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Product Name: Patent Pending Now!
Platform: Windows
Current Version: 1.0.2
Revision Date: 3/15/07
Availability: In print; technical support available for registered users

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I eligible for technical support for this product?

What should I do if I have a problem with my Nolo software program?

How do I keep my software program current and up to date?

How can I tell which version of Patent Pending Now! I have?

Why should I register my software?

I have legal questions. Can Nolo help?

Why doesn't anything happen when I put the Patent Pending Now! CD into my CD-ROM drive?

Will Patent Pending Now! work on Microsoft Vista?

Can I run this program under Windows NT 4?

Is there a Macintosh version of this program?

I am having trouble using Web Update. What can I do?

Can I print a blank document before completing a document interview?

Can I edit my completed specification in a word processor?

How can I reset my print options to the default settings?

When I try to print one of my documents, why do I get strange characters, part of a page or nothing at all?

When I try to print or display documents, I get GPFs or crashes/freezes. What can I do?

How do I uninstall Patent Pending Now!?

Am I eligible for technical support for this product?

Yes, registered users of this product are eligible for technical support. If you have not yet registered your software, connect to the Internet and select "Online Registration" from the "Online" menu.

For details, see the section on "Policy for Current Versions" in Nolo's Technical Support Policy.

What should I do if I have a problem with my Nolo software program?

Here are four steps you should take if you have a problem with the software:

Step 1. Review the documentation that came with the program
If you have a problem, first consult the following resources:

Users' Manual
Program Help from the "Help" menu
"Read Me First" file from the "Start" menu

Step 2. Run Web Update
Your problem may have already been detected and corrected in the latest version of the program. To make sure you have the latest version, run Web Update from the "Online" menu. If you don't have Internet access, contact Nolo's Technical Support Staff (see Step 4).

Step 3. Read the software FAQs
Read the rest of these frequently asked questions to see whether your problem is addressed.

Step 4. Contact Nolo's Technical Support Staff
If your problem persists, you should contact our Technical Support Staff directly. The quickest way to contact us is by email at nolotec@nolo.com.

Please provide as much information as you can about your problem, including

the name of the program
the program version (to access this information, select "About" from the "Help" menu)
any error messages
details about what you were doing when the error occurred.

The following information about your computer may also be helpful:

operating system (for example, Windows 98)
processor type (for example, Pentium III, 500 MHz)
RAM (for example, 128 MB)
video card information
printer model

You may also phone us at 510-549-4660 (9 - 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, Monday - Friday). However, we urge you to email us first whenever possible.

How do I keep my software program current and up to date?

To keep your software up to date, periodically select "Web Update" from its "Online" menu. You must be connected to the Internet to use Web Update.

We also recommend that you sign up for "NoloBriefs" so you can receive email notification of important updates to your software program. To sign up, click here.

How can I tell which version of Patent Pending Now! I have?

Open Patent Pending Now!'s "Help" menu and select "About Patent Pending Now!" to see the version number. To see version info for specific program files, click the "Version..." button.

If you can't get the program running, use My Computer to go to the Patent Pending Now! program folder and locate the file named PATNOW.EXE. Right click on the file and select Properties from the menu. When the file's Properties window appears, click on the "Version" tab; the version will be listed there.

Why should I register my software?

Registering your software entitles you to receive technical support. To register online, connect to the Internet and select "Online Registration" from the "Online" menu. If you purchased this software directly from Nolo, you are already registered.

I have legal questions. Can Nolo help?

Unfortunately, Nolo's Technical Support staff cannot answer legal questions. However, the program's help system and the book Patent Pending in 24 Hours, included with Patent Pending Now!, address most common user questions.

Why doesn't anything happen when I put the Patent Pending Now! CD into my CD-ROM drive?

If you can't see the "Welcome to Patent Pending Now! Installation" screen when you insert the CD-ROM, double click on My Computer with the CD in the drive. Then double click on your CD-ROM drive icon. If you still can't see the "Welcome to Patent Pending Now! Installation" screen, then go to your Windows "Start" menu, select "Run," and enter "D:\Welcome".

Will Patent Pending Now! work on Microsoft Vista?

Yes. The most recent version of Patent Pending Now! will run on Microsoft’s Windows Vista. To update to the most recent version: start Patent Pending Now!, select Online > Web Update, and follow the directions that appear on screen.

Note: If you are running Microsoft’s Windows Vista, you will need to run Patent Pending Now! as an administrator in order to update the software -- even if you're already logged in as one. For details, see our online instructions at http://www.nolo.com/VistaAdmin-PatentPending.pdf.

Can I run this program under Windows NT 4?

This software usually works fine on Windows NT 4. Due to the complexity of supporting products under Windows NT 4, however, we do not offer support for Windows NT 4 users. We do support users running this program on Windows 2000, XP, Me, and 98.

Is there a Macintosh version of this program?

No. We do not have plans to provide this software for the Macintosh. If you have a PC emulator (such as either Virtual PC or Guest PC) on your Mac, you can install and use this program. Be aware, though, that this configuration is not supported by Nolo Technical Support.

I am having trouble using Web Update. What can I do?

If you are running Microsoft’s Windows Vista, you will need to run Patent Pending Now! as an administrator in order to update the software -- even if you're already logged in as one. For details, see our online instructions at http://www.nolo.com/VistaAdmin-PatentPending.pdf.

If you use a firewall & security application and receive warnings, you'll need to "allow" or add "f1.nolo.com" to the "trusted site" list.

If you still are unable to complete the update after adding f1.nolo.com to the trusted site list, you may need to completely turn off your firewall program in order to retrieve the update. Once the update is downloaded and installed, you can turn back on your firewall.

If you are a Windows XP Service Pack 2 user, the built-in "Windows Firewall" feature could prevent you from using Web Update. If, when you run Web Update, you see a Windows Security Alert asking you whether you want to keep blocking or unblock your Quicken program's Internet connection, select "Unblock." Once you have unblocked the Quicken program, you should be able to download future Web Updates.

If you are trying to update behind a corporate proxy server and get various error messages, you won't be able to use Web Update. Web Update was designed for the home user with a basic firewall. Unfortunately, we cannot support Proxy Servers and other corporate VPN security configurations.

If the problem persists, contact Nolo Technical Support at support@nolo.com. Please include the following details, so they will be able to help you:

How are you connected to the Internet (modem dial up, DSL, etc.)?
What version of Windows are you running?
Who is your Internet Service Provider?

Can I print a blank document before completing a document interview?

No. Your Nolo software creates custom documents based on your responses to document interview questions. There is no blank template that can be printed. If you just want to see what a document looks like, complete an interview with fictitious data and print it out. You should realize, however, that your actual customized document may look quite different.

Can I edit my completed specification in a word processor?

Yes. After you complete your specification, you can export it. When you export a document, the program creates a file that you can open in a word processing program. See below for instructions.

Be aware that if you edit the specification directly in a word processor, your edits won't be reflected in the corresponding Patent Pending Now! documents file. In other words, if you enter a piece of information in Patent Pending Now! such as an object of your invention, and then change it with your word processor, the old information will remain in the Patent Pending Now! documents file. And if you need to later print a copy of your specification from Patent Pending Now! it won't match the one edited in your word processor. For this reason, we recommend that if you need to change any of the information you entered, you do it using the Patent Pending Now! specification interview, and then print the revised document.

To export your completed specification:

Click the "Export Document" icon at the "Print Preview" screen. This opens an Export Document dialog box.
Name the exported file.
Select the file type for the exported document: either Rich Text Format (RTF) or ASCII Text (TXT). If your word processor can "read" RTF files--and most do-- you should select that file type, as it contains more formatting.
Click "Save."
Click "Yes" to open the exported document in your word processor. From there you can edit it.

How can I reset my print options to the default settings?

Patent Pending Now!'s default settings produce specifications in a format that is ideal for filing with the USPTO. If you changed your settings, here's how to reset your print options to the default settings:

While the program is running, select "Print Options" from the "File" menu. Click on the "Use Defaults" to reset your print options.

Make sure that the margins are set as follows: Top -- 0.75", Bottom -- 0.45", Left -- 1.25", Right -- 1.25". The Line Spacing should be set to "Standard Spacing." The "Footers in smaller type" and "Footer in bold type" checkboxes should be checked and the "Use only standard ASCII characters" checkbox should not be checked. Click on "Fonts" button and make sure the Font is "Times New Roman", the Font Style is "Regular" and the Size is "12."

When I try to print one of my documents, why do I get strange characters, part of a page or nothing at all?

There can be several reasons for this.

Printer driver. You may have the wrong printer driver selected. Check your printer setup and go to your printer manufacturer's Web site to make sure you have the latest printer driver.

Interference by other software. Some programs alter the printer setup with special format commands or fail to reset a printer to its default settings when finished. Try resetting your printer by turning it off and on again before printing from Nolo software.

Network printers. If your printer is part of a network, the network itself may have special commands. Your system administrator may need to alter some settings.

When I try to print or display documents, I get GPFs or crashes/freezes. What can I do?

If you are having a printing problem, consult the "Read Me First" file from the "Start" menu. Here are some other tips:

Make sure you have the current version of your software by running Web Update. (For more on using Web Update, see "How do I keep my software program current and up to date?," above).
Get the latest printer driver. Make sure you have the current revision of your printer driver. Check your printer manufacturer's web site.
The program's registry settings may be corrupt. Start the program while holding down the CTRL key. This will reset the program's registry settings to their default values.

How do I uninstall Patent Pending Now!?

First, make sure you have back-ups and/or printouts of your documents. Then go to Start/Programs/Patent Pending Now! and click on "Uninstall Patent Pending Now!"

If you cannot locate the uninstaller, try one of these methods:

Go to Start/Control Panel/Add Remove Programs and follow the instructions on screen.
Find the Patent Pending Now! folder on your hard disk and delete it manually.