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This website is not a WordPerfect program "Help Desk," nor is it affliated with Corel. Its purpose is to offer you some tools and tips about using the program. If you have a problem with WordPerfect or need more help with its basic functions, please read on.

Here are some general tips when you have problems or are seeking information about how to do something in WordPerfect and have not had any luck using the program's built in Help (F1 key). Though this is a lengthy list, it may save you far more time than it takes to read it by helping you get the most from other sources of help.

• The very first thing to do is to determine the "build number" or "release" of WordPerfect - and the edition - that you have.
  • Look in WordPerfect's Help menu, and click "About WordPerfect". You will see a four-digit number like 11.0.0.300 or 14.0.0.756. The first part of the number is the major version number (here, WordPerfect 11 and WordPerfect X4); the last part is the minor version number, or specific build. This information makes troubleshooting much more effective and is sometimes indispensable since some suggestions or solutions work only in specific versions or builds of the program. [To find out about which updates are available, see the WordPerfect Universe FAQ.]
  • For troubleshooting purposes it is often helpful to know your edition of WordPerfect: Standard, Professional, Student & Teacher, Home & Student, Small Business, Family Pack, Trial, OEM, etc. Different editions might omit some third-party features. See the file, Volinfo.txt, in the root directory of your installation CD. Then see here.
• Try one of the Corel newsgroups (NGs) manned by expert volunteers (who, by the way, do not work for Corel) or one of the popular peer-support sites on the internet:
  • Corel newsgroups (manned by C_Tech volunteers and other advanced users). Corel newsgroups are listed on their news server (cnews.corel.ca or cnews.corel.com) which can also be accessed from http://www.corel.com/support/newsgroup.htm.
    • Be sure to read the section below, "Getting the Most From WordPerfect Newsgroups."
    • Depending on what version of WP you are using you can go directly to one of these support groups. By clicking on the appropriate line below you will automatically be "subscribed" to the group. This simply means your newsreader (such as Outlook Express) will be able to access messages posted to the newsgroup. Most are arranged in "threads" to keep topics together. Look around your newsreader's main menu to see how to view messages, compose new messages for others to read, reply to messages directed to you, join an ongoing discussion, etc.

news://cnews.corel.com/corel.WordPerfect_older_versions
news://cnews.corel.com/corel.WordPerfect11
news://cnews.corel.com/corel.WordPerfect12
news://cnews.corel.com/corel.WordPerfectX3
news://cnews.corel.com/corel.WordPerfectX4
news://cnews.corel.com/corel.WordPerfect-FAQ (for some Frequently Asked Questions; this is a Read Only group, you cannot post to it) ... and ...
news://cnews.corel.com/corel.test (for newcomers to post "test" messages)

• Advanced users: If you need to search through the Corel newsgroups by keyword or person, try using Google Groups at http://groups.google.com/.
• WordPerfect Universe at http://www.wpuniverse.com. Many WP experts volunteer their help there. WPU has several forums -- "How Do I"; "Macros & Merges"; Troubleshooting"; "FAQ..."; "Networking"; etc., so choose the most likely one (each forum has a posted purpose on the Forums page) and post a message with a simple and concise subject line. It is rare to have to wait more than a few hours for a reply to a post.
  • Browse a few of the WPU forums to get a feel for the place. You can log in as a guest to post a question but I think you'll immediately see the value of the site and join as a regular member. (At the top of most of the forums is a Tips thread which helps new visitors get the most from the WPU site.)
  • Before posting, be sure to complete your profile in the Member's Center at WPU so that it shows your operating system and specific version of WP (as shown in WP's Help, About; it is a four-part decimal number [nn.n.n.nnn]). This information makes assistance and troubleshooting more effective and is sometimes indispensable since there are many times when suggestions or solutions work only in specific versions (or "builds") of WordPerfect.
• You might want to search Corel's Support database (for WordPerfect 9 through the current version) at http://support.corel.com or the Corel Knowledge Base (for WordPerfect 3 - WordPerfect 11) at http://kb.corel.com. Sometimes the problem or procedure has been reported to Corel and a document exists in their databases.
• Try exploring any links you find to other WordPerfect sites, such as the WP Sites page here on this site.
• Use Google's Groups page at http://www.google.com/grphp. This is a respository of questions-and-answers posted on various groups, including Corel's Newsgroups. It goes back several years, so use as many specific terms in the Search field as needed to narrow your search. Also try a basic Google search using its similar words finder. For example, "wordperfect ~help" (notice the tilde, ~) brings up various help and support sites. (See the Google "cheat sheet" for a few handy search tips. Also see here for more Google advanced search tips.)

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FIRST, read Corel's Newsgroup Rules and Regulations, usually found under the Support tab at http://www.corel.com/support. Visiting a NG is like dropping by a consultant's office (sometimes it's more like the neighborhood pub). There are rules and codes of conduct, and if you ignore them you may find yourself shut out of the conversation.

DON'T POST "TEST" MESSAGES in informational or technical newsgroups. Most NGs have a TEST group for this purpose. (For Corel products, use news://cnews.corel.com/corel.general.test.) It is considered rude to post "This is a test" or similar "empty" messages in normal NGs, since it wastes the time and resources of everyone who is reading for technical information (some people pay for their internet connect time by the minute).

DON'T "MULTI-POST." Be sure to post your message to just one WordPerfect NG at a time. Try to determine which NG is the most appropriate for your question or problem. One way to do this is to read a few of the questions and answers, or use your newsreader program's Find feature to search through the messages by keyword, before posting your own question. [You may need to download several weeks' worth of headers (the subject line of the posting) and messages (the body text of the posting) to get a good sampling. See your newsreader's menu to download additional headers.] Someone else may already have answered a similar question, solved the same problem, or posted a tip or procedure. In any case, it's a good way to learn how the NG works, and a good way to learn more about WordPerfect -- and a VERY good way to save you (and others) some time.

THINK LIKE A COPYWRITER. Try to create a clear, short, snappy subject heading for your message to maximize your chance of getting a rapid response. That is, don't just put "Help me!" or "WordPerfect is buggy!" or other vague phrases in the subject line. Better: "Need help setting margins in WP8" or "WP9 won't print to HPxx."

Be brief and specific in the message itself. Explain exactly what your problem is, the text of the errors you got, the computer's operating system (e.g., Windows 98 or XPHome) and (most importantly) the version of WordPerfect you use (and which service packs -- "patches" -- you have applied), etc. To get your specific version number, click Help, About WordPerfect from the WP menu.

Never say in ten words what you can say in five. The longer and more complex your message, the fewer people will bother to read it.

FORMATTING: Since you should use plain text (see the last paragraphs below), you might be wondering how you can add emphasis to your words. Avoid using ALL CAPITALS in the subject line and in the body of the message, except for short phrases. Using capitals is seen as "shouting," and lots of people will simply ignore your message and skip past it.

One way to show emphasis is to bracket words with asterisks (*), which indicates bold print, or underlines (_), which indicates italics. Some folks indicate sarcasm using "tags" such as <sarcasm> and </sarcasm>, to show the beginning and ending of material that is meant as sarcasm. Remember, readers frequently cannot tell when you mean to be sarcastic or humorous. Help them out by tagging your material or using emoticons, such as :-) to indicate a smile.

ONE TOPIC, ONE MESSAGE. Try to stay with one question or topic per message. Some folks may have an answer to your second or third question, but make skip over your entire message if they don't know the answer to your first question. If you have more than one question or problem, post each separately in the appropriate NG. In other words, make it easy for readers to help you by focussing on a single issue in your message.

Incidentally, don't tag your question onto someone else's because it looks similar to yours or because you want to talk directly to a specific NG volunteer. Start a new thread with a new message and subject line. People very often skip whole sub-threads they are not interested in, especially if you barge into an ongoing conversation by posting in the wrong place. (This would be like walking up to a small group of people who are engaged in a lively debate on an arcane computer topic, listening for a moment, then butting in with a question about farming methods in Nebraska. You are likely to be though as either rude, ignorant, or strange. At best, someone will remind you to post on a new thread, and you will have wasted your time (and theirs). At worst, you probably will be seen as an irritant and they probably will ignore you and any of your future messages. Sorry, but that's the way it is sometimes.)

Here are some questions from a Corel C_Tech that you might answer before composing your message:

- What action(s) cause the error, if repeatable?
- If on a network, what network OS and version; client software and version; assigned user levels?
- If a printer problem, what type of printer and driver version (from printer's 'Test' page)?
- If an on-screen problem, what video card, driver version, and settings?
- If a "responsiveness" problem, what amount of memory and hard drive free space?
- Any other software running at the same time, such as virus-checking or "optimization" or "crash-prevention" programs?
- If an install problem, at what point (%) in the install does it fail, and which module/files show at that time?
- What is the EXACT text from an error message? Copy/paste the text into your post, but only up to the word 'registers'. Usually the first few lines of the error message are all that is needed; it is not necessary, and rarely helpful, to include all the registry information or a complete Dr. Watson log.

BE PATIENT. Allow a few days for someone to respond before trying another (related) NG. Posting the same message simultaneously on several NGs really annoys people who must download (sometimes at a per-minute cost) the same message, over and over. Most of them will ignore you because of this, and may not bother to read future messages from you. Remember: Their time is valuable, too.

Note that the absence of a quick reply could mean that no one can think of a solution, or it could mean someone may be working on one. Be patient. Give it a day or three.

STAY COOL. If you are frustrated or upset, or under a deadline, here's something to think about. These NGs are manned by C_Tech volunteers and visited by users like yourself, who are trying to make your experience with WordPerfect an enjoyable and productive one. They do it for the love of the program. They are taking time out of their busy day to help you -- for FREE. They may have strong opinions but that does not mean they should be the targets of abuse simply because you are having a frustrating time. Be kind, and they will probably fall all over themselves in an attempt to help you. (If you disagree with this paragraph, feel free to hire a consultant instead.)

YOUR REPLIES: If you reply to a message, be aware that your news reader may automatically quote the previous message (and all replies to it) above your own reply. Quoting back the entire thread of previous messages above (i.e., at the top of) your own reply can make viewers skip your words altogether. Some users don't have the time or patience to locate your reply at the bottom of a forest of material they have already read. While some might disagree with this format, for most replies it may be better to put your reply at the very top of your message, leaving all other quoted material at the bottom, for reference if needed. Of course, if you are replying to a message point by point, you probably will want to use a quote-reply-quote-reply format, interspersing your words with the previous message's text. (Users typically put the phrase, "Answers in-line," at the top of the reply.) Whichever method you use, try to be aware of the time, effort, and cost other viewers may face in reading your words.

In the Corel NGs, which are peer-to-peer support groups, you should always reply to messages online so that all who see them will benefit, including those who merely stop by to read or scan messages ("lurkers"). Further, it is considered somewhat rude to request that replies to your questions or requests be sent to you via private e-mail. (Many feel that since you made an effort to visit the first time, and they made an effort to respond, you should -- as a courtesy to them and others -- come back to the NG to read replies.) So, unless there is a reason to carry a topic offline via e-mail, or someone asks for a file to be sent to them, keep everything online in the NG.

You should be careful about revealing your exact e-mail address in any public NG. Spammers often use automated techniques to search public NGs to get valid addresses for their junk mail. One way around this is to use extra words in your e-mail address that other visitors will understand as something that should be changed or removed. For example, if your true address is JSmith@aol.com, you could use something like JSmithNOSPAM@aolNOJUNK.com. This should help confuse any web robots looking for valid e-mail addresses, but humans should be able to figure out your address if they need to reply to you. (TIP: Never replying to any unsolicited e-mail from unknown sources is a very good way to help keep spam out of your in-box. Spammers sell their lists to other spammers, so be vigilant.)

PLAIN TEXT ONLY. Your newsreader should have a setting to post NG messages in either HTML or plain text. (In Outlook Express, look under Tools, Options, Send.) There are three problems with posting messages in HTML: (1) Support - many older (and some newer) newsreaders can "see" only plain text. HTML shows up with so many HTML tags as to make the message virtually unreadable. (2) Security - HTML can hide viruses, and such messages are often deleted immediately by newsgroup moderators. (3) Size - HTML really "bloats" the size of messages, causing storage and bandwidth problems as the message propagates to hundreds of servers, and increasing message download time for users - some of whom pay for long-distance internet access by the minute. They will not appreciate your pretty formatting, so use plain text, please.

NO ATTACHMENTS. Never, ever add an attachment or insert a graphic image as you might do with e-mail (people will not read your message for fear of viruses, which can hide in attachments). Experienced visitors to NGs will often skip past any message that has a paper-clip icon on it indicating an attachment. Instead, explain everything in the body of your "post." If someone wants you to send something extra to them via e-mail, they'll ask.

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ADDENDUM - Macro code posted in Newsgroups or on the internet:

How to copy the code into WordPerfect and compile it as a macro

Occasionally, someone may post a macro in the body of their newsgroup (NG) message or on their web page. Naturally, you should treat the code with caution and consider its source. If it comes from someone that is a frequent NG visitor, he or she will likely be known to the group's moderators and the code probably is okay. (Of course, you always use such things at your own risk.)

To copy a macro from a newsgroup message or web page, select all text from beginning to end, and copy it to the Windows clipboard with Ctrl+C or Edit, Copy.

Next, open a blank document in WordPerfect and click on Tools, Macro, Macro Toolbar to display the Macro Toolbar -- which, among other things, uses non-typographical quote marks instead of "curly" quote marks (the latter won't work in a macro). Position your cursor at the very bottom of the page, after all codes, and click on Edit, Paste Special, Unformatted Text to paste the macro code into the WP document.

Be sure to check for long lines that may have been wrapped into two or more lines with a hard return (HRt) between them; remove the hard return(s) to "glue" the lines back together.

Save the macro with the Save & Compile button on the Macro Toolbar. This will save it to your default macros folder.

Note that you may need to edit the Application() command at the top of the code (if one exists) to change the language code from "EN" (or "US") to the language version you are using.

Or, if you are using just one language version of WP, you can delete the last semicolon along with the "EN," to get something like this:  Application (WordPerfect; "WordPerfect"; Default)

IMPORTANT: Some macros use Search and Replace code (the equivalent to Edit, Find and Replace on your toolbar). After you paste the macro into WordPerfect, be sure to replace any indicated "text placeholders" in the SearchString() and ReplaceString() commands (or where otherwise indicated by the author) with the actual WordPerfect Codes. These text substitutes may have been inserted by the author because simply copying macro code to a newsreader for uploading to a NG usually strips out any special WP codes that the macro needs in order to function properly.

For example, if you see a command like this - SearchString ("[HRt]") - just delete the text string (the [HRt] string) inside the parentheses (but keep the double quote marks) and in their place you should insert the actual binary code(s) with the Codes button on the Macro Toolbar.

You can also delete any annotations or comments (i.e., all text following "//" marks up to the end of the line), though there usually is no need to do so. You may want to refer to them at some future date.

Finally, click on Save & Compile to save the macro.

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