4. <Save> the document as the SAME VERSION as soon as it gets back to its original format.
5. Now save it as a NEW VERSION or DOCUMENT.
6. Highlight and <Delete> all of the text in the file.
7. Switch to the document you recently saved on the local drive (this is the one where the revised text was copied).
8. Highlight and <Copy> all of this text into the NEW VERSION document you just created and <Save> it immediately.
Did you understand what we just did? First, you copied the revised text of the file into a new document, then saved it to the local drive (just in case the computer crashes or freezes). You then went back into the revised document and salvaged it by using the Undo feature to remove all the edits you made. After getting the file back into its original format and resaving it (then saving it again as new version), you deleted its contents and replaced it with the copied revised text from the new document that was saved to the local drive. Whew!! This was a lot easier to do than say, wasn't it?
Using the undo feature to salvage documents in WordPerfect 7 and 8
The good news is that unlike Word, you can still undo your changes in WordPerfect even after closing and saving your document. WordPerfect is indeed a wonderful program (this not a plug, I love both applications. I just happen to think that WordPerfect is better for the legal environment, that's all).
WordPerfect can undo and redo up to 300 changes in a file, but you first have to set it up that way. Be warned however, that saving this many undo/redo changes can take up a lot of space on your hard drive.
Follow these steps to set up your Undo/Redo options:
a. Click <Edit>, <Undo/Redo History> and hit <Options> for the <Undo/Redo Options> dialog box.
b. Type "300" in the box and make sure <Save Undo/Redo items with document> is checked. Hit <OK>, then <Close> to exit.
Now you can make changes to your document and not worry about whether or not you saved it as a new version or not, because you'll be able to undo them without any problems.
To use the Undo feature execute the following:
1. Open and <Copy> the contents of the revised file into a new window and save it to the local drive as a new document. (This document should remain open throughout this procedure.)
2. Switch back to the revised document.
3. Just like in Word, press <CTRL+Z> or the <Undo> button to undo every edit made to the document, until it's back to its original format. (Tip 2: For a really super-quick way to undo your changes, click <Edit>, <Undo/Redo History>; highlight all of the changes in the Undo box and press <Delete>. )
4. <Save> the document as the SAME VERSION when finished bringing the document to its original state.
5. <Save> file again, but as a NEW VERSION or DOCUMENT.
6. Highlight and <Delete> all text in the file.
7. Switch to the document you recently saved on the local drive (this is the one where you copied the revised text to).
8. Highlight and <Copy> all of the text from this file into the NEW VERSION document you just created and <Save> immediately.
I learned this technique from my days working as a legal word processor. I can't begin to tell you how many times it saved me from a supervisor or attorney's wrath. Even with the words NEW VERSION circled or highlighted in every color imaginable, you can still forget to do it. I personally believe that both attorneys and word processing supervisors should institute a policy where they save their documents locally on disk first, then give it to the word processor or secretary to revise. This would cut down on a whole lot of worry and stress for those times when "mistakes happen."
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Marilyn Monrose, the Legal Word Processing "Doctor"™, "temped" for ten years as a legal word processor at many of New York's top law firms. Now a computer trainer, she is also the author of two very successful and simple, step-by-step, hands-on training guides entitled ADVANCED WORD 97 FOR THE LEGAL USER MADE EASY and ADVANCED WORDPERFECT 7 & 8 FOR THE LEGAL USER MADE EASY. Ms. Monrose can be reached at 212/579-9306 or email: Legaltraining@dialalesson.com.
By Adrienne Albrecht
Most computers on lawyer's desks have on them a suite office programs. The two most popular are Microsoft Office and WordPerfect Office Suite. Although everyone is familiar with the workhorse word processing program, very few lawyers have even taken the time to look at their spreadsheet programs. They are missing out on a terrific resource that saves their time, as opposed to their secretary's. Spreadsheet programs were originally designed to create electronic versions of the accounting spreadsheet. Hence the name. Originally, the revolution they provided to computing was the ability to treat each box or "cell" like a distinct unit. If you have a column of numbers that you add together, and want to change one of them; all you have to do is insert the new number in the cell formerly occupied by the old one, and all of the results that depend on that number magically change, also. In addition, spreadsheet programs are what presenters use to turn numbers into pie charts and graphs by pressing a few buttons.
Over time, however, spreadsheets so many features have been added to spreadsheets that they now can serve the function of a lot of specialized programs that lawyers frequently buy separately; and can even be tailored to serve some functions for which there are not readily available programs. As a general rule, any form that deals with numbers is best prepared on a spreadsheet. For example, a properly designed HUD 1 form created in a spreadsheet program will make all the calculations, including the real estate tax proration. Accountings in probate cases, when prepared in a spreadsheet, will add, subtract, and summarize on its own. Spreadsheets are even useful for keeping track office expenses.
One of the most useful features of spreadsheets for lawyers is the ability to add and subtract dates. By putting the beginning date in one cell, and the ending date in another, one can calculate the number of days, weeks or months between them. This feature is incredibly useful for calculating payments due, penalties and interest. In particular, this feature allows an attorney in short order to calculate arrearages in dissolution of marriage cases, as well as payments due in workers' compensation claims. This ability is also useful when computing the net income of a parent paying child support from the year to date figures in a paystub.
Lately, spreadsheet programs have incorporated incredibly powerful function keys. By pointing to a cell and clicking on the proper icon, the user can perform just about any mathematical calculation needed. Better yet, it is easy to set up scenarios in which one or more variables changes and the results are visible side by side. Unlike a calculator, every variable is right on the screen for review and editing. In addition, spreadsheets are easily imbedded into word processing documents, so that , the principal and interest payment can be inserted into a real estate contract,; and the weekly child support calculation can be built into a Marital Settlement Agreement.
Because they are so powerful and so versatile, spreadsheets are not programs that any novice can master in ten minutes. However, they have become much more user friendly over time. Although courses are available on the use of spreadsheets, the tutorials that come with them and the interactive instructional CD-roms may be just as helpful.
Before anyone spends hundreds of dollars on pension valuation programs, workers' compensation calculators, or amortization programs, they should check out the spreadsheet on their desktop. It can probably perform that function, at no extra cost, and tailored to the user's needs.
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Adrienne Albrecht, Attorney at Law, Kankakee, IL; 815/933-5500 Fax 815/933-5584.
By Nerino Petro
You just finished the brief for the most important case this year. You get ready to leave for the day--you shut off the lights, set the alarm and lock the door behind you. You haven't forgotten a thing ... or have you?
What happens if your computer is damaged, destroyed or stolen? Or your hard drive crashes due to age? Think it can't happen to you? I've seen offices damaged by both fire and water, and another office whose new computer systems were stolen a week after installation. My own and other offices have sustained the loss of a hard drive.
Events such as these can either be a nuisance or a disaster. If you've made regular verified backups and kept copies offsite, events such as these will be a nuisance from which you can easily recover. If you do not take these steps, it will be a disaster from which recovery will take a lot of time and effort.
Different people have different opinions as to which is the best media to make backups, how often to make them and where to keep them. My opinion is very straightforward: Pick a solution, make regular backups and verify that the backups are good! Below I outline a seven step plan designed to help you set up a back up schedule for your office.
The Seven Step Plan:
Step one: Determine how much information you need to backup.
Step two: Select your backup media.
Step three: Select your backup software.
Step four: Determine a backup schedule and follow it.
Step five: Verify whether your backups are working.
Step six: Keep at least one backup off site.
Step seven: Perform your backup regularly
Step one: Do an audit of the information you store on your computer system to determine what is vital to the operation of your business: consider where your software and information is stored and what is vital to the operation of your office. You may want to backup only your time and billing records or just your accounting records or maybe just certain client files. Or you may want to backup everything on your hard drive or your server. Decide if you want data only, or programs and data. Many backup software programs can compress the data, almost doubling the amount of information that can be stored on the backup media. Start with a list of what you need to back up and where it is stored.
Step two: Selecting your backup media is usually based on the amount of information you need to back up, how much time you want to save, money you want to spend and how easy you want the process to be. Typical choices include the following:
* A removable disk such as a Zip™ drive or an LS-120™ drive, which can store between 100-250 MB of information and data.
* A CD-Recordable (CD-R) or CD-Rewritable (CD-RW), which can store up to 6 times as much information as a Zip™ or LS-120™ drive.
* A removable hard drive such as an Orb™ or Jaz™drive, which can store up to 10-20 times as much information as a Zip™ or LS-120™ drive.
Each of these media types has disadvantages and advantages for full a scale backup solution. The most obvious difference between these media types is how much information they can backup, the cost of the backup media and the speed that the data is transferred to the backup media.
Using Zip™ or LS-120™ drives for anything other than selected file backups will require you to use multiple disks to backup and each disk can cost up to $20. They are not as fast as a hard drive, so backups can be slow.
CD-R disks can be purchased in bulk for under $1 each, but you will need a new disk for each backup as they can only be written to once. If there are any problems when writing the data to the CD-R disk, the process will abort and all you will be left with is a nice shiny coaster. CD-RW disks can be written to over and over, but the disks are pricey. Neither are as fast as a hard drive and both CD-R and CD-RW disks can be easily damaged.
If you have more than 650 MB of data, you'll need to use multiple disks. Jaz™ and Orb™ drives hold a lot of information but they are expensive, since they use hard drive technology. They are also prone to many of the same dangers as fixed hard drives, including sensitivity to impact and magnetism.
Tape solutions such as Travan™, ADR (Advanced Digital Recording) or DAT (Digital Audio Tape) are slow, but their cost per megabyte of storage is the least expensive, they have the largest storage capacities, are durable and can be easily stored. These qualities make tape drives the most attractive for offices needing large data backups, at a low cost which are suitable for long term storage. Tapes can also be used over and over again.
You can also use a mix of these backup media types to create a redundant backup set. For example, in my own office, I use an ADR tape drive for complete backups of all data and a Zip drive for key data backup, i.e. time and billing, accounting and calendar and case management files. I use the Zip drive each Friday to make an additional backup of my time and billing, accounting and calendaring files which I take home. I also have the most current backup set offsite. I also use a CD-R to make image files of the hard drives in my systems usually once a year.
Step three: Windows 95 and 98™, Windows NT Workstation™, Windows NT™ and Windows™ 2000 all come with integrated backup software. For standalone, peer to peer or Windows_ 95 and 98 networks, the integrated backup program may be sufficient for your purposes. Many of the backup drive solutions include some type of backup program.
You can also buy disk imaging programs such as PowerQuest Drive Image™ or Norton Ghost™ to make images of a part or all of your hard drive. For larger networks, ARCServeIT™ backup and VERITAS™ Backup Exec™ are popular choices. OnStream ™ADR drives include the Echo backup program which works on Windows™ 95 and 98, as well as NT Workstation. Echo, like some other backup programs, allows you to treat the backup drive like a hard drive (it appears in Windows™ Explorer as another drive letter) allowing you to drag and drop files onto it.
There are also third party backup software programs available such as Dantz Development Corporation's Retrospect Express Backup™ which works with CD-R, CD-RW and other removable media, as well as other shareware and freeware products. Many freeware and shareware backup solutions are available from various internet sites such as ZDNet's download pages at www.zdnet.com <http://www.zdnet.com> or www.moochers.com <http:// www.moochers.com>. The difference between many of the programs is the backup devices supported and the options and flexibility the programs give you for making backups. Select your program carefully, and then take the time to learn how it works.
Step four: How often should you back up? Everyday isn't too often. Many offices do one complete backup every Friday. Others use what is called an Incremental backup method: a complete backup is done on a given day and then each day after that, those files that have changed since the day before are backed up. So if a complete backup is done on Monday and your system crashes on Thursday, you will need the complete backup set from Monday and each of the incremental backup sets for Tuesday and Wednesday to restore all the files.
Others use a Differential backup method if their program allows: again, a complete backup is done on a given day and then each day after that, all files that have changed since the complete backup are backed up on a daily basis. So a restore from a differential backup using the example above would require the Monday complete backup set and only the Wednesday backup: the daily backup copies all files that have changed since the last complete backup each day. The differential backup takes more time since it is copying more files each day then the incremental backup. Still others backup all data every day and all data and programs once a week. Any backup schedule will require multiple backup media sets.
You need to pick a schedule that is reasonable for your practice and that you can maintain. Remember, if you suffer a data loss, you're only as good as your last backup! If that was three months ago, you will have lost three months of data and you will need to recreate it.
Don't just use one or two backup tapes or disks. If a backup media fails (tapes and disks do wear out) or the backup does not take for any reason, you have a better chance if you have been rotating your backup media using new backup tapes/disks at least once or twice a year and are using multiple tapes/disk for your backups.
Step five: You should also verify that the backup is working: backups don't always work. Verifying your backups assures you that you have really saved all the information you wanted to backup. How often you do this is up to you: I recommend that you verify your backup at least once a month, if not more often.
The easiest way to do this is in Windows™ Explorer. Select a program or data folder to rename. Check for the latest dates in the folder, or open your program to see what the last date of data entry was and then rename the folder. For example, if you keep client letters in a folder labeled "letters," check to for a file from the last day worked before backup and write this information down. Then, rename the folder 'letters old'. Next, restore this folder (from your backup set that you just made) to the hard drive. Open the folder and see if your latest files are there.
I recommend actually opening several letters in your word processor to make sure the data is not corrupted. If everything appears correct, use Windows™ Explorer to delete the "letters" folder, and then rename 'letters old' back to 'letters'. You now have verified that the information on the backup media is valid. I recommend doing this with certain critical files like accounting or time keeping data, as well as other random files on occasion.
Step six: If you keep your backup sets at the offices in your safe, in a file drawer or anywhere else in the office, this will only help you if your hard drive crashes, but will not be of any help if your office is destroyed by fire, flood or theft. Therefore, I suggest you keep at least one backup set offsite. One method is to take the Friday backup set home with you on Monday after it is done and bring back the backup set from the previous week. By doing this you build in redundancy by keeping a set off site.
Step seven: Do your backups.
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Nerino J. Petro, Jr. is a solo practitioner concentrating in real estate and business law. He also provides legal technology consulting to small offices and is a TimeMatters for Windows Authorized Independent Consultant. His office is located at 5908 N. Second Street, Loves Park, IL 61111. He can be reached by phone at 815/636-1001 or by email at nerinop @njpetro.com.
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