Questions and Answers

Question: How can I get a Certificate of Completion for taking a Short Course?

Answer: You need to download and install the exe file version of the Short Course as well as the E-Book Reader. If you want to use the honor system and complete your own Certificate of Completion, then you can use this powerpoint slide.

Question: How can I get CPE (Continuing Professional Education) credits for taking a Short Course?

Answer: You will need to download and install the exe file version of the Short Course. The exe file version of the course includes an inter-active exam and certificate of completion. If you are a professional (such as a Certified Public Accountant), please make sure your governing board accepts the CPE Standards related to these short courses. VERY IMPORTANT: None of the short courses offered on this web site are approved for CPE Credits! It's up to you to verify that your board or institution will accept these short courses for credit.

Question: Do you provide any formal live training or support related to the Short Courses?

Answer: Sorry, I do not provide any live training or seminars related to the short courses. I do provide workshops for larger organizations - Training Programs. Also, several resources related to training are listed on the External Links web page.

Question: I noticed that short courses are offered in different file formats - pdf, word, and exe. Are there any differences between these files in terms of content?

Answer: Yes, the exe files may contain a little more content than provided in the pdf or word files. The pdf and word files are identical. Also, the on-line content is identical to the pdf and word files. Only the exe file differs in content than all other files.

Question: Can I copy and share the Short Courses with others?

Answer: Yes, you can copy and share the Short Courses for non-commercial use only, such as private distribution within a classroom. You cannot make use of a short course for commercial purposes, such as charging someone for its use. If you want to distribute the course for free in a public setting, then you should execute the Permission Agreement. If you want to make commercial use of a short course, then you need to execute a License Agreement.

Question: What operating systems are compatible with the exe file version of the Short Courses?

Answer: You need to have a windows based operating system (such as Windows 95 or 98) on your personal computer.

Question: When I try to download the exe file version, I get an error message about the network connection - make sure disk is properly inserted or the network resource is available. What is the error message?

Answer: Make sure you download the file to your computer first. You are probably double clicking on the exe file and trying to install the program directly from my web page. You should left click ONCE or right click ONCE for downloading the exe file. Once the file has been downloaded to your computer, then double click on the file to install the program onto your computer. Another problem may occur if you are trying to download the exe file from a network computer. The firewall that protects the server prevents the downloading of the exe file. You will have to resolve this problem with your network administrator. I have no control over local area networks.  

Question: I downloaded and installed the exe file version of the Short Course, but I can't load the Short Course - unable to find the file. What's wrong?

Answer: You probably loaded the sample course which is not stored in the directory C:/BOOKS. Therefore, you need to load the E-Book Reader program, click on the Library icon (lower left part of screen) and the Open dialog box should pop up. Click on the Directory icon in the lower center of this dialog box. The Change Directory dialog box will pop up. Click under Directories and get to the C:/BOOKS directory. Once you get there, you should see a course dtx file appear under Available Files. Click on this file and load the course.

Question: When I try to print the pdf file version of a course, the printer generates a series of funny characters or boxes. How can I print a clean copy of the pdf file?

Answer: When you select print, check the box "Print as image." PDF files are more or less an image of a document.

Question: I am concerned about downloading a file with viruses. Were these files checked before uploading to your web site? How can I be sure about the exe file?

Answer: Yes, the most recent version of Norton Anti-Virus was run against all files placed on my web site. All files should be clean.

Question: When I clicked on a file for downloading, all I got was a reference to the file name at the top of the screen. I can not download the file.

Answer: A download dialog box should pop up. Make sure your computer allows the downloading of files to your hard drive. Computers within networks or within public locations are sometimes restricted to on-line viewing only. Check with your network administrator.

Question: I have trouble viewing on-line courses. The content shows up in different frames or views. Is there a way to show everything on one single page or view?

Answer: This problem has to do with your browser settings. Internet Explorer and other browsers insert new tabs or windows for each script that calls up a page. For example, you need to disable tabs in Internet Explorer 7. Change the view settings in your web browser to not create new windows or tabs.