Copyright: Made with Shalom Help Maker www.danish-shareware.dk/soft/shelpm/


General information about Freebie Notes

The Freebie Notes - program is a multi-featured scheduler, reminder, and organizer for Windows. The program is very easy to use and has low system requirements. The scheduler stays in the tray and does not interfere with your activities. If necessary, it can be displayed as a small toolbar on the desktop.

Program features:

> creating electronic notes (stickers) that appear in the specified (the number of notes is
unlimited);
> customizing the default parameters of notes (their size, text, background and title color,
position on the desktop, transparency; the date and time of reminding);
> changing the default settings;
> assigning a status to each note (it can be "On Top" or "VIP");
> supporting sound schemes for displaying stickers (standard and custom);
> specifying the font for the title and text of notes;
> editing stickers in the advanced modes;
> saving notes automatically;
> saving the text of a note to a file;
> supporting a multilingual interface.

The next generation of sticky notes!


About...

Freebie Notes	Support:     	    	http://www.pw-soft.com/support

© Power Soft, 2002-2006.	WebSite:                      	http://www.pw-soft.com

Authors:

Program code:	MaXiM 	    	max@pw-soft.com

Design:	MaXiM 	    	max@pw-soft.com
Morgoth 	  	morgoth@pw-soft.com

Promotion:	 	ZaNu	  	zanu@pw-soft.com

Translators:

English:	   	dAy	  	day@pw-soft.com
MaXiM	    	max@pw-soft.com

Dutch:	   	Toine vd Laak	    	apvdlaak@zonnet.nl

German:	PriSteR	  	   	prister@nm.ru

Italian:	Francesco Minciotti	   	22 years old, lives in Montefiascone (VT), Italy.
Email: papzadsl@gmail.com 	Website: http://www.silenzi.com
Spanish:	Adolfo Rodriguez 	    	adolfo@jeol.com.mx

Portuguese:	Marcelo Baptista	imdb2k@gmail.com

Korean:	Taewon Yun	saeamdo@gmail.com

Polish:	Darek	d.urbanczyk@candc.pl


What’s new?

The latest version of the program is Freebie Notes 3.04

Added features:

> Selecting fonts for the menu where you enter the note text
> Quickly disabling note transparency
> Italian language

Optimized features:

> The Spanish, Polish and German languages have been corrected

Fixed bugs:

> Starting without administrator rights
> The bugs with minimizing windows has been fixed
> Working with the timer has been fixed
> Bugs in working with memory have been fixed
> Some minor bugs


Frequently asked questions

Q: How can I enable / disable loading the program at Windows startup?

A: Open the "General" tab in the program settings and select or clear the "Run program with Windows" checkbox.
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Q: How can I enable / disable minimizing the toolbar each time the program is started?

A: Open the "General" tab in the program settings and select or clear the "Minimize Toolbar on startup" checkbox.
 ___________________________________________

Q: How do I start editing a note in the advanced mode?

A: To do it, double-click the area between buttons on the note.
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Q: The transparency settings are unavailable for me. Why is it so?

A: The transparency settings for notes are available only in Windows 2000 and higher. Probably, you have Windows 9x or Windows Me.
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Q: Are there any limitations concerning the number of notes or size of their text?

A: The text should not exceed 4000 characters. The number of notes is unlimited.
___________________________________________

Q: How to change the font of note?

A: Go to the program settings and select "General" tab, there is "Notes fonts" group, there you will can choose font of header and font of note text
 ___________________________________________

Q: I need a note that could attract my attention even if I go away from the keyboard for some time. Does the program have such a feature?

A: VIP notes were created especially for such cases. Select the "VIP" checkbox in the "Add New Note / Edit Note" window. Now when the note appears, it will be changing its color every second and will be accompanied with a sound. It will continue "blinking" until you close it.


Add New Note / Edit Note

You can use this window to customize the main parameters of new or existing notes.

> text;
> last modification date;
> status ("On Top" and/or "VIP");
> position on the desktop;
> date, time and frequency of displaying;
> text and background color;
> sound scheme;
> size;

Text (First Line - Header)
The text of a note is specified by the user and must not exceed 4000 characters. The first line of the text is the header and its color, font and alignment can vary from the rest of the text. By default, the header is centered, while the rest of the text is left-aligned.

Include Modification Date
If you select this checkbox, the note will have the date and time of its last modification on it.

General
This tab contains the following settings:

On Top
If you select his checkbox (it is selected by default), the note will be displayed on top of other windows.

VIP
If you select this checkbox, the note will start "blinking" by changing its color every second and will be accompanied with a sound after it appears and until you close it.

Position
This window is a scaled-down copy of the desktop where you can specify the position of the note. To do it, move the mouse pointer over the note and drag it to the necessary position.

Quick Alarm Settings
Use these options to quickly set the time for displaying the note. There are several modes:

> Don't Show;
> Now!;
> Date & Time;
> Time;
> Date;
> Every Startup;
> Weekly, Set Time;
> Weekly, No Set Time.

Don't Show
The note will never be displayed. It will be stored in the database.

Now!
Such a note will be displayed from the moment it is created and till it is deleted.

Date & Time:
The note will be displayed at the specified time on the selected date. If the date and time are earlier than the current ones, the note will be displayed with the "Late Note" sound.

Time:
The note will appear every day at the specified time. If the current time is two or more seconds later than the specified time, the note will not be displayed this day.

Date:
The note will be displayed on the selected date independently of the current time. If the date is earlier than the current one, the note will be displayed with the "Late Note" sound.

Every Startup
The note is displayed right after it is created and each time the program is started.

Weekly, Set Time
In this mode, the note will be displayed in the selected months, on the selected days of the week and at the specified time.

Weekly, No Set Time
In this mode, the note will be displayed in the selected months and on the selected days of the week.

If the "Weekly, Set Time" and "Weekly, No Set Time" modes are selected, the program monitors if the specified settings are correct. If they are not correct, you will see the message "Incorrect (this sticker will never be shown)". In this case, the sticker will be saved in the database but will never be displayed. The message "Correct" informs you that the data are entered correctly and the sticker will be shown according to the specified parameters.

Multimedia
This tab contains the following settings:

Color scheme
A scheme consists of three components:

> background color;
> header color;
> text color.

You can use the drop-down list to choose between ready-made color schemes. You can also set custom colors by clicking the colored rectangle next to the background, header or text label and selecting the necessary color in the color selection dialog box.

Play Sound With Alarm
If you select this checkbox, the note will be accompanied with a sound (standard sound schemes are supplied with the program). To select a custom sound, enter the name of the sound file and the path to it or use the "Browse" button. You can use the "Test" button to test the selected sound.

Size (Screen Scale)
A note can be of any size, but less than your desktop. You can select one of the predefined sizes: 1/25 (the default size), 1/9 or 1/16 of the desktop. To specify a custom size (the "Custom..." option), you should enter the necessary values into the "Width" and "Height" fields.


Freebie Notes Toolbar

The Freebie Notes toolbar looks like this:

Freebie Notes toolbar features
You can open the toolbar by clicking the program icon in the system tray. You can see the following buttons on it:

 Add New Note
Opens the "Add New Note" window. Every time you click this button, a separate window appears. You can create an unlimited number of notes.

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 Show All Currently Scheduled Tasks
Displays the current notes according to their settings.

 Show All Notes
Displays all notes stored in the database independently of their settings.

 Hide All Visible Notes
Either hides ("Classical (Old)") or minimizes ("New") all notes on the desktop depending on the Notes Commands option.

 Notes Editor
ВOpens the note database where the information about all existing notes is stored (note number, note header, their type of displaying and their status).

 Options
Opens the "Options" window.

 About...
Opens the information about the program.

 Minimize To Tray
Minimizes the toolbar to system tray.

 Close
Closes the program.
Attention! The scheduled tasks will not appear if the program is closed.


Options

This window is used for specifying the options of the program and contains the following tabs:

> General;
> Text parameters;
> Others;
> About.

General
This tab contains the main settings of the program.

Program
This group includes the following options:

Run program with Windows
If you select this checkbox, the program will be started at Windows startup.

Minimize Toolbar on startup
ЕIf you select this checkbox, an icon will appear in the system tray when the program is started and there will be no toolbar on the desktop.

Warn me before deleting notes permanently
If you select this checkbox, you will see a warning each time you remove a note from the database.

Notes Commands
You can use this group to specify the commands to be executed when you click such toolbar buttons as "Show Currently Scheduled Tasks", "Show All Notes", "Hide All Visible Notes".

Classical (Old)
"Currently Scheduled Tasks" - you will see all currently scheduled notes that are not displayed on the desktop.
"Hide All" - all notes are hidden from the desktop.
"Show All" - you will see all notes stored in the database regardless of their settings. In this case, the minimized notes present on the desktop and/or in the database will not be restored.

New
"Currently Scheduled Tasks" - you will see all currently scheduled notes. In this case, the minimized notes present on the desktop and/or in the database will be restored.
"Hide All" - all notes on the desktop are minimized.
"Show All" - you will see all notes stored in the database regardless of their settings. In this case the minimized notes present on the desktop and/or in the database will be restored.

Other
You can also select the type of commands for each case. To do it, select or remove the checkboxes of the necessary parameters ("Currently Scheduled Tasks", "Hide All", "Show All"). If the checkbox is selected, the option has the "New" type of commands; otherwise its type is "Classical (Old)".

Time Between Reminders
Specify the time interval for the reminder to appear on the desktop again after you click the "Remind Later" button (15 minutes by default).

Language
Select the necessary interface language from the drop-down list.

Transparency (for Win 2k and Win XP only)
Select this checkbox to use transparency effects. After that, the following settings become available:

Min Level
Notes have this level of transparency when the cursor does not point at them. It can vary from 0 to 100% (0% - the note is fully transparent, 100% - the note is fully opaque).

Max Level
Notes have this level of transparency when the cursor points at them. It can vary from 0 to 100% (0% - the note is fully transparent, 100% - the note is fully opaque).

Speed
The speed of changing from opaque to transparent. The speed depends on the power of your processor (1% is the slowest - for powerful computers, 100% is the fastest - for less powerful ones).
Warning! Only Win 2k or higher versions (Win XP) can use this mode..

Text parameters
Text editor configuration
Text font
Use the "Text font..." button to change the font of the note's text editor.

Background color
Use the "Background color..." button to change the background color of the note's text editor.

Notes fonts
Use the corresponding "Select" button to change the font either for the headers and/or text of notes.

Others
You can use this tab to set some program settings.

Sounds
These options allow you to set sounds for the following events:

Remind
This event takes place if you set the "Remind Later" mode for a note.

Late Note
This event takes place if a note is displayed too late (for example, an hour or a day later than it should have been displayed).

Show Note (Default)
This event takes place when a note is just displayed on the desktop.

VIP Note
This event takes place when a VIP note is displayed on the desktop.
Attention! The sound of the "VIP Note" event will be played every second while such a note is on the desktop.

Select an event from the drop-down list and specify the name of a sound file and the path to it in the "Sound Path" field or use the "Browse..." button. You can test the selected sound with the "Test" button. Restore the default settings with the "Set Default" button.

Default Note
To customize the default note, use the "Change…" button that opens the "Add New Note" window. Here you can specify all the necessary settings for the default note. To restore the original default settings, use the "Reset To Default Settings" button.

Use random color for each note
If this checkbox is selected, a random color scheme will be applied to each new note regardless of the default settings.

Use random position for each note
If this checkbox is selected, each new note will appear in a random position on the desktop.

About
This tab contains the information about the program. Use links on this tab to update the program, contact the tech support service or visit our site.


Notes Editor

The note editor is used for working with the note database and looks like this:

Notes editor parameters
Each sticker has a record shown as a separate line in the list. It consists of several columns:

#
The number of a note in the database (1, 2... etc.).

Note Caption
The first line (header) of a note which helps you find the necessary note in the note editor.

Alarm Setting
The information about the mode of a note. The following variants are possible depending on the date and time settings oа  particular note:

> Don't Show;
> Now!;
> Date & Time;
> Time;
> Date;
> Every Startup;
> Weekly, Set Time;
> Weekly, No Set Time

Status
The current status of a note. The following variants are possible:

On the Desktop
The note is on the desktop at the moment.

OK
The note is not displayed, but stored in the database.

Editing
The note is being edited in the advanced mode.

Show Later
The sticker is in the "Remind Later" mode.

Notes Editor features
You can use the note editor to create new notes, show, edit and delete existing notes, search the database for stickers. You can see the following buttons in the notes editor:

New
Opens the "Add New Note" (clicking the "Add New Note" button on the toolbar does the same).

Show
If you click this button, the note will appear on the desktop regardless of its settings. This button is available if a note is selected in the list and is not on the desktop or is being edited.

Edit
Opens the "Edit Note" window. This button is available if a note is selected in the list and is not being edited. You can also open this menu by double-clicking the necessary sticker in the list.

Delete
Deletes the note from the database. This button is enabled if some note is selected.

Search
This button opens the search dialog box. To find a note, enter a word or a phrase into the "Find What" field and click the "Find" button. If the program finds a note containing these words, it will be selected in the list. To continue the search, you should click the "Find Next" button. Select the "Match Whole String Only" checkbox to search the whole phrase; otherwise the program will look for each word separately.


A note on the desktop

When a note is on the desktop, it looks like this:

Buttons on the note window
You can see the following buttons in the note window:

 Toggle Always On Top
If you click this button, the note will be displayed on top of other windows. Click the button again to disable it.

 Edit Note
Opens the "Edit Note" window.

 Permanently Delete Sticker
Removes the sticker from the desktop and from the database. If you select the "Warn me before deleting notes permanently" checkbox in the program settings, you will see a warning if you try to delete a note.

 Remind Later
Hides the note from the desktop for the period of time you specify in program settings (15 minutes by default). When this period is over, the note will appear on the desktop with the "Remind" sound.

 Hide
Hides the note leaving only its "tag" on that side of the screen that was closer to its position (right or left). When you move the mouse pointer over the "tag", the note appears again.

 Close
Removes the note from the desktop and from the database if the note will never be displayed (except the note with "Don't show" alarm settings). If the "Warn me before deleting notes permanently" checkbox is selected, you will see a warning when you try to remove a note from the database.

Context menu
The following commands are available in the context menu:

 Remind Later
You can use this item to select the interval of reminding (custom, 5, 15 or 30 minutes).

 Edit Note
Opens the "Edit Note" window.

 Save Notes Text To File
Use this item to save the text of the note to a text file.

 Disable note transparency
If you select this checkbox, the note transparency will be disabled.

 Color
Use this submenu to select the color of the note.

 Hide
It is the same as the clicking the "Hide" button in the note window.

 Delete Permanently
It is the same as the "Permanently Delete Sticker" button in the note window.

 Close
It is the same as the "Close" button in the note window.

If you use the "Note Transparency" options, the sticker becomes transparent after the pointer moves away from it. When you the mouse pointer over it again, the sticker loses its transparency and becomes opaque. You can set the transparency options in program settings.


Advanced editing mode

Advanced editing mode - editing in the "Edit Note" window. You can open it by clicking the "Edit Note" button in the sticker window, or double-clicking the area between its buttons, or using the context menu).


Reminder

You need a reminder when the note should be displayed some time later and/or on a later date.