Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Retrieve and Display Data with Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Office

Learn how to retrieve and display data in Excel using Web services and VSTO in this article from Advisor.com.

Monday, March 27, 2006

MS White Paper for Developers on the MS Office 2007 GUI



Office 2007 Document: Developer Overview of the User Interface for the 2007 Microsoft Office System A developer-oriented review of the user interface for the 2007 release of the Microsoft Office System including a discussion of the impact of the redesigned UI on custom solutions.

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Pocket Guide: MS Access Samples and Wizards from Microsoft

MS Office Resource Kits and Downloads

I have just discovered these Microsoft pages that provide links to all the essential downloads for Office 97 through to Office 2003:

Friday, March 24, 2006

Free SQL Server 2005 Report Packs

You can use these free SQL Server Reporting 2005 Services report packs as templates to quickly author and distribute new interactive reports.
ReadMe Files for SQL Server 2005 SP1

Readme Files for SQL Server 2005 SP1 and SQL Server 2005 SP1 Express Editions and Tools Before you install SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1 (SP1) or SQL Server 2005 SP1 Express editions and tools, review the readme for information about installing SP1 and to learn about common issues that can impact your installation experience or use of the product.
Microsoft Office 2007 Launch Delayed

Tracking the delay in Windows Vista, Microsoft confirmed late Thursday that it is also pushing the launch of Office 2007 to next year.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Process Explorer for Windows: Task Manager On Steroids

Process Explorer, from Sysinternals, is an advanced process management application that tells you what is running under 32/64-bit Windows, how those running processes affect other processes, and their use of system resources.

System Requirements: Microsoft® Debugging Tools for Windows® - dbghelp.dll

Price: Free!

Details: The main screen shows the processes running on your PC in a treeview. Each process is listed with its icon, a process id, current CPU utilization, a description, and the maker. You can search for processes by handle or the DLL a handle has loaded, and find more for information about a process from the Web by right-clicking on it in the tree.

Recommendation: MS TechNet Magazine April 2006 - ToolBox: New Products for IT Professionals
The Deal On the New GUI in MS Access 2007


MSDN blogger, Eric Rucker, in his What's New In Access 2007 blog, provides an illustrated exposition of the new ribbon navigation paradigm.
Hotfix for SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 4

Hotfix for SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 4 - Build 2187 This just released cumulative hotfix package contains all hotfixes available in SQL Server 2000 Build 2187. For users of the MSDE for Access 2000 or later, this page contains full details of the update as it applies to MSDE 2000. The English language download file is SQL2000.MSDE-KB884525-SP4-x86-LLL.exe (56mb).

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Pre-Realease Version of Visual Studio Tools for Office 2007 Available

Microsoft Pre-Release Software Visual Studio Tools For Office "v3" - March Community Technology Preview (CTP) Microsoft has provided a version of the Visual Studio Tools for Office "v3" for the users of the Beta 1 Technical Refresh of Microsoft Office 2007.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

All You Need to Know About MS Access Security

Veteran Access guru, Roger Jennings, in the first Access book I ever read, Access 2 Developers Handbook, described Access security as "labyrinthine". He wasn't exaggerating.

Garry Robinson, of vb123.com, has recently published a book that guides you through the labrynth, Real World Microsoft Access Database Protection and Security, from A!Press.

Read all about it on Garry's Access site. A sample chapter of the book was featured on MSDN.
New Version 2.0 of The Executive Assistant for Microsoft© Access

















I have just launched the new Version 2.0 of The Executive Assistant - CRM System with Integrated Executive Diary Management, which alllows executives to:

  • Easily manage Clients, Contacts, Client Visits, and Internal Meetings
  • Quickly create detailed Visit and Meeting Reports
  • Built-in Visit scheduling
  • Automated email distribution
  • Comprehensive reporting

New in Version 2.0:

  • Contact Interests tracking
  • Event and Marketing Campaign management
  • Modern Windows Vista-themed GUI
  • Visits Alerts and overdue visit monitoring
  • Client address information
  • More comprehensive reporting options

The Executive Assistant is used by senior executives at Munich Re Australia, Samsung Fire & Marine, and UBS.

The Version 1.0 .mde application is now free!

Saturday, March 18, 2006

New MS Access Knowledge Base Articles

Latest Access KB Articles courtesy of KBAlertz.com:

Access 97

128195 ACC: Commands Not Available During BeforeUpdate Event
139024 OFF: Extract Command Copies Cabinet File Structure

Access 2000


913296 Jet 4.0 data engine update fixes issues that may occur on a Windows XP-based computer
207816 ACC2000: Lookup Wizard Fails with Certain Data Types in Tables
197589 ACC2000: Exporting SQL Specific Query to HTML Causes Error
209661 ACC2000: "Couldn't Find Input Table or Query" Error Message

Access 2002


284463 OFFXP: You Cannot Select "Run from CD" During Installation
280565 OFFXP: Office Shortcut Bar Buttons Remain After Office 2000 Programs Are Removed
290162 OFFXP: User-Modified Files Removed When You Remove Office
280564 OFFXP: Setup.exe Stops Responding When Network Connection Is Interrupted
290167 OFFXP: UserName and CompanyName Fields Not Set to Blank
274388 OFFXP: Your "Features to Install" Settings Are Not Saved During Office Setup
913471 Description of the updates for Office XP: March 14, 2006

Access 2003

905645 Description of the Security Update for Office 2003: February 14, 2006
914830 Access 2003 may not start as expected after you install Office 2003 SP2
902445 Description of the Access 2003 post-Service Pack 2 hotfix package: January 24, 2006
914907 The installation of an update for an Office 2003 program may not be completed successfully after you run the Disk Cleanup tool
913581 Description of the Office 2003 post-Service Pack 2 hotfix package for the Portuguese (Brazilian) version of Office 2003: February 1, 2006
913420 Error message when you try to repair, reinstall, or add a component to an Office 2003 program and you use a Local Installation Source: "Installation Error: File Not Found"
915058 Description of the Office 2003 post-Service Pack 2 hotfix package: February 27, 2006
913571 Description of the updates for Office 2003: March 14, 2006
900459 Description of the Office 2003 post-Service Pack 2 hotfix package: February 24, 2006

Friday, March 17, 2006

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Thursday, March 16, 2006

Another SQL Server 2005 Download...

Community Pack for SQL Server 2005 CTP Download the Community Technology Preview (CTP) of the Community Pack for Microsoft SQL Server 2005, a collection of standalone install packages that provide additional value for SQL Server 2005.
Five Cool Things About the New Office 2007 File Formats





Office 2007 features a new default XML file format. This article from DevX.com explains the developer benefits provided bythe new Office Open XML File formats, and includes a sample application that illustrates how the new file formats enable Office document generation.
Latest SQL Server 2005 Downloads

SQL Server 2005 SP1 Express Editions and Tools CTP Download Community Technology Preview (CTP) SQL Server Express or SQL Server Express with Advanced Services. Also download SQL Server Management Studio Express and the SQL Server Express Toolkit.

SQL Server 2005 SP1 CTP Download the Community Technology Preview (CTP) of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1.
SQL Server 2005 Books Online SP1 CTP (March 2006) Download an updated version of the documentation and tutorials for Microsoft SQL Server 2005.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

New Office MS Office Updates

The latest Office updates, including critical security patches for Office XP, can be downloaded from the Microsoft Office Online Downloads site:

Security Update for Excel 2003 (KB905756)
A security vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office Excel 2003 that could allow
arbitrary code to run when opening a malicious document. This update addresses
that vulnerability.

Security Update for Excel 2002 (KB905755)
A security vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel 2002 that could allow
arbitrary code to run when opening a malicious document. This update addresses
that vulnerability.

Security Update for Excel 2000 (KB905757)
A security vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel 2000 that could allow
arbitrary code to run when opening a malicious document. This update addresses
that vulnerability.

Security Update for Excel Viewer 2003 (KB914451)
A security vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office Excel Viewer 2003 that could
allow arbitrary code to run when opening a malicious document. This update
addresses that vulnerability.

Security Update for PowerPoint 2002 (KB905758)
A security vulnerability exists in Microsoft PowerPoint 2002 that could allow
arbitrary code to run when opening a malicious document. This update addresses
that vulnerability.

Security Update for PowerPoint 2000 (KB905555)
A security vulnerability exists in Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 that could allow
arbitrary code to run when opening a malicious document. This update addresses
that vulnerability.

Security Update for Outlook 2002 (KB905649)
A security vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook 2002 that could allow
arbitrary code to run when opening a malicious document. This update addresses
that vulnerability.

Security Update for Outlook 2000 (KB905646)
A security vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook 2000 that could allow
arbitrary code to run when opening a malicious document. This update addresses
that vulnerability.

Security Update for Office 2000 Multilanguage Pack (KB905646)
A security vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office 2000 that could allow
arbitrary code to run when opening a maliciously modified document. This update
resolves that vulnerability when Office 2000 is used with a Multilanguage Pack.

Security Update for Office XP Multilingual User Interface Pack (KB905649)
A security vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office XP that could allow
arbitrary code to run when opening a malicious document. This update resolves
that vulnerability when Office XP is used with a Multilingual User Interface
Pack.

Security Update for Word 2002 (KB905754)
A Security vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word 2002 that could allow
arbitrary code to run when opening a malicious document. This update addresses
that vulnerability.

Security Update for Word 2000 (KB905553)
Security vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word 2000 that could allow arbitrary
code to run when opening a malicious document. This update addresses that
vulnerability.

Update for Office 2003 Proofing Tools (KB913571)
This update to Microsoft Office 2003 Proofing Tools improves how Office 2003
finds and corrects errors in Dutch language documents. This update includes
previously released security updates for Office 2003 Proofing Tools.

Update for Office 2003 Multilingual User Interface Pack (KB913571)
This update to Microsoft Office 2003 Multilingual User Interface Pack (MUI)
improves how Office 2003 finds and corrects errors in Dutch language documents.
This update includes previously released security updates for Office 2003 MUI.

Update for Office 2003 (KB913571)
Microsoft has released an update to the spelling checker for Microsoft Office
2003. This update significantly improves how Office 2003 programs find and
correct errors in Dutch language documents.

Update for Office XP (KB913471)
Microsoft has released an update to the spelling checker for Microsoft Office
XP. This update significantly improves how Office XP programs find and correct
errors in Dutch language documents.

Update for Office XP Proofing Tools (KB913471)
This update to Microsoft Office XP Proofing Tools improves how Office XP finds
and corrects errors in Dutch language documents.

Update for Outlook 2003 (KB913807)
This update to Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 corrects a problem that may occur
when you use the CreateItemFromTemplate method programmatically to create a
form. This update includes previously released security updates for Outlook
2003.

Update for Outlook 2003 Junk Email Filter (KB913161)
This update provides the Junk E-mail Filter in Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
with a more current definition of which e-mail messages should be considered
junk e-mail. This update was released in March 2006.

Update for Project 2003 Multilingual User Interface Pack (KB913571)
This update to Microsoft Office Project 2003 Multilingual User Interface Pack (MUI)
improves how Project 2003 finds and corrects errors in Dutch language documents.
This update includes previously released security updates for Project 2003 MUI.

Update for Visio 2003 Multilingual User Interface Pack (KB913571)
This update to Microsoft Office Visio 2003 Multilingual User Interface Pack (MUI)
improves how Visio 2003 finds and corrects errors in Dutch language documents.
This update includes previously released security updates for Visio 2003 MUI.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Microsoft Office 2003 Training Library Plus Access to Online Books

This subscription portal offers 16 courses and 10 online books. The self-paced e-learning courses will help you become familiar with the basic and advanced features and tools of Microsoft Office 2003 and its component applications via interactive simulations that provide hands-on practice to master specific tasks. They also include skills assessments to help pinpoint the areas where training can have the most impact. In addition, these courses can be downloaded for offline use for the length of your subscription so you can learn even when you’re not connected to the Internet. The online books provide a searchable, just-in-time source of information to give you quick answers to specific problems as you encounter them. Together, these learning resources can help you to be more productive and effective with Microsoft Office 2003.

A One Subscription Year costs US$169.99.

The offer includes the following:

E-Learning
Course 4100: Core Training for Microsoft® Office Access 2003
Course 4101: Advanced Training for Microsoft® Office Excel 2003
Course 4102: Advanced Training for Microsoft® Office Word 2003
Course 4103: Core Training for Microsoft® Office PowerPoint® 2003
Course 4104: Core Training for Microsoft® Office Outlook® 2003
Course 4105: Core Training for Microsoft® Office Word 2003
Course 4106: Core Training for Microsoft® Office Excel 2003
Course 4107: Advanced Training for Microsoft® Office Outlook® 2003
Course 4108: Core Training for Microsoft® Office FrontPage® 2003
Course 4109: Core Training for Microsoft® Office OneNote® 2003
Course 4110: Core Training for Microsoft® Office Professional Enterprise Edition 2003
Course 4111: Core Training for Microsoft® Office Project 2003
Course 4112: Core Training for Microsoft® Office Visio® Standard 2003
Course 4113: Designing Forms Using Microsoft® Office InfoPath® 2003
Course 4117: Working with Forms Using Microsoft® Office InfoPath® 2003
What's New in Microsoft® Office Professional Enterprise Edition 2003

E-Reference
Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft® PowerPoint® to Create Presentations That Inform, Motivate, and Inspire
Introducing Microsoft® Office InfoPath™ 2003
Microsoft® Office Access 2003 Inside Out
Microsoft® Office Excel 2003 Inside Out
Microsoft® Office FrontPage® 2003 Inside Out
Microsoft® Office Outlook® 2003 Inside Out
Microsoft® Office Project 2003 Inside Out
Microsoft® Office System Inside Out - 2003 Edition
Microsoft® Office Visio® 2003 Inside Out
Microsoft® Office Word 2003 Inside Out

Monday, March 13, 2006

New Version of Vista-Style Switchboard for MS Access

The new version of my very popular Vista-Style Switchboard for MS Access features an Office 2007 ribbon bar-style menu/toolbar:
















Buy the source code to use the GUI in your own Access applications. Download the demos.
New Free Custom Toolbar for MS Access

I have just released my Custom Form and Report Design Toolbar: a handy Custom Toolbar for Access, giving you faster and less tedious resizing and positioning of form and report controls. Download the .mdb and import the Toolbar into any Access97 or later database.










An neat shortcut using the Toolbar: resize a selected group of controls to match the smallest or largest of a group, in just two mouse-clicks:


Match largest >>



Match smallest
>>

Friday, March 10, 2006

New Office Articles from DevX.com

New articles on this portal:



Friday, March 03, 2006





Learning Resources for Visual Basic Express

Microsoft has launched the Absolute Beginner’s Video Series for learning the basics of creating applications using Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition. The series includes over 10 hours of video-based instruction that walks you through creating your first "Hello World" application to a fully functioning RSS Reader application. Sample projects covered in the videos can be downloaded.
You can also download a Supplemental Readings paper, which is also an excellent introduction to computers and programming generally, including chapters on:

  • What is Computer Programming
  • Object Oriented Programming
  • What is the .NET Framework?
  • Creating and Obtaining Data from a Database

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Deploying Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 2

Office 2003 SP 2 White Paper Covers the advantages of deploying Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 2 by using the local installation source with client updating, OHotfix.exe, and OHotfix.ini.