ShixxNOTE 6.net on Windows 7

I can proudly say that ShixxNOTE 6.net is working on latest Microsoft operating system Windows 7 (all editions Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate). Soon I will put some screenshots so you will be able to see it.

Reason for this is that ShixxNOTE program is written in C++ program language using Visual Studio 6. And because of that it doesn't require any framework or runtime. Program is using all functions from Microsoft original libraries (DLL's) except one "dll" which is used for image handling but this "dll" is also written in C++ program language.

So my ShixxNOTE program is ready for all future operating systems released from Microsoft Corporation as the latest one Windows 7 which is really good operating system.

Regards,

Ozren Sirola

ShixxNOTE program developer

www.shixxnote.com

Backup your notes

If you didn't know there is option in program for exporting all notes or just one note to a file on your disk. File extension is „*.shx“. In that file program save all info about note(s) like note text, font, color, size, etc.

For example maybe you have bought new computer and you want to import all note(s) from your old computer to this new one. This is very easy task. Just follow this steps.

Open program main menu (right mouse click on program tray icon) and select „Export note(s)“ option from menu. See picture below.

After you select option „Export note(s)“ from ShixxNOTE main menu, you will get „Export note(s)“ dialog with all notes from your desktop or hidden notes. If you want to backup (export) all notes click on button „Check all“ it will check all notes in list. If you want you can uncheck (remove) note(s) you don't want to backup. See picture below.



When you are finished with checking note(s), click on „Export“ button. Then you will be prompted to write file name and to choose directory where to create ShixxNOTE program backup file („*.shx“ extension). In my case file name is „MyBackupNotes.shx“ located in „C:\Temp“ directory on my hard disc.

So now you have all your notes in just one file with all data in it. After that for example copy file „C:\Temp\MyBackupNotes.shx“ to USB memory stick and copy file in some folder on new computer with ShixxNOTE installed. Now on new computer open main program menu (right mouse click on tray icon) and select „Import note(s)“ item and browse to “MyBackupNotes.shx“ ; click on button „Import“ and you will get all your exported notes on your desktop.

So please use this options to backup your notes or to export it from one computer to another (both computers have ShixxNOTE installed).

Kind regards,

Ozren Sirola
ShixxNOTE Program Developer
http://www.shixxnote.com/

Sending note via NET SEND

ShixxNOTE 6.net can send note to other computer in your LAN which doesn't have installed program, that receipient will receive simple message box with note text. Program is using NET SEND command and Messenger Service.

Here is example picture of what will recipient receive (which doesn't have ShixxNOTE program installed) if you send him note (computer name or IP address) :

Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista has a special program - Messenger Service - that provides for receiving and sending winpopup-compatible messages. If this service is running, the system will receive messages. The received messages are immediately displayed as simple message boxes. To send messages, you can use any winpopup-compatible messenger and also ShixxNOTE 6.net

Windows XP operating systems have this service. Before SP2 service was started automatically, but after release of SP2 for Windows XP this service has been stopped by default. So when ShixxNOTE 6.net is sending (trying to send) note via NET SEND and recipient doesn't have Messenger Service started he will not receive note text in simple message box. That is why you should have Messenger Service running for NET SEND to successfully send a message.

You can start or stop Messenger Service at any time. And you can also configure it in such a way that it would start automatically at the system startup. There is a special program for controlling all services in the system - Services.

See below the guide on how to launch Messenger Service and configure it to be launched automatically.

Windows XP Professional

1. Click Start->Settings ->Control Panel
2. Click Administrative Tools
3. Click Services
4. Double Click Services Scroll
5. Scroll down and highlight "Messenger"
6. Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties
7. Click the Start button
8. Select Automatic in the Startup Type scroll bar
9. Click OK

To receive messages in Windows 95/98/Me you can use Microsoft Winpopup to receive and send messages. The program is included in the standard distributive package, but you could have failed to install it when you were installing the system.

To install it or to make sure that it is installed:

Windows 95

1. Open Add/Remove Programs from Control Panel.
2. Select Windows Setup tab.
3. Select Accessories and click Details
4. Check Winpopup and click Ok
5. Click Ok

Windows 98

1. Open Add/Remove Programs from Control Panel.
2. Select Windows Setup tab.
3. Select System Tools and click Details
4. Check Winpopup and click Ok
5. Click Ok

In ShixxNOTE 6.net recipient list you can insert computer name or IP address of recipient who doesn't have installed ShixxNOTE program. In this case program will use NET SEND command and will send note text to recipient via Messenger Service. Off course if recipient doesn't have Messenger Service started he will not receive nothing and ShixxNOTE will inform sender that note was not delivered.

ShixxNOTE 6.net ready for Windows Vista

Everybody is talking about Windows Vista and how will old programs work on new Microsoft Windows platform. So I decided to check if ShixxNOTE 6.net is ready for Windows Vista. I have installed Windows Vista Ultimate version on one new computer in my LAN. Everything was prepared for installation of ShixxNOTE 6.net latest release (December 2006).

After running setup file, I got security message if I trust publisher (simple click on yes). Then second question from Windows Firewall asking you to choose „Block“ or „Unblock“ ShixxNOTE program, you must click on „Unblock“ button because network functions, sending and receiving notes will not work properly if you click otherwise (read more about this topic in previous articles). And that was all, installation was completed and ShixxNOTE 6.net was ready for use.

I must say that I was very excited with new look and style of all program dialogs and menus. Dialogs and menus really looks great on Vista. Here you can see some screenshots.

Sending and receiving notes works without any problem. I have tested sending and receiving notes, between computer running ShixxNOTE 6.net on Windows XP and this new one running program on Windows Vista Ultimate and everything works perfect. Reading network neighborhood and all other network features works normal.

So if you have bought Windows Vista you can freely install ShixxNOTE 6.net program on your computer. Program is 100% „Windows Vista ready“ and you can be sure it will work.

So at the end I must say that I am proud, because ShixxNOTE 6.net (developed in Visual C++ 6.0) works on every Windows operating system from Windows 95 to newest one Windows Vista. And you can send and receive note(s) without worrying which Windows operating system is installed on other computers in your LAN.

Ozren Sirola

admin@shixxnote.com

New Release December 2006

I have just released new program major release. ShixxNOTE 6.net (Released December 2006) Build 125. This new version is now avaiable on program homepage site under Download section.

• Critical security bug is now fixed. Parsing network message is improved and now possible attacker can not cause buffer overflow. This bug was discovered by Luigi Auremma.
• Important bug fixed. All received notes will be visible after computer or program restart. Problem with disappearance of received notes is now fixed. In previous version, received notes sometimes were lost after program restart. Now in this new release you will always see all your received notes and no more lost notes.

Luigi Auremma discoverer of security bug was informed and he changed his ShixxNOTE program change log file with new update that bug is fixed and that new release is now avaiable on his site. Check now ShixxNOTE program info on his official security site.

UPDATE 27 Dec 2006: The author has released a patched version (build 125)

Also I have to inform you that ShixxNOTE 6.net is ready for Windows Vista, check program homepage under section What's New or Awards to see more.

Ozren Sirola

http://www.shixxnote.com

Set Alarm to note(s)

In note menu (right mouse click on note) you have option "Set Alarm". When you click on that menu item you will get dialog where you can choose alarm settings.

As you can see from picture above. For this note I set alarm with sound at 14:50 which will be repeated every month on day selected in "Date" text box. If you have more than one note, you can set different alarm settings on each one. After you set and apply alarm settings to note, small alarm icon will appear in note title on left side.

When note alarm you, it will play a sound and will popup in front of all other windows you have on your screen, so you will hear it and see it for sure. Also small alarm icon in title will change color to red.

In note menu you have also "Set Expiration" option. With this you can set when note will expire. When note expire it will be deleted. Dialog settings are similiar with alarm settings.

Regards to all,

Ozren Sirola
ShixxNOTE program developer

Windows Firewall and ShixxNOTE

If you have Windows Firewall activated on your computer and it is "On", after ShixxNOTE program first start you will probably get Windows Security Alert dialog asking you about blocking program (check the picture above). This is normal because ShixxNOTE is multithread client/server application (LAN messenger). You can send note and receive notes to others in your LAN. For sending and receiving notes ShixxNOTE program communication port must be open. So if you get this dialog you have to click on Unblock button to enable sending and receiving note(s) feature. After you click "Unblock" ShixxNOTE program will be added in Windows Firewall - Exceptions dialog and will work properly in your network.

If you click Keep Blocking button then you will not be able to receive notes from others. Because Windows Firewall will block incoming note data for ShixxNOTE program.

Also you can always open ShixxNOTE communication port "2000" manually in "Local area connections" - "Advanced tab". If you don't know how write me and I will help you.

If you have any problems with sending or receiving notes in program, check your firewall settings first. If you didn't fix the problem ask your network administrator to help you.
And finnaly write me if you have any problem regarding sending and receiving notes, or any other problems with program.

Ozren Sirola
admin@shixxnote.com