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Microsoft Research AutoCollage announcement

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    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
    cjoprey Microsoft Employee

    Microsoft Research AutoCollage Frequently Asked Questions

    AutoCollage comes with a comprehensive help system which describes how you can use the application to generate pleasing AutoCollages. Please read the help first if you have a question as it may solve your issue. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions on how to best use the application. Microsoft Research AutoCollage 2008 has an update, released on February 2009. A description of the update features and instructions on how to obtain it is available at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/961855.

    1) How do I select which images I would like to use in my AutoCollage?

    The application will automatically choose the best images from the selected folder for inclusion in the AutoCollage. If you have a preference for a certain set of images we recommend that you create a new folder and place the images you would like to include there. You can then select this folder in the application's Image Browser and create a new AutoCollage.

    AutoCollage 2008 v1.1 includes the ability to select images for an AutoCollage, which is described in the help topic "Changing Image Ranking".

    2) How can I redisplay the original images after I created my AutoCollage?

    Once you have created an AutoCollage you may decide you would like to redisplay the images used to create it. To do this you simply have to press the "Esc" key.

    3) How can I stop the application from loading all the images in the currently selected folder?

    If you have selected a folder with a large amount of images in error you don't have to wait for it to complete loading all the images. At any time during the loading process you can select another folder in the Image Browser. It will stop processing the images in the previous folder, clear the loaded images, and start loading the images from the new folder.

    4) How can I use images on my website/remote PC through AutoCollage?

    If you wish to use images from a remote PC, you may copy those to a local folder first, what improves the performance of the AutoCollage process. Then you can select this new folder in the application's Image Browser as normal. AutoCollage 2008 v1.1 supports the use of network folders.

    5) How can I register AutoCollage once I have my key?

    When you purchase AutoCollage, you receive an AutoCollage product key you can use to register your copy of AutoCollage. In order to register your copy of AutoCollage:

    • a. Select the Options button.
    • b. Select the Registration tab in the dialog which appears.
    • c. Select the Register... button. This invokes the registration dialog where you can enter your product key.
    • d. Enter your 25-character product key in the white product key input box. You can type it in, or cut-and-paste by copying your product key from another window, then pasting into the first part of the input box.
    • e. Select OK to save your product key.

    Once your copy of AutoCollage is registered, the trial time limit and watermark are disabled.

    6) How do I install AutoCollage once I have bought it from the Microsoft Store (EU only)?

    If you purchase AutoCollage in the EU, your download will be a 'self-extracting archive' file rather than the AutoCollage Installer. In order to use this archive to install AutoCollage:

    • a. Download AutoCollage normally. This will download a file named 'Research_Autocollage_English_NWA-00003.exe' or something similar.
    • b. Run the file you just downloaded, and a self-extractor appears.
    • c. Click on 'Browse...' and select a folder you can easily locate. This is the folder the AutoCollage installer will be saved to.
    • d. Click on 'Unzip.' You should receive a message indicating the AutoCollage installer was 'unzipped.'
    • e. Navigate to the folder you specified in step c., and run 'MicrosoftAutoCollageSetup.msi'
    • f. Follow the prompts to install AutoCollage

    7) How can I find and install the software downloaded from the Microsoft Store?

    In some cases, when you download software from the Microsoft Store, the software is stored in a local folder on your machine without your being prompted to install it. To view your download and potentially install it follow the steps below. Before installing ANY software, make sure you downloaded it from a trusted source.

    • a. Click on your 'Start' menu
    • b. Choose 'Documents' or 'My Documents', depending upon whether you're on Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP. This should open a file folder which contains your documents, and several subfolders.
    • c. Double click on the 'Downloads' folder. Your view should switch to the contents of that folder, and it should include a sub-folder named after the software you downloaded. Double-click on that folder.
    • d. You should see the file you downloaded. You can install your software by executing that file.

    8) How can I get my product key once I have purchased AutoCollage?

    Some AutoCollage customers may need to install the application on a newly purchased machine, taking advantage of the license for 5 machines, or to reinstall the application after upgrading to Windows 7. On these occasions the product key is needed to register the new installation, as per the instructions in the product help, also available online.

    Customers that misplaced their key may easily retrieve it following these steps:

    • a. Connect to your local Microsoft Store website in the USA, UK (for countries in the European Union), Australia, France, Germany, Canada, Norway or Denmark.
    • b. Sign into the store with the same ID you used when purchasing AutoCollage.
    • c. Near the top of the page there are a few rows of links. Click on the "Account" link.
    • d. You will see a page entitled "Microsoft Store Account - Purchase History." The date and time of your order of AutoCollage should be listed. In the right side of this entry, under "Items:", you should see Microsoft Research AutoCollage 2008, along with a line which says "License:" and shows your product key.

    Remember that the trial version of Microsoft Research AutoCollage 2008 can be converted into the full version just by registering it, without the need of a new installation.

    9) When will AutoCollage be available for purchase in my country?

    Due to high demand, we are taking every effort to make AutoCollage broadly available as soon as possible. The list of countries supported by the Microsoft Store is constantly growing, as you can verify at http://www.microsoftstore.com. We will post updates about availability in our support forum.

    10) I'm having problems purchasing AutoCollage. Where do I go for help?

    For US based purchases: You can contact Customer Services by phone at 1-877-MY-MS-STORE (877-696-7786). Further contact information is available at: http://store.microsoft.com/Help/Contact-Us

    For EU based purchases: Customer Support is available on email, phone and by post. For further information, please go to http://emea.microsoftstore.com/UK/Help/Contact-Us

    For Australia based purchases: Customer Support is available on email, phone and by post. For further information, please go to http://www.microsoftstore.com.au/shop/Help/Contact-Us

    For France based purchases: Customer support is available by website. For further information, please go to http://emea.microsoftstore.com/fr/Contactez-nous

    For Germany based purchases: Customer support is available on phone and by website. For further information, please go to https://emea.microsoftstore.com/DE/de-DE/Kontakt

    For Canada based purchases: Customer support is available on phone and by website. For further information, please go to https://www.microsoftstore.ca/shop/en-CA/Contact-Us

    For Norway based purchases: Customer support is available on phone and by website. For further information, please go to https://emea.microsoftstore.com/europe/nb-NO/Kontakt-oss

    For Denmark based purchases: Customer support is available on phone and by website. For further information, please go to https://emea.microsoftstore.com/europe/da-DK/Kontakt

    11) Why does my AutoCollage creation stop in stage 1 (“loading images”)?

    When creating a new AutoCollage, each used image is checked to see if it has changed since it was added to the application by checking its “Date Modified” setting. If so, the image is updated. A possible side-effect of this, if the image has its “Date modified” mistakenly set in the future, is that the creation process may stop responding. While uncommon, files with this invalid “Date modified” setting are sometimes created while importing photos from digital cameras.

    If AutoCollage is not finishing the collage creation process, verify if any of the used image files have their “Date modified” set in the future by looking at the file properties (right-click the image file using File Explorer, and choose the menu item “Properties”). This problem can easily be fixed by opening it in any common image editor and saving back over the original file. Microsoft Paint is available in most Windows environments, and will properly fix this issue.

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    cjoprey Microsoft Employee

    Microsoft Research AutoCollage Links

    For more information on the AutoCollage product, please click on the links below.

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