Technical Support - Accessing a Book's Forms

Learn how to access the forms that come with your book, whether it has a CD or a download link.

Questions:

Answers:

My book's front cover says I can download forms for my book. How do I do that?

If your book's front cover mentions you can download forms for it, look for the download link inside the book. Within most of our books, on the first page of either Appendix A or B, you should find a URL where you can obtain the forms (as well as links for additional relevant articles, legal updates, podcasts, and blogs on Nolo.com) for your title.
Be careful NOT to include the period at the end of the sentence in your URL!!!

Once you are on the download webpage, if your need further download instructions, please see our download instructions here.

If your eBook does not include this URL, please email us a copy of your purchase receipt and our Technical Support Department can reply with a link to download your forms.

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How do I copy files from the CD to my computer?

Windows

After you insert the CD into your computer's CD-ROM drive, the files should install automatically. This installation will be accompanied with onscreen instructions for you to follow.

If this doesn't happen (that is, you don't see the "Welcome" screen when you insert the CD), double-click the My Computer icon and then double-click your CD-ROM drive icon.

If you still don't see the "Welcome" screen, select "Start > Run" and enter "D:\setup". (You may have to change "D" to the letter of your CD-ROM drive.) Note: if the CD contains audio files, enter "D:\welcome".

Macintosh

  • Close the CD window if it is open.
  • Click on the CD icon and drag it to the location on your computer where you'd like to copy it.
  • Read the message and click "OK."

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What file formats are these forms in?

Nolo CDs include files in at least one of the formats described below. You can tell the file's format by the three-letter extension that follows the period in the file name. In the following descriptions, the extensions are the capital letters in parentheses.

  • Rich Text Format (RTF) – you can use these files with most word processing programs, including Microsoft Word, WordPad, and WordPerfect.
  • Portable Document Format (PDF) – you can use these files with Adobe Reader 5.0 or higher. You can download Adobe Reader for free from www.adobe.com.
  • Spreadsheet (XLS) – you can use these files with Microsoft Excel or another spreadsheet program.
  • Audio files (MP3) – you can play these files using your computer's media player.

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Why do the word processing files on the CD look different from the samples in the book?

We've kept the general format of the files as simple as possible so that they can be used on as many word processing programs as possible. You can add formatting yourself using your word processor. Refer to your word processor's help for instructions.

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How do I resolve an I/O device error?

Windows XP may display an "I/O device error" while accessing your CD drive. For troubleshooting tips, visit Microsoft's support page.

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How do I open and fill out the word processing files?

Step 1: Opening a File

Windows:

  • Click the Windows "Start" button;
  • open the "Programs" subfolder;
  • open the appropriate forms subfolder (refer to your book's appendix for the name);
  • click the shortcut to the form you want to work with.

Windows and Macintosh: Use My Computer or Windows Explorer (Windows) or the Finder (Macintosh) to go to the folder you copied the CD's files to; (2) double-click the file you want to open.

Windows and Macintosh:

  • Start your word processor;
  • select "File > Open";
  • use the Open dialog box to navigate to where the files were installed; and
  • select the file you want.

Step 2: Editing Your Document

Fill in the form according to the instructions and sample agreements in the book. Underlines indicate where to enter your information, frequently with instructions in brackets. Delete the underlines and instructions from your completed document.

Step 3: Printing Your Document

Use your word processor's "File > Print" command to print your document.

Step 4: Saving Your Document

After filling in the form, use the "Save As" command to save and rename the file. Because all the files are "read-only," you will not be able to use the "Save" command. (This is to prevent you from accidentally overwriting the original files.)

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When I double-click a file, it opens in a word processor I don't want to use. How can I change this?

Open the file directly from your preferred word processor. Here's how:

  • Start the word processor you want to use.
  • Select "File > Open."
  • Use the Open dialog box to navigate to the files and select the file you want.

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How do I open and fill out PDF files?

Step 1: Opening a File

Windows:

  • Click the Windows "Start" button;
  • open the "Programs" subfolder;
  • open the appropriate forms subfolder (refer to your book's appendix for the name); and (4) click the shortcut to the form you want to work with.

Windows and Macintosh:

  • Use My Computer or Windows Explorer (Windows) or the Finder (Macintosh) to go to the folder you copied the CD's files to;
  • double-click the file you want to open.

You can also open a file from within Adobe Reader. To do this:

  • start Adobe Reader
  • select "File > Open."
  • use the Open dialog box to navigate to where the form files were installed
  • select the PDF file you want

Step 2: Filling in Your Form

If the form has fill-in text fields, navigate from field to field using your mouse or the Tab key. Type in the information requested.

Forms without fill-in fields must be completed by hand or typewriter after you have printed them out.

Step 3: Printing Your Document

Use Adobe Reader's "File > Print" command to print your document.

Step 4: Saving Your Document

Some PDF forms allow you to save your filled-in form. When you open these forms in Reader, you'll see a message if this feature is available. If you are using an earlier version of Adobe Reader, you will be prompted to download a newer version that will allow you to save.

You will be unable to save forms that do not have this feature, but you can still print out completed versions of these forms.

Use Adobe Reader's "Save As" command to save and rename the file. Because all the form files are "read-only," you will not be able to use the "Save" command. (This is to prevent you from accidentally overwriting the original PDF files.)

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How do I open and fill out the spreadsheets?

Windows:

  • Click the Windows "Start" button;
  • open the "Programs" subfolder;
  • open the appropriate forms subfolder (refer to your book's appendix for the name); and (4) click the shortcut to the form you want to work with.

Windows and Macintosh:

  • Use My Computer or Windows Explorer (Windows) or the Finder (Macintosh) to go to the folder you copied the CD's files to;
  • double-click the file you want to open.

You can also open a file from within your spreadsheet program. To do this,

  • start the spreadsheet program,
  • select "File > Open."
  • use the Open dialog box to navigate to where the form files were installed, and
  • select the XLS file you want.

Step 2: Editing the Spreadsheet

While filling in the spreadsheets, consult the instructions, sample spreadsheets, and the book's CD appendix for help. Some spreadsheets are created to perform automatic calculations as you fill the cells.

Step 3: Printing Your Document

Use your spreadsheet program's "Print" command to print out your document.

Step 4: Saving Your Document

After filling in the spreadsheet, use the "Save As" command to save and rename the file. Because all the files are "read-only," you will not be able to use the "Save" command. (This is to prevent you from accidentally overwriting the original files.)

Each spreadsheet program uses different commands to open, format, save, and print documents. For specific instructions on performing these tasks, consult the program's help files.

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What technical support is available from Nolo?

Contact Nolo's Technical Support if:

  • Your computer can't read the CD, but can read other CDs.
  • A file that should be on the CD is not there.

Note: We are unable to answer questions about opening and editing files with specific word processing or spreadsheet programs. For this kind of help, please consult your program's help file or contact its manufacturer.

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My question is not answered here.

Please contact us.

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