .exe file. The basic autorun.inf under this scenario would look like this:

[autorun]
open=autorun.exe index.htm
icon=myicon.ico

The only other requirement is that a copy of the 8KB autorun.exe file be included in the root directory of each burned CD. This application also contains several options and supports an extended autorun.inf structure that provides more flexibility in how you design your CD package.

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To that end, ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley has created a free downloadable CodeTracker chart to keep track of Microsoft’s various development projects. Each month, we’ll feature an updated, downloadable version of Mary Jo’s CodeTracker chart so we can all keep up with what is going on with Microsoft. See below for an example.

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Microsoft Windows does not have the inherent ability to take advantage of multiple desktops. But, thanks to Sysinternals and the utility Desktops, Windows can enjoy a Linux-like multiple desktop configuration. There is no pager, like with Linux, but with Sysinternal’s Desktops you have the ability to switch from one desktop to another. It’s safe, it’s simple to install, and it’s simple to use. And, best of all, it’s free (but not open source).

With Desktops you are limited to up to four virtual desktops, but as a general rule, you do not need any more than four. Unlike the Linux virtual desktops, you cannot do edge-flipping or have a 3D cube (as in Compiz). With Desktops, you are limited to hot-key switching. But anything to help organize your work is improvement enough.

This blog post is also available in PDF format in a TechRepublic download.

Getting and installing

As with any Windows application installation, all you need to do is download the Desktops download file, unzip it, and place the executable in a convenient location. However, Desktops isn’t an application that will run at boot without a little help. When you first run Desktops, you will be greeted with the main configuration window (Figure A).

Figure A

This is where you do all your Desktops configuration.

In order to have Desktops run at logon, simply click the check box at the bottom left of the configuration window. Of course, startup is not the only configuration you can take care of. You can also set the hot-key combination of your preference.

Setting up hot-key combinations

With Desktops, you have your choice of Hot Key combinations. There are two columns in the configuration windows: one column for the primary key (Alt, Control, Shift, Windows) and one for the secondary key (1, 2, 3, 4 or F1, F2, F3, F4). This is very much a case of user preference. The only issue with this configuration is if your particular hardware already uses a particular key combination. Also note that when you have the configuration window open you cannot switch desktops.

The key combinations option is not the only way to switch desktops. With Desktops running, there will be a small icon in the system tray. If you right-click the Desktops icon in the system tray, you will see a Select Desktop option (Figure B).

Figure B

Selecting this option is the same as clicking the Desktops system tray icon.

Once you select that option, a pop-up window will open showing thumbnails of all your configured desktops (Figure C).

Figure c

Unlike in Linux, you cannot configure different backgrounds for different desktops.

There is one small annoyance with Desktops. When you switch to a new desktop (one that you haven’t been on yet), it’s almost as if the desktop has to fully load. This is actually just the panel starting up. After you have moved to a desktop once, the next time you switch to it will be instantaneous.

Unfortunately, as you can with Linux, you cannot move a window from one desktop to another. So once you have an application running on one desktop, you have to close that application and reopen it on the desktop you want to work with it on. It would be nice if Sysinternals would create an option that would allow users to drag windows from one desktop to another.

Final thoughts

I have long thought Windows needed virtual desktops. The virtual desktop is one of the features that make working on the Linux desktop so much easier. Virtual desktops have far too many pros and zero cons. I was thrilled to finally come across an application that allows adding virtual desktops to Windows. With the help of Desktops, Windows becomes a fraction more useful and a lot less cluttered.

Stay on top of the latest XP tips and tricks with TechRepublic’s Windows XP newsletter, delivered every Thursday. Automatically sign up today!

In Windows XP, you could very easily find the exact uptime measured in days, hours, minutes, and seconds by using the command-line version of Windows XP’s System Information. Unfortunately, Microsoft changed the way uptime is reported in Vista. It’s still there, but just not in the same format.

In this edition of the Windows Vista Report, I’ll examine how uptime is measured in Windows Vista.

This blog post is also available in PDF format in a TechRepublic download.

The XP way

Let me begin by showing you how uptime information is reported in Windows XP. If you open a Command Prompt and run the command-line version of Windows XP’s System Information, you’ll discover a very detailed list of configuration information about a Windows XP system. This listing includes an item titled System Up Time, which lists how long your system has been running in days, hours, minutes, and seconds, as shown in Figure A.

Figure A

System Information in Windows XP shows System Up Time displayed in days, hours, minutes, and seconds.

The Vista way

If you open a Command Prompt and run the command-line version of Windows Vista’s System Information, you’ll also discover a very detailed list of configuration information about a Vista system. This listing includes an item titled System Boot Time, which simply shows the date and time that the system booted up, as shown in Figure B.

Figure B

System Information in Windows Vista shows System Boot Time as a date and time.

Vista does display an Up Time value in the Windows Task Manager window, as shown in Figure C. As you can see in this display, the Up Time value is shown in hours, minutes, and seconds.

Figure C

Vista reports Up Time in Windows Task Manager in hours, minutes, and seconds.

While using either of these methods in Vista will allow you to easily figure out how long your Vista system has been up and running, neither of them is as convenient as the display in Windows XP.

A command-line alternative

If you would like to be able to see an uptime display in Vista that is similar to the one in Windows XP, you can download an ancient command-line utility called uptime.exe from the Microsoft Downloads Page.

While the uptime.exe utility was designed for Windows NT Server 4.0 Service Pack 4 or later, it runs fine in Vista. As you can see in Figure D, the uptime.exe command-line utility provides you with information on how long your system has been running in days, hours, minutes, and seconds.

Figure D

The uptime.exe command-line utility provides you with an uptime display similar to Windows XP.

A gadget

In addition to the old uptime.exe utility, I’ve discovered several Sidebar Gadgets, such as the SysInfo Vista Gadget shown in Figure E, that display uptime information.

Figure E

There are several Sidebar Gadgets that will display uptime information.

What’s your take?

Is system uptime important to you? Are you satisfied with the way Vista reports uptime information? Do you use a different tool/method to view uptime information in Vista? If you have comments or information to share about this topic, please take a moment to drop by the Discussion Area and let us hear you.

TechRepublic’s Windows Vista Report newsletter, delivered every Friday, offers tips, news, and scuttlebutt on Vista development, as well as a look at new features in the latest version of the Windows OS. Automatically sign up today!

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As an IT professional, chances are good that you have lots of detailed information that you have to keep track of in order to do your job effectively and efficiently. You probably have a multitude of documents stored in a multitude of folders on your hard disk. Using a series of documents and folders to store all your information is a pretty logical way of doing things, especially when used in combination with Vista’s Search tool and Saved searches feature. However, it could be better — especially if all that information could be made available in one place.

Well, I recently discovered a very nice document manager called Maple from Crystal Office Systems that runs perfectly on Windows Vista and produces what is essentially a document database. In this edition of the Windows Vista Report, I’ll introduce you to Maple and show you how to use it to manage your document collection.

This blog post is also available in PDF format in a TechRepublic download.

Getting Maple

You can download Maple from the Crystal Office Systems Web site. Once you download it, installation is a snap, and you’ll be ready to begin creating your custom document database in no time. You can download and try Maple for 30 days at no cost. A single-user license is $21.95.

When you access the Crystal Office Systems Web site, you’ll also notice that there is another version of this document manager called Maple Professional, which provides a set of advanced features. You’ll also find a free reader called Maple Reader that will allow other users to view any document database created with either Maple or Maple Professional.

Getting started

Once you have installed Maple, you can use the shortcut to launch it. When Maple runs for the first time, it will load the program’s manual. As you begin to investigate, you’ll soon discover that the program’s main user interface is very much like Windows Explorer, as shown in Figure A.

Figure A

Maple’s user interface looks and feels very much like Windows Explorer.

You’ll use the tree on the left to create nodes that can represent both folders and documents — you can even change the node icons accordingly. You’ll essentially create a folder structure for storing your documents much like you would do on your hard disk.

At the top of the UI, you’ll find two toolbars: One that will allow you to perform all sorts of operations for managing your document database, and a second toolbar that provides you with a whole set of word processor-like formatting controls that will allow you to create and maintain documents.

Maple has a ton of other features that make it an ideal document database tool. You can create links to other nodes, to files on your hard disk as well as to pages on the Internet. There’s a built-in calculator, a dictionary, and a thesaurus. It has browser-like forward and back controls and even a full-screen mode.

Building a document database

Now that you have a good idea of what Maple has to offer, let’s take a look at an example. As I write each weekly edition of the Windows Vista Report, I create a new folder to store each article and its screen captures. I create a folder for the year, a folder for each month, and a folder for each week. For example, September 2008 folder structure looks like the one shown in Figure B.

Figure B

I use a folder structure like this to store my Vista Report articles.

I essentially recreated the first two sections of that folder structure in Maple, as shown in Figure C. However, as you can see, rather than creating a folder for each week, I created a document node for each article and then imported the Word documents into each node.

Figure C

It was easy to replicate that folder structure in Maple.

When it comes to importing, you can easily import text files, HTML files, Rich Text Format files, and Word documents. (Unfortunately, Maple doesn’t import Word 2007 .docx files, but you can easily import Word 97-2003 .doc files.) And, when you import these types of documents, they retain their exact formatting.

To import a document, just choose the node, select File | Import | Document, and then in the Open dialog box, select the file type and then find the document, as shown in Figure D.

Figure D

Once the structure is in place, you can easily import existing files right into Maple.

Once you create your document database, finding what you need is very easy. Just access the Global Search feature and type your search term. You’ll then see a search results pane and can select any document. When you do, the contents are displayed and the search term is highlighted, as shown in Figure E.

Figure E

Maple’s search system makes it extremely easy to find what you are looking for.

What’s your take?

Do you have a need for a document database? Will you investigate Maple? Do you use another similar tool? Please drop by the Discussion Area and let us hear from you.

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