Here you'll find answers to frequently asked questions about anagram™, as well as some explanations of common issues encountered when using the software.

Click on a section to skip directly to that topic:

• About anagram™
• Using anagram™
• Common problems
• anagram for Microsoft Outlook®
• anagram for Palm™ Desktop

Q: What things can anagram™ help me get into my Outlook® or Palm™?
A: Please see our examples page.

Q: How does anagram™ work?
A: anagram™ makes a guess about the nature of the text that you capture to decide whether it is a Contact/Address, Calendar entry, Task/To-Do item or Note/Memo. Then anagram™ uses cues it finds in the text to decide where the data should go.

Q: How much does anagram™ cost?
A: A free trial copy can be downloaded using the "Free download" option above. After 45 days, the trial copy must be purchased if you wish to continue to use all of its features. The cost is USD $29.95. For each copy purchased, a second copy (for use on an alternate computer at home or at work for example) may be purchased for USD $15.95. Click the "Purchase" option above to purchase.

Q: With which operating systems is anagram™ compatible?
A: Windows™ 95, 98, NT, 2000, ME, XP, and Vista

Q: Why isn't there a Macintosh version of anagram™?
A: Our overworked developers are kept in cages at night and fed gruel. Morale is low and we're having trouble convincing them to take on the project. If you can offer development assistance, contact us!

Q: Can anagram™ add information, like a new phone number, to existing records in Outlook® or on my Palm™?
A: anagram™ can currently only create new Outlook® or Palm™ Desktop records and can not add to or change existing records. Your version of Outlook® may have this feature built in, however.

Q: Can I create "repeated events" with anagram™?
A: Events that span more than one day are not currently supported.

Q: OK, I just installed anagram™... how do I get started?
A: Check out the QuickStart information in the anagram™ Help file by clicking the anagram™ icon in your system tray (lower right corner of your screen) and choosing "QuickStart".

Q: Where can I find information on using and configuring anagram™?
A: A complete set of documentation for anagram™ can be found in the Help file that was installed on your computer when you installed anagram™. It is available in your "Start" menu or by clicking the anagram™ icon in your system tray (lower right corner of your screen) and choosing "Help Topics".

Q: How does the "ctrl-c ctrl-c" shortcut key work?
A: In most applications, you can use control-c to copy highlighted text to the clipboard. If enabled, the control-c control-c shortcut in anagram™ allows you to copy and capture text in one step. Highlight the text to be captured and then hold down the control key. Press and release the 'c' key twice quickly and the anagram™ window will appear with the text you highlighted.

Q: What exactly does the "Force copy" option do?
A: Enabling this option causes anagram™ to try to tell the application you are using to copy any highlighted text to the clipboard when anagram™ is invoked (either by a shortcut key or by double-clicking the anagram™ icon). With "force copy" enabled (the default), you won't have to copy text to the clipboard by hand in order to capture it with anagram™.

Q: I just upgraded my computer and the Unlock Code I have no longer works. What's wrong?
A: Each Unlock Code is only valid for a particular hardware configuration. Just unlock anagram™ again using your existing OrderID and Password. See registration terms and conditions for more information.

Q: I have lost my OrderID and/or Password needed to get an Unlock Code. How can I get them?
A: Just go to our information retrieval page. Enter some basic information and they will be sent to you.

Q: Why do I get the error "Not a valid Win32 application" when I try to run the anagram™ installer?
A: This is most likely the result of an incomplete download. Check the file size (it is listed on the download page) and try downloading again. You might also try downloading from the alternate site listed (tucows.com, download.com, etc).

Q: "Force copy" is enabled, but I can never seem to capture text from application xyz. What's wrong?
A: "Force copy" does not work at all with a few applications, and works sporadically with others. In general, the best option for capturing text in these applications is the "ctrl-c ctrl-c" shortcut key since the first control-c causes the application to copy its text to the clipboard.

Q: What can I do if there's no way to select all the text I'm interested in without getting other text that should not be part of the new item?
A: Capture all the text and then delete the unwanted section on the Captured Text page of the anagram™ dialog. Press the appropriate "Re-scan" button to create an item with the new text.

Q: I don't live in the US and most dates I capture are DD/MM/YY, but anagram™ thinks they're MM/DD/YY. Can I fix this?
A: Yes. You can choose your preferred date format in the preferences dialog. Click on the anagram™ icon in your system tray (lower right corner of your screen) and choose "Prefs...".

Q: Why does my firewall software keep telling me that anagram™ is trying to access the internet?
A: Since enhancements to the text-processing engine are made frequently, anagram™ automatically and periodically checks our servers to see if an updated version is available. No personal or private information is sent with the request. If you have firewall software such as ZoneAlarm or McAfee Firewall, you'll need to set it to allow anagram™ to access the internet. This feature can be disabled in anagram's™ preferences.

Q: Outlook® seems to be shutting down without warning. What's going on?
A: Click the anagram™ menu and then "Utils", then "Prefs...", then under "Close Outlook session" choose "Never" and click OK.

Q: I use Outlook® 97/98. Why doesn't the anagram™ menu show up on the Outlook® toolbar?
A: Outlook® 97 and 98 do not support the customization of their toolbar menus. You'll need to access all of anagram's™ features through the anagram™ window itself.

Q: How do I cancel the creation of a new note without saving it?
A: Clicking the close box on the note will save it as it does normally in Outlook®. To cancel the note, click cancel in the anagram™ main dialog.

Q: Does anagram™ run on my Palm™ or on my PC?
A: anagram™ runs on your PC and gets information into your Palm™ through Palm™ Desktop.

Q: Is anagram™ compatible with my PDA?
A: Since it works with Palm™ Desktop, anagram™ works with any Palm OS® compatible PDA. This includes all Palm™ handhelds, the Sony Clié™, Handspring Visor™, Treo™, etc.

Q: Does Palm™ Desktop need to be running in order to use anagram™?
A: No. Newly-created items are saved in your Palm™ Desktop database immediately, whether or not Palm™ Desktop is open. If Palm™ Desktop is running, any new items you add using anagram™ will appear on-screen right away.

Q: I sync with nonstandard conduits or conduit manager software. Will anagram™ work?
A: Probably. anagram™ works through Palm™ Desktop, so if Palm™ Desktop works with your setup, anagram™ will work, too. Download the trial and find out!

Q: Can anagram™ automatically reformat the data it captures? I hate having different phone number formats in all the addresses in my Palm™.
A: anagram™ will reformat the fields in a new address in your preferred way. All phone numbers can be reformatted to one of 4 common formats (e.g. "(212) 555-1212"), and the other fields (name, title, street address, city, state, etc...) can be automatically and intelligently capitalized.