What the heck are .docx & .xlxs files and how do I open them?

Have you ever received a file from someone that has Microsoft Office 2007 or Excel 2007 and you can’t open it? I had a client sent me a word document with a docx extension and I couldn’t open it. I sent her back an email and told her I couldn’t open that format, she said it was a word doc and I had to go find a docx converter to open the file, also sent her back an email telling her in the future it would be helpful if she could save her file in a backwards compatible format so that people who haven’t upgrade to Office 2007 could open her files, fortunately for her, I’m tech savy and can go find a converter to open such files. She told me that she talked to her IT guy and now understood what the problem was and resent me the file in a doc extension. But in general how would people know the difference? *

This site docx2doc offers docx to doc conversion online for only 7.95 per year or you can buy the program for 19.95 but you get a free trial period for 30 days and its the program I used to convert my docx file to a doc file to read it and print it. Depending on how often you get these strange xlsx or docx files and how secure you need it to be, depends on whether or not you use the online version or download the program. I opted to download the trial version and have yet to get another strange file I could not open, although if I get one of those strange files, I’ll be using my docx to doc converter program to open the file. Anyways here’s a link if you need it: convert docx files online

Photoshop will not run – a fix

Ran across an interesting problem with photoshop. Wouldn’t open, said the user didn’t have rights, deinstall, reinstalled, tried the various fixes, still wouldn’t open. Finally figured it out.  Anti-spyware, anti-virus programs block photoshop.exe – as soon as I unblocked them, all ok. Reminder to self: check the anti-programs first.

How to print 1099-DIV in Quickbooks

Interestingly enough I have one client that takes draws (ie dividend payments) for each stockholder but Quickbooks itself doesn’t really have a way to print out 1099-DIV statements however you can fool the system. If the Dividend payments are ordinary dividends, use the RENT box under 1099 preferences, if the payments are qualified dividends, use the ROYALITIES box under 1099 preferences since both of these boxes line up on a regular 1099-MISC statement form with the correct boxes on a 1099-DIV form.

Then run your 1099 wizard/report and print the 1099-DIV just like you would your 1099-MISC forms.

Quickbooks 2006 update – don’t install

beware if quickbooks 2006 tells you it has a new update, don’t install it unless you have already upgraded to IE 7.0, something funky (for the lack of better term) happens when you install the update. All of sudden my HP all in one printer stopped working, my CRM database kept trying to install itself over and over again, my QB 2006 file kept closing itself.  After I deinstalled QB 2006, my all in one printer decided it would work and my new computer seems stable again.

Something about that latest update is linked with IE 7.0 which in itself, breaks most of my programs.

Protect yourself from spam email

I saw this today on one of my newsletter and thought I’d share – good advice:  the bottom line: if you get email from someone you don’t know, or haven’t given your address to, just delete it.

The virus/bot folks are counting on the fact that most people don’t really look at the URL of the link when they click on it. So what happens is two things. When the link is clicked, you have just verified your email address. While sending out spam isn’t expensive, there are costs, like bandwidth, so if a spammer can make sure his message is getting delivered, that’s a plus. Worse, though, is that when you click on what looks like a legitimate link but isn’t, you can wind up at a website that downloads software that will turn your computer into a zombie that sends out more of the spam itself.

I always look at the links before I click on them but most people don’t and just click away allowing spam to possibly infect your computer and at least giving the spammers your email address when you do click on the link.

The Crucible

If you’re interested in learning more about industrial arts, check out The Crucible, great classes in industrial arts.

Metal Design

If your looking for a great resource for metal – any type of metal, check out Moose Metal in Concord at 925-676-6667

Shimmering Energy Design is my other company and more of an art/metal design company.

is it a hobby or a business?

If you show a loss for 3 out of 5 years, the IRS can always say that you are not really in a true business motive and that you are just incurring losses for tax reasons…the IRS can say that you are conducting your business like a hobby. If the IRS determines that your not really in a true business but rather a hobby, then they can disallow your losses

Wisegeek: clear answers for common questions

Wisegeek: clear answers for common questions - I ran across this site when I was trying to explain the concept of a dual core processor to a client. And after visiting the site, is has tons of different how to and clear answers for everyday questions such as how to reseed your lawn – something I didn’t understand exactly how to do until today. Check it out.

tweaks and tips for XP

Registry Edits for Windows XP - just an another interesting site I found, if you don’t know what you’re doing here, don’t do it – let your IT people know and have them do it.

Ever wanted to change the text color on your desktop icons but can’t figure out how do it in Windows XP, this nifty little program does the trick: 12Ghosts