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Personal Tech

Solutions: Scan and edit forms with OCR software

Q. I am taking a course in tax preparation and would like to be able to scan blank forms into my PC and fill them out or otherwise alter the text. I would also like to alter forms such as wills, bills of sale, etc. What is the cheapest and best way I can do this?

By John Torro, Times Correspondent
Published October 22, 2007

Q. I am taking a course in tax preparation and would like to be able to scan blank forms into my PC and fill them out or otherwise alter the text. I would also like to alter forms such as wills, bills of sale, etc. What is the cheapest and best way I can do this?

A. What you need is software that does optical character recognition, or OCR. It's possible you may already have this type of software with your scanner. It allows you to scan documents to a Word or PDF file that can then be edited. Some programs are better than others, and accuracy is not always perfect, but they usually get you close.

Q. I am now using Gmail instead of Outlook Express for shopping- and search-type e-mail. I still use OE for my personal e-mail. When I click on an e-mail link on a Web page, OE opens with my old shopping e-mail address. Is there a way to make Gmail the default?

A. I like your strategy of separating your personal and general e-mail environments. There is no way to specify Gmail as your default mail handler from within Internet Explorer. However, there is a Google add-on called Gmail Notifier you can download that will make it possible for e-mail links to be opened with Gmail. You can find it at http://toolbar.google.com/gmail-helper/notifier_windows.html.

Q. I have Windows Vista. In Windows Mail, I cannot delete eight messages in my Draft folder. I searched Help and sent e-mail to Microsoft, but still do not have a solution. I tried Systems Restore and was unsuccessful. I would appreciate your help.

A. While Windows Mail has a lot of great new features, there do appear to be minor problems that may need to be addressed, hopefully in Vista SP1. This problem is usually caused by a corrupt mail store. Microsoft includes a command line utility called esentutl that can be used to check, defragment and repair the WindowsMail.MSMessageStore file. Here's how: Exit out of Windows Mail. Back up your e-mail data to another folder or disk by copying the folder C:Users\your-username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail\. Note that the AppData folder is hidden, but if you click the Start button, click Run, and then type the folder spec above and hit Enter, it will take you there. Also, in the folder spec you'll need to substitute your user name logon name in place of "your_username." So, for me the folder spec would be C:Users\john\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail\. Once you have backed up the folder (don't skip that step), use the utility. Click Start, click Run, type CMD and hit Enter. This opens a command window. Then enter:

To Repair your WindowsMail.MSMessageStore file: esentutl /p "C:Users\your-username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail\windowsmail.msmessagestore"

To Defragment your WindowsMail.MSMessageStore file: esentutl /d "C:Users\your-username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail\windowsmail.msmessagestore"

To check the Integrity of your WindowsMail.MSMessageStore file: esentutl /g "C:Users\your-username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail \windowsmail.msmessagestore"

Send questions to personaltech@sptimes.com or Personal Tech, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. Questions are answered only in this column.

[Last modified October 19, 2007, 22:41:30]