Monthly Archives: July 2012
Custom Reports Suddenly Stop Working????? Here’s a reason and a Fix!!!!
If you (suddenly) get an error like the following (which may vary depending on OS) when generating custom reports, it is likely caused by a recent security update for MS Office.
Good news is that Microsoft realized this problem and provided a “fix it” tool at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2703186.
This is what happens based on my investigation if you care:
There is an EXD file created for some VB 6.0 runtime files when you use the controls provided by the runtime files in the Visual Basic designer. Those files are located in %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Forms\ folder (which may vary depending on OS). The problem is that, when security update installs new versions of certain runtime files, the EXD files become invalid and hence this error occurs.
To fix the error, you need to delete the EXD files and they will be re-created as needed. To delete those files, you can either use Microsoft provided “fix it” tool from the link above, or go to the folder directly and delete them.
This link http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/ms12-027 gives you some details why the security update is necessary and which software are affected.
Stop Bouncing Around When Reviewing Data
In Tracefinder you have the ability to review your data in the form of you final report in Report View.
By selecting the report you want to see and the data you want see it from, as long as its a Standard Report shipped with TraceFinder, you can see a preview of the report without actually creating the pdf or paper.
This is a virtual report help in memory while you review it. It allows the user to see the end result but still be able to make some changes.
A feature of many of the Standard reports that are sample centric is the Active View tab.
This tab allows the user to stay in the reporting area and make data review type changes. It will display the results found in the text of the report, but give you the ability to perform chromatographic editing just like in Data Review. Once all the changes are made then simply press an Update Report button that will appear above the virtual reports and the data on the report will be updated and the results in the Data Review Screen will be too.
This keeps you from clicking around from Report View and Data Review.
Can LCQuan and TraceFinder Co-exist
In a word, Yes.
Well, to be a little more detailed. TF 2.0 and above can be installed on the same PC, but they have to be versions that are supported by the same Thermo Foundation base application. So LCQuan 2.7 is the needed version, today.
If you have the QuickCalc application, you can export the method out to a .pmd file then import into TF.
That export though does reset the retention time to 1.0 minutes so they will have to be reset in TF or you can reset the RT in Xcalibur.
You can also export the Sequence to a .sld file that can be imported into TF, if you want to look your already acquired data in TF for comparison.
Then you can simply right click in the Batch View Grid, browse to the data and and map raw files to samples. This will copy the files into the Tf directory and set the file references.
Then just submit the batch for Processing.
If you want to use a report much like the Long and Short Summary, use the TF Custom Report: Xcalibur Style Summary Report, that is located not he Custom Reports Template page.
Converting From Old to New… Methods, Data and Templates
TraceFinder provides an executable application the top level menu “Go” item, that will allow you to convert all of your old stuff to the latest versions of TraceFinder for use.
This includes all previous versions of TraceFinder and back to the LabForms 2.5.x application.
This allows you to reproduce your data and methods you currently use in the newer platform without having to recreate everything.
It also allows you to browse to any stored TF or LabForms directories to pull in the information even if, it has been archived on a remote disk.
After you have opened the directory the contents for the selected data type will be listed below.
You can select individual files or right click and select all. the simply press the “Start Converting” button in the lower right corner.
If any issues occur the Status column will contain an entry and the log file will record the issues with conversion.
A Quick Note on OneNote and Report Printing?
Is Microsoft OneNote hijacking your print jobs?
While we don’t usually focus on tech support issues here on the Office Blog (that’s what the Microsoft Answers forums are for), let me shine a quick light on a recurring issue that has caused some of you to scratch your heads and write in about.
In a nutshell, the problem appears to be that OneNote 2010 (or OneNote 2007) intercepts all of your print jobs whenever you try to send any information from your other programs or your Web browser to your trusty printer. While you must admit that this is a great way to save paper and finally “go green,” it’s no laughing matter when your boss expects you to hand him or her a printed report and you can’t seem to do that.
What’s happening?
Until recently, you’ve always been able to print anything from your computer to your printer. Now, your print jobs seem to suddenly bypass your printer completely and go straight into Microsoft OneNote, where they appear like scanned images. You really want things to go back to the way things were and have your print jobs sent to your actual printer once again.
What’s causing it?
Microsoft OneNote comes with a nifty little utility called the Send to OneNote print driver. A print driver is a small piece of software that directs output from a computer to a printer. Typically, the operating system controls such software, so it can monitor how a computer talks to hardware devices like a printer. In the case of OneNote, a special print driver is installed that lets you send your print jobs as images into your OneNote notebooks.
The OneNote print driver wasn’t designed to override your printer settings and assume you want every print job sent to OneNote 2010. Instead, it’s intended to be waiting in the wings, available whenever you want to use it, and taking a backseat again whenever you’re done sending a particular print job to OneNote.
However, the OneNote print driver may have accidentally promoted itself to top dog in any of the following conditions:
- You installed OneNote 2010 or Office 2010 with no physical printer installed or selected at the time, causing the Send to OneNote print driver to act as your default (preferred) printer.
- You installed a new physical printer on your computer after installing OneNote 2010 or Office 2010, without promoting the printer to act as your default printer.
- You share your computer with someone else who installed OneNote 2010 or Office 2010 and set the Send to OneNote print driver to act as the default printer.
- Your printer software is incompatible with your operating system version and Windows has reverted to the Send to OneNote print driver as the default printer.
Even if you’re not really sure how it may have happened, there’s an easy solution.
When the Send to OneNote 2010 print driver is marked as shown, print jobs will be sent to OneNote as images.
If you have a real printer installed, right-click its icon, and then click Set as Default Printer on the shortcut menu.
Your printer is recognized as the preferred printer for future print jobs when it has the check mark icon next to it.
How can I fix it?
On any edition of Windows 7, do the following:
- On the Windows taskbar, click the Start button.
- On the right side of the Start menu, click Control Panel.
- When Control Panel opens, click View Devices and Printers (if you’re in Category view) or click Devices and Printers (if you’re in Icon view).
- Right-click the printer icon that represents your physical printer, and then click Set as Default Printer on the shortcut menu.
If you’re using Windows Vista, the steps are nearly identical:
- On the Windows taskbar, click the Start button.
- On the right side of the Start menu, click Control Panel.
- When Control Panel opens, click Printer (if you’re in Category view) or click Printers (if you’re in Classic view).
- Right-click the printer icon that represents your physical printer, and then click Set as Default Printer on the shortcut menu.
If you do not see an icon for your actual printer, it’s likely that your printer is not correctly installed. Check the printer manufacturer’s website for any updated drivers that are specific to your version of Windows (for example, a 64-bit edition of Windows) and make sure that the printer is properly connected to your computer.
Don’t be hatin’!
Even if you had a bad first impression of the OneNote print driver hogging all of your print jobs, don’t be too quick to dismiss it even after you demote it from being your default “printer.” You might be surprised how useful it is to have the ability to print certain information right into OneNote.
Although digital printouts in OneNote are image files that you can’t edit, you can right-click such images in OneNote 2010 and extract the text from them with the Copy Text from Picture command. As long as the text in the image is large enough and legible, this works really well. You can then paste and use the copied text into your notes or elsewhere in your work.
When you’re properly introduced to it, the OneNote print driver is a pretty cool feature! 😉
Remember, whenever you have a technical support issue, head on over to Microsoft Answers — the official Support forums for OneNote and Office. It is monitored daily by knowledgeable and helpful members of the Microsoft MVP community, Microsoft Support, and the Office product teams.
— Michael C. Oldenburg
Multiplexing… The old and the new.
TF can be used with Aria MX and AriaOS.
Linked below is a guide on how to work with Aria OS and TraceFinder.
This allows the user to make use of his Aria OS system that has been certified for chemical analysis, but would want to take advantage of the superior TF quantitative properties. This relies on the fact that analysis is performed in a batch processing manner.
TraceFinder: Direct Knowledge 