kevin

Macro Express 3.7d is not working with a program that I put in Windows 7 compatibility mode.

If you mean 'Windows XP mode for Windows 7' then no, Macro Express will not recognize windows activated in 'Windows XP mode'. Windows XP mode is a virtual computer running Windows XP. Programs that run there are not running on Windows 7.

To automate programs in Windows XP mode you will need to also load Macro Express in the Windows XP mode virtual session. I know this is possible using VM Ware and Microsoft's Virtual PC, upon which Windows XP mode is based, but I have not tried this yet.

the macro was working great on winxp. but now i upgraded to windows 7 x64 and i get an error message about unable to create the .txt file in C: drive. im admin on the system. any ideas?

Windows 7 does not allow anyone, admins included, to create a file on the root of the c: drive without a UAC prompt. Modify your macro to use a folder that Windows 7 does not protect.

I am wondering if it is at all possible to make this thing run in the backround? So, there would be a seperate instance of firefox opened to do this macro, even if i am working in firefox at the moment the macro is scheduled to run

Windows does not accept keyboard entries or mouse clicks in a program that does not have 'focus'. So normally, the answer is No.

You may, with some applications, be able use the Window Controls on a program without focus. There is a tutorial about how to use Window Controls in the help. Also check out the 'Calc ulator and Note pad' macro in the samples.mex macro file installed in the same folder as the Macro Express Pro program files (by default, c:\Program Files\Macro Express Pro').

However, it is my experience that browsers do not have a lot of support for Window Controls. (Whether or not the Window Control macro commands work depends upon how your program is written.)

After re-reading your post I have another thought. Macro Express 3 v 3.6 was created long before IE7 was released by Microsoft. Later versions of Macro Express were modified to work with IE7. You may need to update to the latest version of Macro Express 3.

Upgrades are free for any versions that have the same major revision number. See our Upgrade Information page for more details.

Make sure that the macro is not continuing after the pause. Put a Sound Wave File or a Sound Beep command after the pause. If you hear the sound you know the macro is continuing.

It is possible that the focus is not returning to the window you expect. You may be able to use a Window Activate command after the pause to get the macro to work.

Terminate Process: C:\WINDOWS\NOTEPAD.EXE[/b]

Once a program is running in memory all file path information about that program is meaningless. The 'C:\WINDOWS\' is only used to launch the program 'Notepad.exe'. The only way this program is referenced inside Windows as it is running is 'Notepad.exe'.

How do I convert that really cool executable "multiplefieldform.mxe" file created by Floyd into something editable? It doesn't import into ME Pro and changing it to an html is really messy. Is it because it was designed for an earlier version?

The .mxe extension indicates that this is a playable macro. You can import multiplefieldform.mxe into Macro Express or Macro Express Pro like you import any playable macro. Click File, Import, Import Playable Macros.

Will the macro run if the monitor “logs off” because it has not been used for 5 minutes and the screensaver has activated?

If your computer logs off, then the macro will not run. The knowledgebase article "with the workstation locked the macro does not work" contains details.

If your macro file contains Scheduled Macros, your screen saver will be disabled unless you uncheck the 'Disable Screen Saver when using Scheduled Macros' option found in Options, Preferences, Scheduler. The knowledgebase article "my screen saver never gets activated" contains more information.

If you want further help with this please post sample macros in this topic that demonstrate the 'problem'. Your text description in the other post does not give clear enough information.

So Kevin could you/anybody confirm the problem?

As I responded a few days ago, I tested this and did not find any problems. I said:

A specific example demonstrating how it fails would be helpful.

Having a macro type a password is a fairly simple thing. (Look at the examples posted here by others.) However, there are some programs that, due to security, refuse to let a program like Macro Express type anything into their password fields.

Macro Express uses something called the Windows Hooks to send and receive keystrokes. Unfortunately, the Hooks are also used by malware programs called keyloggers. Any program can block access to the Windows Hooks by other programs and often, to "improve security", they do. Quicken is one such program. I cannot use a macro to enter a password into Quicken. Macros work elsewhere in the program.

I do not know if the Excel password dialog works this way. I'm just saying that if you are unable to get a macro to type the password it may be due to how the program is written.

I installed ME3 on my Vista computer and I have Internet Explorere 8 on it and my Win XP machine also. Hot key macros work for inserting passwords and other hot key macros on my XP Pro machine. Those same macros don't insert anything on my Vista machine.

Anyone else have this problem? The macros work when I try inserting them into a Word document but not into anything in Internet Explorer.

Make sure you are using the latest version of Macro Express 3. Visit www.macros.com/download.htm. Make sure to download Macro Express 3 and not Macro Express Pro.

If the problem persists contact Insight Software Solutions support. Contact information is found at www.macros.com/contact.htm.

The command "Set window order on top" does not work reliably. It works however if you put "Place on topmost status and place on top" before.

After testing the Set Window Order "notepad" Always on top and Set Window Order "Notepad" Remove topmost status and place on top commands I cannot spot any problems. A specific example demonstrating how it fails would be helpful.

Are you aware that setting a window on top does not automatically give it focus? A window can be on top and not have focus. This is normal behavior (controlled by Windows). Is that what you are seeing?

I just saw a crash report with the same description as the problem you are describing. Is that from you? Does Macro Express crash or freeze?

If it seems to freeze then the problem is likely that the 'Macro Run' dialog is coming up underneath the editor. If it is crashing, the issue is completely different.

Tried this but as soon as I double click on "Macro Run" Macro Express - Scripting Editor - [Macro Name] freezes. If I click off the box onto something ells up then I can not click back onto the editor as it is now grayed out on the top and dose nor respond. I can still run any macros I all ready have set up through there short cuts. I also looked into task manager to see if it said "Not responding" but its simply saying "Running" so the program thinks its functioning correctly but locked me out of the editor.

 

Its as if this function hits a problem in the code of the program and just stops responding. Is there any form of a repair I can run on the software short of re installing it?

It still sounds like the window is coming up behind the editor. When it seems that Macro Express has 'locked up' Press Alt-Space, M. Then press and hold the arrow keys to move the window underneath the editor window.

I tried to add the command "Macro Run" but all that happens is Macro express hangs up and dose nothing.

It sounds like the window that allows you to choose the macro to run is underneath the editor window. It could also be off the screen. If it is off the screen you can press Alt-Space and M. Then use the arrow keys to move the dialog around until you can see it.

will this scheduled macro run on everybody's terminal session?

Yes.

How can I specify which session to run this on?

Use the Variable Set From Misc command to determine the Computer Name, User Name or Registered Owner. Then have your macro do something like this:

Set Variable %T1% to "Name of Machine"
Set Variable %T1% to "Username"
If Variable %T1% <> "OneMachine"
 Macro Stop
End If

You may also be able to use the Store Terminal Services Session ID command. This returns a numeric value for each session. The console is always session 0. If you use this command you will need to test to see whether or not the same session ID is assigned to the same computer each time.

For example, you can capture text even when the window is minimzed, but the next time one reboots the computer, it says the control is not found.

Some applications change the Windows Control information each time it runs. There is nothing Macro Express can do about that. Think about it this way, if you want to write a macro to detect a certain color in a specific location and the program changes that color each time it runs, you cannot use Macro Express to determine the pixel color.

The best work-around for programs that change their Windows Controls is to use the Capture Control command. But, the Capture Control command requires that you know the position of the control on the screen.

I use another work-around that may or may not work for you. Each time my macro fails because it cannot find the Windows Control I add another Get Control command to my macro without removing any previous Get Control commands. For this particular application I have had success with 5 separate Get Control commands:

  Get Control: (CLIENT.EXE) -> %C[7]%
 If Control "%C[7]%" Does Not Exist
Get Control: (CLIENT.EXE) -> %C[7]%
 End If
 If Control "%C[7]%" Does Not Exist
Get Control: (CLIENT.EXE) -> %C[7]%
 End If
 If Control "%C[7]%" Does Not Exist
Get Control: (CLIENT.EXE) -> %C[7]%
 End If
 If Control "%C[7]%" Does Not Exist
Get Control: (CLIENT.EXE) -> %C[7]%
 End If
 Mouse Click on Control %C[7]%

In other situations a macro can find the position of a Windows Control that does not change (C1), calculate the position of the Windows Control that changes (C2) using the position of the first Windows Control (C1), and use the Capture Control command.

Sometimes, no matter what you try, you cannot reliably use any Windows Control commands.

In summary, the behavior of how an application supports a Window Control depends entirely on that application. No program, including Macro Express, can change that behavior.

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Take a look at the Schmoooove macro shared by Ian Steele on our Shared Macros page. It was designed to do exactly what you want. While you're at it, you may also want to look through the macros on our Sample Macros page.

AND "Wait for this macro to terminate before proceeding" is ticked.

Macro Express interfaces with Windows using the 'Windows Hooks'. Keyloggers also use these hooks. Some programs, to provide additional security, block the hooks to prevent keyloggers grabbing something like a password. Quicken does this.

Macro Express Pro has already been updated for Windows 7.

any notes to what the problems are?

We don't have a complete list because we haven't finished with the changes. Here is a partial list of the changes so far:

- The 'If OS Version' command now supports Windows 7.

- The shield icon for Windows 7 is now used where appropriate.

- Crash reports now say 'Windows 7' instead of 'Vista'

There are some issues running Macro Express 3 (and Macro Express Pro) on Windows 7. New releases will be available before Windows 7 is released.