How Dropbox Saved the Day: Recovering Files with the Version History Feature

 We've all been there. You're working on an important project, fully focused on your work, and then suddenly, you realize you've overwritten a crucial file. Panic sets in—what now? Fortunately, if you're using Dropbox, there's a simple and effective solution to recover your files: the Version History feature.

The Problem

A couple of weeks ago, I was preparing a new PowerPoint presentation. I wanted to use the style from a previous presentation, so I opened the old presentation, based my new slides on it, and deleted the slides I didn’t need. What I should have done at this point was use “Save As” to create a new file. But instead, I accidentally saved over the original presentation.

I kept working for a while, and then it hit me—I had just overwritten the original file. I tried using Ctrl + Z to undo the changes, but it was impossible to go back to the previous state of the file. The original presentation seemed lost... until I remembered that the file was saved in Dropbox.

The Solution: Using Dropbox's Version History

Thankfully, Dropbox has a fantastic feature that keeps a history of your file versions. This means that even if you accidentally overwrite a file, you can easily revert to a previous version with just a few simple steps. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Dropbox: Go to the Dropbox website and log in to your account.

2. Locate the File: Navigate to the folder where your file is stored and find the file you want to restore.
   
   
3. Access Version History: Click on the three dots (more options) in the file preview pane. Then, select "Version history" from the dropdown menu.

4. Choose a Previous Version: In the Version history window, you’ll see a list of previous versions with timestamps. Select the version you want to restore by clicking on it.

         

5. Restore the Version: Click the "Restore" button to bring back the selected version.

This story had a happy ending. Thanks to Dropbox’s Version History feature, I was able to recover the original file without losing any of my work. So, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation and you’re a Dropbox user, remember that the Version History feature can save the day!

How to Disable Protected View in Word Files

If you've ever received a Word document via Gmail and noticed the yellow warning banner saying, "Be careful—files from the Internet can contain viruses. Unless you need to edit, it's safer to stay in Protected View," you're not alone. While this feature is designed to protect your computer from potentially harmful content, it can sometimes be a hindrance, especially if you're certain the file is safe and need to make edits immediately.

Here's a quick guide on how to disable Protected View for Word files, using Gmail as an example. This can be particularly useful if you're frequently downloading and editing documents and want to streamline your workflow.

Why Does Protected View Exist?

Protected View is a read-only mode where most editing functions are disabled. It’s an added layer of security, designed to protect your computer from files that might be unsafe. Files from the internet, email attachments, or files located in potentially unsafe locations are typically opened in Protected View.

Steps to Disable Protected View

1. Open the Word Document in Protected View When you first open a Word document from an online email client, such as Gmail, you'll see the Protected View warning. This yellow bar indicates that the document is in a restricted mode.

   
   

   
   
   

2. Access the Trust Center To disable Protected View, you'll need to access the Trust Center settings in Word. Here’s how:

   • Click on File in the top-left corner of Word.
   • Go to Options.
   • In the Word Options window, select Trust Center from the left-hand menu.
   • Click on Trust Center Settings.

3. Navigate to Protected View Settings In the Trust Center window, find the Protected View section. You’ll see options for enabling or disabling Protected View for various scenarios.

   
   

   
   
   

4. Disable Protected View Options You can choose to disable Protected View for:

   • Files originating from the Internet
   • Files located in potentially unsafe locations
   • Outlook attachments

   Uncheck the boxes according to your preference. For instance, if you're comfortable disabling Protected View for all documents downloaded from the Internet (like those from Gmail), uncheck the first box.

5. Confirm Your Changes Click OK to save your changes and exit the Trust Center. Then click OK again in the Word Options window. The next time you open a Word document from Gmail, it should no longer open in Protected View.

Final Thoughts

While disabling Protected View can save you time, it's essential to remember that this feature exists to protect your computer. Always ensure that the documents you download and open are from trusted sources. If you're unsure about the safety of a file, it's better to leave Protected View enabled and scan the document with your antivirus software before proceeding with any edits.

Disabling Protected View can streamline your work, especially if you deal with a large volume of documents daily. However, use this feature judiciously and prioritize your computer's security.

Understanding the Power of the Caret (^) in Regular Expressions

Regular expressions, or regex, are a powerful tool for searching and manipulating text. One of the essential special characters in regex is the caret (^). This character has different uses depending on its context, making it a versatile component of regex patterns.

The Caret at the Beginning of a Pattern

When placed at the beginning of a regex pattern, the caret asserts the position at the start of a line. This means the regex engine will match any text that begins with the specified pattern.

Example:

• Pattern: ^Hello
• Matches: "Hello world", "Hello everyone"
• Doesn't Match: "world Hello", "Hi Hello"

This usage is particularly useful for filtering and validating inputs where the start of a string needs to be checked. For instance, in a translator's CAT tool, using ^\d can help filter all segments that start with a number, ensuring numeric consistency in translations.

The Caret Inside Character Classes

Inside square brackets, the caret has a completely different meaning. When used at the beginning of a character class (inside []), it negates the character class, meaning it matches any character not listed in the brackets.

Example:

• Pattern: [^a-z]
• Matches: "1", "!", "@"
• Doesn't Match: "a", "b", "z"

This is useful when you need to find characters that do not belong to a specific set, such as non-alphabetic characters in a string.

Combining the Caret with Other Characters

The caret can be combined with other regex elements to create complex patterns. For example, ^[A-Z] matches any string that starts with an uppercase letter, which is useful for filtering proper nouns or specific names in text data.

Example:

• Pattern: ^[A-Z]
• Matches: "Apple", "Banana"
• Doesn't Match: "apple", "banana"

Practical Applications

1. Data Validation: Ensure segments start with specific characters or numbers.
2. Text Filtering: Quickly locate and process lines or segments that match particular criteria.
3. Error Checking: Identify and correct patterns that do not conform to expected formats.

Understanding how to use the caret (^) in regex can greatly enhance your ability to manage and manipulate text efficiently. Whether you’re filtering segments in a CAT tool, validating input data, or searching through logs, mastering this small yet powerful character will make your work more precise and effective.

Happy Regex-ing! 🚀

Easy Zoom Controls with an AutoHotkey Script

During remote simultaneous interpretation on Zoom, it can be a hassle to reach for the mouse and move the cursor to the microphone or camera icon to mute/unmute or turn the camera on or off. The Zoom windows may not even be in focus when one needs to mute/unmute, which adds to the cognitive load and stress in an already demanding situation.

An alternative solution that has given me much more control is creating an AutoHotkey script to perform the following actions:

    1. Bring the Zoom window into focus (make it active)

    2. Press the microphone or camera button

    3. Return focus to the original window 

Once the AutoHotkey script is ready and running, I simply press my chosen hotkey (shortcut) to control my microphone and camera. I like F1 for the microphone and F2 for the camera.

Watch it in action!

Here's how you can do it too.

1. Get AutoHotkey 

If you're already an AutoHotkey user, you can skip this part and simply grab the script, which you can find here. The script includes the following hotkeys:

F1 - Mute/unmute 

                    F2 - Start/stop video

                    F3 - Open chat window

                    F4 - Open/close participant list

                    F5 - Start/stop screen sharing

Please note that with the exception of opening the chat window, all other actions return the focus to whatever window was active when the hotkey was pressed.                    

If you are new to AutoHotkey, download the program here and install it. After installation, nothing opens, that's normal. AutoHotkey runs in the background and allows you to run your own scripts. You can learn more about it here.

2. Get and run the script

After you've installed AutoHotkey, download the Zoom Controls script here.

Unzip the file and save the file called Zoom controls.ahk in an easy-to-find folder. Once safely saved, double-click on the file. Note that you can easily inspect the contents of the script by opening with a plain text editor, such as Notepad.

A green box with a white H should appear in your system tray, indicating that the file is now active. 

3. Use your new shortcuts!

Now you're ready to use your shortcuts. Open Zoom and try them out. Try opening another window, such as Notepad, for example, and pressing one of your shortcuts (F1 to mute/unmute, for example) while you're typing in Notepad and watch your Zoom microphone change state while your cursor remains in Notepad.

4. Add your shortcuts to devices other than your keyboard

If you have an Elgato Stream Deck, you probably know that it provides a plug-in that offers Zoom microphone and camera control capabilities. However, the plug-in actions cause the Zoom window to gain and retain focus, which may not always be desirable, for example, if you need to mute/unmute while scrolling through a reference PDF or Powerpoint. 

Furthermore, I have found that there is some lag between pressing the button on the Stream Deck and the action actually being performed in Zoom, which is not ideal during simultaneous interpretation. See the difference in responsiveness between the Elgato plugin and the AutoHotkey script in the video below.

Fortunately, the AutoHotkey hotkeys can easily be added to the Stream Deck, using the Hotkey or Hotkey Switch options under System.

In addition to the Stream Deck, I also use a Logitech mouse with programmable keys, so I have a third option to quickly mute/unmute and start/stop video.

You're probably wondering if you can do the same with other platforms, and the answer is, probably yes. It's only a matter of telling AutoHotkey to activate the appropriate window, sending the appropriate shortcut for whatever action you want to perform, and then returning the focus to the original window. You can always use my script as a starting point and simply modify the appropriate parts as needed. 

Restoring file type associations and icons

I can't remember exactly when this happened, but for the past couple of days, all sdlxliff files on my computer are displaying a MemoQ icon instead of the actual Trados Studio one.

Not only that, but the sdlxliff file type is associated with MemoQ, which means that if I double-click on an sdlxliff file, my computer tries to open it with MemoQ.

If you've encountered the same inconvenience with this file type or any other, here's how to fix it.

File type associations

1. On the Windows File Explorer, right click on any of the problem files and select Properties, then click the Change button on the Properties dialog box.

2. Select the right program from the list to restore the file type association. 

The icon will also change to reflect the one for the program you have chosen. If that's still not the right file type icon, keep reading to learn how to change it.

If the program you want to use is not in the short list, click on "More apps" and locate the appropriate program on your computer.*

3. After clicking OK, you should see the new program icon associated with your files.

* In the example above, I've associated the sdlxliff file type with Trados Studio 2021, which shows in the short list. To associate the file type with Trados Studio 2022, so that sdlxliff files will open in the new version when I double-click on them, all I need to do is find the program in the path shown in the screenshot below.

Icons

After completing the steps above, you may still not have the right icons. For example, I'm currently seeing this:

If you're familiar with Trados Studio files, you know that this isn't right. The project file type is showing a blank page icon and the sdlxliff file type is showing the Trados Studio program icon. 

Unfortunately, changing icons is not a simple process, and it involves tweaking the Windows registry. Fortunately, RWS has provided an article with 3 possible solutions to this issue, one of which is a nicely packaged file that you can simply download and run.

A word of caution: Make sure to make a backup of your current registry. You will find a link to detailed instructions in the RWS article.

Here's the result, after running the .reg file:

Now each file type is showing the correct icon.

And that's all there is to it. No more hijacked file type associations and icons!

Adding a Word Count Column to Your Windows Folders

The following procedure will help you add a word count column to your Windows File Explorer view, which can come in handy for translators and other professionals.

In Windows File Explorer, select the View tab, and then Details.

There are 4 default columns shown in the Details view: Name, Date modified, Type and Size. We will now add a Word Count column.

Right-click anywhere on the column name bar. Then, in the menu that opens up, click More. 

This will open an alphabetical list of columns that you can add to your view. Scroll all the way to the bottom and check the box next to word count. Click OK to close the Choose Details window.

And that's it! Now you'll see the word count for each file in its own column.

As you can see in the screenshot, this works for Word and Powerpoint files. Unfortunately, though, it doesn't work for other common types of files, such as Excel or PDF.

A word of caution: Windows File Explorer takes the word count from the document properties, so there may be a discrepancy between that number and the word count shown by the program where the document was created. Because of this, it would be advisable to consider these word counts estimates only and rely on dedicated programs such as PractiCount or AnyCount for more accurate counting.

As a final note, to make this feature available in other folders*, click the Options button in the ribbon and select Change folder and search options.

Then, in the View tab, select Apply to Folders.

*Special thanks to Iwan Davies for pointing this out.

Adding Spellchecking Languages to Trados Studio

There may be cases where Trados Studio's spellchecking option appears greyed out with a "Language Not Supported" legend. For example, this is what happens if I have a project that has Venezuelan Spanish as the target language.

Luckily, there is an easy solution to this.

1. Go to the App Store and download the Hunspell Dictionary Manager. In this example, I'm using the integrated app store from within Trados Studio 2021.

2. After installing the app and restarting Trados Studio, go to the Welcome view and launch the app.

3. Under "Select appropriate dictionary language", select a base language, that is, a language variant that is in the list and that could be used as the basis to build your new dictionary. In my example, Venezuelan Spanish is not supported, but there are a number of Spanish variants that are in the list, several of which I've added before via this procedure. I will select Mexican Spanish as my base dictionary in this example.

4. Under "Select new dictionary language", select the unsupported language that you need to create a dictionary for. In my example, this will be Venezuelan Spanish.

5. Click Create. You will see a message appear saying that the dictionary has been successfully created. What this means is that a copy of the Mexican Spanish dictionary has been created and labeled Venezuelan Spanish.

6. Close the Hunspell Dictionary Manager app and restart Trados Studio. 

7. Now, the last step is to make sure that you've chosen Hunspell as your spellchecker. To do this, go to Options - Editor - Spelling.

Now your new language variant dictionary is enabled and your previously unsupported language is supported!