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Computer Corner:
File Utilities on Steroids
By Marjory Harris, Esq.
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In this series, we explore
organizational techniques, software and hardware that will help
you clear the mess from your desk, be more productive, and cut
office overhead.
This article presents some file utilities to make it faster and easier to view
your files and manipulate data.
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“In computers, a utility is
a small program that provides an addition to the capabilities provided
by the operating system. In some usages, a utility is a special and
nonessential part of the operating system. In other usages, a utility
is an application that is very specialized and relatively limited
in capability.”
A viewing utility lets you see what is in the
file without opening it, saving time and memory. Maybe you are familiar
with such programs for viewing your jpegs. For much of our office
work, a program that lets us view the text of Word or WordPerfect
files, PDFs, and Outlook messages, without opening each one, is worth
installing and keeping loaded on your desktop.
Most lawyers use PCs with some version of Windows. Here is a program
that, for a small price, expands on Windows Explorer with “bang
for a buck” functionality.
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| A viewing utility lets you see
what is in the file without opening it, saving time and memory. |
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PowerDesk Pro 8
This file manager does everything Windows Explorer does and a lot
of other things you wish came built into the Windows OS. It currently
sells for $39.95, but I Googled
for a coupon and got 10% off. With
the 60-day money back guarantee, it is worth trying out.
PowerDesk Pro includes 6 file utilities, including
a powerful file finder, but the feature worth the entire price
for the workers’ compensation practitioner is the file viewer.
Without opening anything other than PowerDesk Pro, you can see
the contents of a file, copy and paste, and add or edit a note.
This effectively ends the clutter of scores of open windows when
reviewing a folder.
The program supports many file formats, including
Excel spreadsheets and Outlook messages. You can even preview email
attachments in the preview pane. When preparing a letter to an
AME or QME, for example, you can cull out bits and pieces of the
medical file, then copy into the word processor. Or, as seen in
these screenshots, you can view a case and its note summarizing
the holding.
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PowerDesk
Pro contains 6 file utilities, including a powerful file finder,
but the feature worth the entire price for the workers’ compensation
practitioner is the file viewer.
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The first screenshot shows
part of a client’s folder with the case highlighted. In the
bottom of the screen the case is visible in the preview pane. The
note summarizing the holding is to the right of the menu item (enlarged
in the second screenshot).
In Depo Prep Made Easy, I explain how
to use a file viewer utility to quickly gather notes for a deposition questionnaire.
Another neat feature of PowerDesk Pro is the customizable toolbar and launchbar,
where you can click on a button and open commonly used programs, including
the Start menu, task manager, and control panel. Just right click and a
menu drops down with choices. On the menu bar under “Options” is
the Layout Manager, so you can arrange the panes to your liking and save
the layout. You can easily add the saved layout to the launchbar. If you
have different layouts for different purposes, it saves clicks to launch
the needed layout from the launchbar instead of from the menu bar.
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I found it only took a
few minutes to get the hang of this program. By clicking through
the menus, I got a good idea of what could be done to make legal
work easier. This really is Windows Explorer on steroids.
PowerDesk Pro also functions as a search engine, with more choices than
the search engine that comes with the Windows operating system. I wanted
to find all the cases where a certain doctor served as Agreed Medical
Evaluator. I clicked on the File Finder button near the top of the screen,
identified the path (the paths are saved in a dropdown list in the File
Finder or by highlighting the folder in the main window). I typed in
the doctor’s name, clicked on the “Find Now” button,
and the list appeared immediately. I decided to refine the search, clicked
the “Contents” tab, and typed “knee.” A new list
of files appeared. I was able to preview the files in the File Finder
viewing pane.
I decided to search with “Almaraz” in the contents
tab, to find the letters I wrote to the doctor and the reports where
the doctor discussed that case. Try to do that with Windows Search.
Another feature is color coding the folder icons. You might want to color code
red for the cases that are most crying out for attention, ones you need to monitor
closely. How about green for settlement pending? Blue for cases going well, on
track? Or black for cases going south? There are 7 color choices. While on a boring phone call, why not tinker?
Remember to take advantage of the note feature. Adding a note that is visible
at a glance, when looking at the folder, makes it a lot easier to spot the report
or letter that you need. Many labeling systems are mysterious about the actual
content. How about this label from one of the biggest defense firms: doc20100930083525.pdf?
The screenshot shows how color coding and notes can be used:
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This really is Windows Explorer
on steroids.
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Dealing with papers is the time sink
of workers’ compensation practice. If you scan and label well,
or have documents sent as PDFs to start with, you can do file review
in a flash with a good viewing utility. The many features, ease of
use, and low price make PowerDesk Pro a “must have” for
office efficiency.
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