What software do I need to use your templates? Can I use Winzip, PKunzip or other unzipping software to open your templates? Can I open your templates with any other Microsoft software or Family Reunion software? How do I check my computer to see if Microsoft Word or Publisher is installed? Where can I buy Microsoft Word or Publisher if I need it? Which one is better? How long will it take to download and complete my keepsake? Are instructions included? Will you help me if I need it? What is Paypal, what happens after I make my purchase and how is my template delivered? I received an e-mail saying that you sent the template but I did not get the actual template or the attachment. I have a spam filter on my e-mail account. Will that prevent me from getting my download link? How do I add your domain address to my e-mail address book? I have never downloaded from the Internet before. Will this be hard to do? I am purchasing from work and my computer is on a network. Will that cause a problem? I have anti-virus software on my computer. Will this cause a problem? Can I get a refund if I purchase a template and do not have the correct software or if I have a problem with it? I live outside of the United States. Will your templates work for me? I installed the download but the template will not open or run on my computer. Help!! How can I contact you if I need help with downloading the file or creating my keepsake?
1) What software do I need to use your templates? You need Microsoft Word 2000 or higher or Microsoft Publisher 98 or higher running on a computer that is using Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows ME, XP etc. as the operating system. The operating system software (Windows 98, 2000, XP etc.) is usually installed on your computer when you buy it. But, Microsoft Word (which is word processing software) or Microsoft Publisher (which is desktop publishing software) has to be purchased separately. If you own or have access to any version of Microsoft Office higher than Office 97, Microsoft Word is already included. New computer users often make the mistake of thinking that Microsoft Word or Microsoft Publisher came with their computer. It does not. PLEASE do not assume you have the correct software just because you have "Microsoft" on your computer. For faster downloading, all of our templates are compressed or zipped up to make them smaller. You will also need to download and install the free E-Zip Wizard unzipping software onto your computer. Your download page has links to free download locations. The entire process (from purchase to download) usually takes less than 20 minutes. Most of our easy-to-use templates are available for either Microsoft Publisher for Windows or Microsoft Word for Windows. A few are available for Microsoft Publisher only. If you have Microsoft Word on your computer, get Word templates. If you have Microsoft Publisher on your computer, get Publisher templates. To be sure, check the description on the order page and verify the cart description again before you checkout. If you are not sure that you have Word or Publisher on your computer, you can check your computer, you can check your computer now. See Question 4 below and follow the link to our web page with step-by-step instructions. If you do not own Microsoft Word or Microsoft Publisher and still want to purchase a template, see Question 5 below. Back to Top
2) Can I use WinZip, PKunzip or any other unzipping software to unzip the templates? At the present time, you need to download the free E-Zip Wizard to unzip our templates. They can not be uncompressed with any other unzipping software. If you attempt to unzip it with anything else, you will get an error message and the template will not open. Your template download page and the confirmation e-mail have download links and instructions for using the free version of the E-Zip Wizard software. Back to Top
3) Can I use your templates with any other Microsoft software or family reunion software? In a word, no. Our templates are guaranteed to work with either Microsoft Word 2000 and above or Microsoft Publisher 98 and above installed on an IBM compatible PC machine using Windows 98 and above for the operating system. Microsoft software is not interchangeable or cross-compatible. In other words, you can not edit a Word template with Publisher or edit a Publisher template with Word. You can not open Publisher files with any other version of Microsoft software, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Works or Microsoft Home Publishing - which is software for editing photos. You can not directly import a Microsoft Word file into Publisher. You can not directly import a Publisher file into Word. The templates will not work on a Mac/Apple operating system or computer. Nor do they work with WordPerfect, Ventura Publisher or Lotus Word or any other software program named Word or Publisher. If you try to open the template with some other software it will not open. And, if it does you will get an error message or garbled text. Back to Top
4) How do I check my computer to make sure that if I have Microsoft Word or Microsoft Publisher installed? Please check your computer before you purchase a template. Click here to follow our step-by-step instructions for checking your computer. If you do not have the software and you need to use the template immediately, see if you can get access to a computer with the software installed or see item 1 above for a list of retailers. Back to Top
5) If I don't have Word or Publisher on my computer, where can get it? Which one is better or easier to use? Follow these links to get a list of online and offline locations where you can purchase Microsoft Publisher or Microsoft Word. If you do not need to use your template right away or don't want to spend the money to buy the software, you can get a less expensive 30 day evaluation copy of Word or Publisher from Microsoft by going here or here. (Microsoft Word is bundled into Office Standard or Office Professional.) The evaluation copy is a full working version of Publisher or Word. After it expires you will be able to open and print a file. However, you will not be able to save any changes that you make to the file. The last time I ordered one it took about 6 days to get to me in Northeast USA. As for which one is better, in terms of flexibility and ease of modifying I think Publisher is better than Word. Publisher was designed to help you create colorful, professional quality brochures, pamphlets, flyers, business cards etc. That is not the primary function of Microsoft Word. I love Publisher and have used it successfully to get excellent output for all types of desk top publishing. With Publisher, individual elements, layout, colors, graphics, etc. are easier to change or modify. For example, you can change the color of text or graphics with both programs. However, you can use various shades of color to "grey out" a graphic with Publisher. Locating a text frame anywhere on a page is also easier to do with Publisher. The learning curve (the time it takes to learn how to use it) for either program is about the same. Be sure to purchase the template which matches the software that you plan to purchase. If you plan to purchase Microsoft Word, get Word templates. If you plan to purchase Microsoft Publisher, get Publisher templates. Back to Top
6) How long will it take to download and complete a keepsake? Are instructions included? Will you help me if I need it? Your templates should be delivered immediately after purchase when you click the "Return to Merchant" button on the confirmation page after payment. For most of our customers, the entire downloading process usually takes less than 20 minutes. It is also better for you to download to your home computer/laptop or to a free-standing computer that is not connected to a network. However, if the only computer available to you is on a network see Item 11 below. If you forgot to click the Return to Merchant button and did not get your template, do the following: - check the e-mail address that you used on your order to make sure it is correct.
- check your e-mail folder to make sure that you have 3-12 MB available space then, notify me immediately with a high priority e-mail.
Every template includes separate downloadable General Instructions. Many of the templates also include document-specific instructions to help you get the best results and "extra's" for customizing your keepsake with just the right words. If you need help assembling your keepsake, notify me immediately. Most of our templates are uncomplicated, easy to use and assume that you know how to use either Microsoft Publisher or Microsoft Word for Windows. An expert user of Publisher or Word who has his/her data organized, can have one of our less complicated two page keepsakes (such as the Memorial brochure or booklet) completed in a couple of hours. If you need to install a new copy of Word or Publisher to your computer, it will take longer. And, if you are a first time user of either software package, it will take additional time to learn how to use the software itself then, the template. Back to Top
7) What is Paypal? What will happen after I make my purchase? How will my template be delivered? A) What is Paypal?
Paypal is a secure service for processing credit card, check and e-check purchases on line. Thousands of Internet merchants use it to give their customers a secure, easy-to-use process for purchasing merchandise and downloadable goods. Click the following links for more information about Paypal. B. What methods of payment do you accept? Through Paypal we can accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express payments. Access to the template will be granted immediately after payment is processed and approved. We also accept Paypal e-checks and money orders. However, access to the template will be delayed until after your payment is processed and cleared for delivery. For Paypal e-check it takes approx. 4 days. Money orders take up to 15 days to clear. Please, no personal checks.
C. What happens after the purchase/ how the template is delivered... After your purchase you will get a Paypal payment confirmation page with a button on it that says "Return to Merchant". Click that button and you'll be directed to your download page with a link to your templates, our detailed download and installation instructions, links to the General Instructions and extra helps to help you complete your keepsake. It also contains links to the troubleshooting section on our site. (See questions 9, 10 below and make sure that our e-mail can get through to you! ) Occasionally, there may be a miscommunication between our e-mail server and yours and the template download page does not display correctly. If you do not get a confirmation page with your link or forgot to click the link after payment, contact me immediately. We'll send you the zipped template attached to an e-mail. 8) I received a note saying that you e-mailed the template to me but, I did not get the actual template. Please check your bulk mail folder first. then, check the set up of your e-mail box! Look for the template to be attached to an e-mail with the subject "Your Family Heritage Template is Attached". When a customer orders certain large templates or multiple templates occasionally, the script handling delivery of our download links does not work. We always check for a confirmation of your pickup and if we do not see one, delivery is made by sending you one or more e-mails with the template and instructions attached. Most of our template (s) are approximately 3-10 MB's. For some customers aggressive spam filtering will reject the e-mail. Also, if your e-mail box is a too small or if there is a limit placed on the size of e-mail that you can receive that will also stop the delivery of our templates. IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU RECEIVE THEM, PLEASE CHECK YOUR COMPUTER AND E-MAIL BOX and, correct the following conditions if they apply: (1) YOUR E-MAIL SOFTWARE MUST BE SET TO ALLOW E-MAIL WITH ATTACHMENTS OR E-MAIL WITH A CLICKABLE LINK. If you are using Outlook Express, check your e-mail software settings under Tools/Options/ and select the Security tab. Our products are checked daily by anti-virus software and do not contain anything harmful to your computer. (2) YOUR E-MAIL BOX MUST HAVE SPACE FOR THE TEMPLATE FILE. Most of the free e-mail servers allow 2-5 MB. Many of our templates are 3-15MB. If your mailbox size is too small or is full of mail your server will reject our template because it is too large. You will not get the download e-mail. We do not get a notice. But, you may receive a note that your mailbox is full. If you have a different e-mail address that will accept a large file, use that one instead. Just send it to me at the above e-mail address. (3) IF YOUR E-MAIL SERVER REQUIRES IT, OUR DOMAIN NAME ( sales@family-heritage-templates.com) MUST BE ON YOUR BUDDY LIST, white list or list of approved domain contacts. This applies mainly to AOL, EarthLink, Brightmail e-mail accounts. If your e-mail account or e-mailing software is set to add a name to your contact list every time that you send an e-mail and you have corresponded with us previously, you should be fine. Otherwise, go here for instructions http://www.family-heritage-templates.com/help_desk/adding_our_address.htm or call your ISP/e-mail provider for technical support. (4) SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR USERS OF MICROSOFT XP: If you have Microsoft XP operating system, you need to click on each template file with your right mouse key, select "Save As" and save the folder into a new folder on your hard drive that you will name "Heritage". Follow the rest of our download instructions after that. If you try to open the template first or, if you select "Open" you will get an error message. Back to Top
9) I have a spam filter on my e-mail account. Will that prevent me from getting my template download e-mail?YES, IT COULD. THE LINK E-MAIL WILL BE REJECTED AS SPAM. The (unfortunately necessary) aggressive spam filtering of many ISP's (Internet Service Providers) will reject e-mail from any domain that you have not previously approved. This includes the confirmation e-mail which contains your download link. To avoid this, add our domain address to your e-mail address book or "buddy list" before making your purchase!! AOL (America On Line), BrightMail and EarthLink customers have the greatest difficulty getting their links. If our e-mail address is not in your AOL or EarthLink address book, your download link will be rejected as spam and you will not get it. If AOL or your ISP bounces our template e-mail as "spam", it is either diverted to your spam / junk / deleted / bulk mail box or deleted from their server. It is not returned to us. If you do not wish to alter your AOL spam filter settings and have an alternative e-mail address, use it on your purchase. If you do not get your download link, notify us immediately. Make sure you put our address in your address book first or you will not get the second, new link either. Back to Top
10) So, how do I add your address to my e-mail account or e-mail address book? Follow these instructions for adding our e-mail address to your e-mail software address book, before you make your purchase. Turn off the spam filter in your e-mail settings until you are sure that you no longer need to communicate with us. Restore your spam filter settings immediately thereafter. For assistance with turning off your spam filter, contact America On Line or your ISP's Customer Support. If after downloading and opening the template, you get a message that the "file is either empty or corrupt", disable your anti-virus and firewall software then try the download again. If that does not help or if you need a new download link contact me immediately. Back to Top
11) I have never downloaded a file from the Internet before. Will this be hard to do? If you take your time, print out, read and carefully follow the directions on the download page and don't panic, you will be just fine. :-) I have taken great care to make downloading a template easy for beginners. Here is a link to the page that I created (a download guide with photos) just for people who are new to downloading files. A link to that page is also included in the confirmation e-mail. We'll also send you specific, clear, easy to understand details for downloading your template and the unzipping software. You will get detailed instructions for installing the template and General Instructions to help with creating your keepsake. If you need help, send me a "high priority" e-mail. I try to respond to all e-mails within 24 hours. Back to Top
12) I am purchasing from work and my computer is on a network. Will that cause a problem? It could. For several reasons: First, your employer is probably connecting to the Internet through a firewall. Inbound e-mail with a link in it could either be rejected or the active link removed. Second, if the server is set to reject all attempts to download from the Internet, you will get a "network error" message when you try to download the template. Or, third, it will install the download to the main network drive instead of installing it in your work space on the network - which means you will not be able to find the template after downloading. Since the template is for your personal need, use your personal, non-corporate e-mail address on your purchase and the template link will be sent there. We recommend that you either download to your own PC at home, a re-write able cd or a stand alone PC not connected to the network. The template download link will remain active for 48 hours - giving you enough time to purchase now and download later. If you need a new download link, just let me know. If the only computer available to you is the on on your job, go here for more detailed instructions. And, as a reminder, our templates are copyrighted documents not authorized for copying, resale or distribution. If you do not get your download link or can not download your template, notify me immediately and I will send you a new download link. Back to Top
13) I have anti-virus software or a firewall on my computer. Will that stop me from downloading a template? It could. If you receive an error message while attempting to download the template, the downloaded file is too small ( 0 MB) and you get an error message when attempting to open the template that says "the file is empty or corrupt" then, your anti-virus or firewall software has interfered with the download. Most anti-virus programs and firewall software are set to block automatic downloading from the Internet. While ordinarily this is desirable, when you want to download our template, it is not. Either lower your settings to permit downloading or temporarily disable the program until after you access the download page and your downloading is complete. In most cases, you can click on the program icon in your desk tray ( lower right hand corner of the screen) with your right mouse key and select the option to disable it. If you can not locate the icon or need help to do this, contact your anti-virus software manufacturers' technical support department. If you need a new download link contact me immediately. Back to Top
14) Can I get a refund if I purchase a template and then find out that Word or Publisher is not on my computer? What if I don't like the template or have a problem with it? Our templates work correctly for every customer who follows the instructions and has the correct software installed on the computer to which the template has been downloaded for use. Please check your computer before making the purchase to make sure that the correct software is installed. It is your responsibility to make sure that you have Microsoft Publisher or Microsoft Word and the E-Zip Wizard correctly installed on your computer before you attempt to open and edit the template. I've tried very hard to make sure that the templates are accurately described with photos, instructions and extra helps that will act as a guide and enable you to use your own creativity to produce a unique keepsake. What you see is what you will get. If you need help with creating your keepsake, have a problem with setting it up or printing it out, use our contact form to notify me of any problem IMMEDIATELY. Do not wait days or weeks after you get the template to write and tell me that you could not use it because "..." Report problems immediately. In short: Back to Top
15) I live outside of the USA. Will your templates work for me? Yes! Just remember (1) that all of our templates were created for and intended to be printed out on USA 8-1/2" x 11" letter size paper, in landscape mode - the size and layout most commonly used here for booklets and brochures. If your Word or Publisher software is set to A4 paper size (approx. 8-1/4" x 11-3/4") when you attempt to open your template it will appear to be garbled and incorrectly formatted. More specific Instructions telling you how to correct paper size differences are included on the "General Instructions' for your template. By the way, both Word and Publisher's Advanced printing menu give you the option of automatically re-formatting your page for A4 paper before printing. And (2) the basic structure of wedding and burial ceremonies for English speaking countries is more or less the same. For instance, the typical funeral service in the USA will include the entrance of the bereaved family, a reading from Scripture or other pertinent document, comments from the family and/or other mourners, music, a comforting comment from the officiating person, the recessional following the service and interment of the deceased at the cemetery. The details and arrangement of those items on your program can be changed to fit the customs of your country. Ditto for the wedding programs. Most of our other publications can be used without much modification other than the changes that you need to make to allow for differences in the paper size. Back to Top
16) I downloaded and installed the template but, I can't open it or I opened it but the text is all garbled. Help! If your template will not open or you tried to open the template and received an error message or the text is garbled it usually means that you do not have the correct software on your computer. PLEASE check your computer before you call or e-mail me to complain. For example, a customer, e-mailed me that she followed all of the directions, had the correct software on her computer, knew how to download a file but, could not download her Microsoft Word template. I called long distance to help her. It turns out she had not followed the downloading directions and therefore could not find the template that was, in fact, on her computer. Then, we did a computer check and found out she did not have Microsoft Word installed on her computer. Reluctantly, she admitted she was trying to open the template with the 2002 version of Word Perfect. No where on this website does it say our templates will work with Corel WordPerfect! Then she demanded a refund because she was "stuck with something she can't use." Folks, it is your responsibility to make sure that you have Microsoft Word or Microsoft Publisher installed on your computer before you attempt to open and edit the template. Double check to be sure that you are purchasing the correct template! If you have checked your computer and know for a fact that you have installed the E-Zip Wizard software and Microsoft Word or Publisher is also installed on your computer and are still having a problem, try these options: The template is delivered to you in compressed format. It can not be compressed with WinZip or any other zip/unzipping software. You will get an error message if you try to open the uncompressed template without using e-Zip Wizard or if you try to unzip it with any other compression software. Be sure that you have downloaded and installed the e-Zip Wizard software. Sometimes customers will download the program but do not install it on their computer. After installation, start the program and use it to decompress/open the template. Every computer is configured differently. Sometimes, you need to modify your settings a little to get good results. Our troubleshooting area has a few solutions that we've created for other customers. If your problem is still not resolved or you need a new download link or additional help, notify me immediately. :-)
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17) How can I contact you if I need help with downloading or creating my keepsake?For the swiftest response, send an e-mail immediately to notify me of any problems. Include your name, the order number, the name of the template you purchased and describe your problem in detail. Go here to use our contact form. I will do my best to help you. :-) Be sure to check the help desk with links to the information on our site that was given to help other customers. You just might find your answer there. If you have installed the template and need help with customizing it for your family please be specific and give as much detail as possible so that I can work on the issue with you. Include your receipt number, the name of the template that you purchased, the version of software that you are using, and describe your problem or issue in detail. Thanks for your purchase. We appreciate your business. And remember, if you do not get your confirmation e-mail or download link within an hour after purchase or if you need help assembling your keepsake, Notify me immediately!! Back to Top
Saturday, September 30, 2006 | 
