I obtained a free copy of CAPTURE ASSISTANT on designated day and it worked fine for a few days. Now it is gone. can I please get it again. I really found it to be vey useful. Pls advise

144 - Fubar

The point of my "caption/title" comment is that it DOESN'T capture them. I've tried notepad, Eudora, Firefox, IE, and many others. (Which brings up the point of you somehow knowing what I've tried and what I haven't.) It might capture SOME, but I've yet to find one that it captures. And.... it doesn't capture in PDF files. In some PDF files, it crashes out Adobe Reader. I tried 5 different PDF files from different sources and it capture 4 in graphics form and crashed the 5th. In some GUI sections -- like on the start menu -- it will sometimes capture as text, sometimes as graphics, and sometimes not at all in favor of the text underneath. It depends, apparently, on where you start the clip.

I wasn't attacking it's intended purpose. I was telling people that it often doesn't DO it's intended purpose -- separate from the coding issue. The only place that it captures text reliably is in plain text, which is useless because you can simply copy and paste.

We wouldn't have much disagreement if you hadn't falsely accused me of making false statements. Everything I said in my original post is true. This program doesn't do much that you can't already do with windows. What it does do.... it doesn't do reliably.

#143, Greywolf Computer Services, OK, I use the word "caption" when Microsoft uses the word "title" to describe a window. Your remarks make no sense because anyone who has used Windows for more than a month would realize that there are many situations where you can't copy non-graphical text. Some error message dialog boxes let you copy text, some don't. If it's a long hex error code, I would prefer to use a program like this which actually copies the text. OCR would be a bad solution because most OCR apps have terrible accuracy, and try to apply dictionaries, when that may not be appropriate for the source material (such as error messages).

I was defending the program's purpose, not its coding. You were attacking the purpose for the program. Further, some people have mentioned uses which I hadn't thought of. Capturing a selected column of text in a PDF document, for example. Much quicker than converting it to text (Adobe Acrobat Reader can convert to text, but not formatted, so you would have to use other software), and then using an editor which supports column selection.

You didn't even try the example I mentioned. I captured the UI of a program, with not only filled-out fields (some of which could be copied), but also the labels for those fields, button labels, etc., none of which could be copied (some programs let you copy some of that, some don't). While that may not be a great example, clearly there are situations where plain text cannot be copied. As I said, it astonishes me that anyone who's used Windows for more than a short period of time isn't aware of that.

Of course, if you're happy manually retyping text, or just capturing a graphical image, that's your choice, but it doesn't diminish the purpose of this program for the rest of us. The coding is a quality issue, not an intended purpose issue.

#128 - Ferd Berford

OK. You found one that I can't copy directly from the box -- in text format. But, if I wanted to send this dialog to someone in a wordpad document or an email to show them what to look for, I would ALT-PrtScr and paste the actual dialog -- or actually type it; which I can do nearly as fast. Or, I would drag my mouse across what you already typed. ;-)

In addition, I can show you ten that this program can't copy that I can. Copy a TITLE bar in IE when you are looking at a web page, for example. It can't. But you can right-click the page, choose "view source", and mouse copy the title right out of the page.

But, my point was that fubar stated that my original "review" had false statements in it. There were none.

#132 - fubar

So, now I make false statements (which you haven't proven) and I am a little kid. You're just full of crazy and false accusations.

"Caption of a window"? Which would that be? The IE title that I mentioned above? So, why would I want to run a program that you called "bad coding" to capture SOME window text that I can capture SOME of with other means; and SOME of which even this program can't capture?

"Mostly, I would use this for capturing text in error message dialog boxes which don’t let you select the text." -- fubar

That's just simply untrue. Many windows error boxes work with CTRL-C to copy the text.

It says it captures text and they specifically mention "OCR" to give the impression that this was a better solution to programs like Topocr or JOCR which capture text from graphics.

#135 - Alf

No, fubar was not right. He said my original post was false statements. You will note the last line of my original post.

I will concede that in the first part, I should have been more clear when I said "nothing with text". I should have said, "regular text" instead. I was thinking about the regular text because I had already tried it on so many other types of text that it cannot do.

As for your Explorer example, I can TYPE "My Computer" faster than I can capture it with this program. And, it doesn't work with IE, Firefox, and other title bars -- which I can copy as described above. As I originally stated, it doesn't do "much" that you can't already do in other -- and/or better -- ways.

I didn't say it was useless or disparage it.

I was looking for a video editor that can edit RMVB. I took the AVS Editor for a run and I was sucessful with inputting a RMVB file but RMVB is not an output option. It would be great if RMVB can be one of the output option.

I tried it again and it did copy. As someone pointed out earlier, it allows capture of copy restricted items.

Lenny_B - why don’t you at least read the description (let alone actually try the product) before dismissing this and then feeling the need to leave a comment here.

This is an excellent capture tool because it doesn’t just capture an image but also captures text (as TEXT not as an image) if that’s the area you select.

Plus you can draw the area that you want to use freehand instead of being stuck with just a rectangular area (though I don’t know how often this would be preferable).

Comment by Spodo — September 12th, 2008 at 3:41 am
Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+66)
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Y'know I just did the above using highlight/copy/paste. What's hard?
It didn't cost me a cent....
If a text area is not already an image you can do it any time and paste it into a word processing program. Images on the net can be saved and then inserted in to your work. its not rocket science. if its a PDF Adobe reader allows it to be pasted...albeit as an image...
Just the same some would find it useful. I wouldn't pay for anything like this, windows already does it.
As for anything that will show a hidden password, at least on someone else's computer...it should be banned.

I downloaded and activated. The help explains that it automatically activates when you use >. However, when I did that it seemed to lock up and not allow me to use the choices.

@10-LonniH; 25-LaurenM; 109-Ariana; 119-hhhhhhhhhhhhh:
Suppose you forgot your own password in some application you want to use. With this tool you can see what it is. Nothing illegal. Many applications store your password so you don't have to type it every time again and again, like outlook.
When you do not type it again and again and you have more passwords the day will come you forget one and you will be glad to have a tool like this.
But you think that is very insecure. Well it isn't. If I could work on your pc and Capture Assistant is not installed does not mean it is secure. I only have to download (or bring with me) any of the freeware tools (even trialware is good enough for once) to put on your pc an there I go ...

@123 "techman157":
Quote "Didn’t try the asterisk password recovery feature because I can’t think of anything handy that has an asterisk’d password."
Try the properties of your email-account capturing your own password.

@122 "Greywolf Computer Services":
Though I'm not Fubar (who will sometimes probably go to sleep like some of us do), I will give you a very simple example you can try right now without a lot of preparation.

1. Start an explorer-window.
2. In the top of the explorer-window is the window-title
3. Try catching it as plain text, you can probably only catch it as a bitmap or any other kind of graphics, but not as editable plain text in notepad.
4. Now use Capture Assistant: [ctrl+shft] and draw a rectangle around the window-title and choose "Edit as plain text". There you go....
Now tell me .. was Fubar right ..?

This is a follow-op to my first problem report. After cold booting a second time, I got a different error message stating that my hard drive needed to be checked for consistency. At the end of the check, Windows flashed a list of deleted entries which disappeared so fast I couldn't read them.

I'm not taking any chances, and will use GoBack to revert to befored I installed Capture Assistant.

After installing on Win XP SP2 and opening and opening the program, it registered properly. I then closed the program and tried to open Firefox. Firefox would not open, nor would IE. I did a cold reboot, after which Windows said it recovered from a serious error. I reopened Firefox again and then opened Capture Assistant and captured a block of text.

I then "killed" firefox with the Task Manager and tried to reopen Firefox. It did reopen properly. I am now going to do a cold reboot of my computer to see if I get another Windows recovery message. I will post the result. (Note: I run GoBack, so if I get another recovery message, I'll uninstall Capture Assistant by reverting to before I installed it, thus fixing any damage it might have done.)

#122, Greywolf Computer Services, I suspect you're a little kid. If you're really a computer service, you're going to get sued for incompetence. Here's an example even you can understand. Try to capture the caption of a window using your mouse. More useful examples are program interfaces, including all labels and button labels. Some let you select some labels via mouse, some don't let you select any. Mostly, I would use this for capturing text in error message dialog boxes which don't let you select the text. As for your saying that the TextGRAB SDK is misleading because it mentions OCR, it very clearly states right at the top of this page for everyone to see that it doesn't do OCR. As for the people who say this works great all the time, if a program has bad coding and bugs, installing it on a different computer won't change the bad coding or eliminate the bugs.

@Paula (#100)
> I would never had known that the user name was giveawayoftheday...
I've seen it twice:
first - in readme.txt, second - in the "post-installation" window.


> It says it regisred correctly but will not open up. I will give it some time to see if anyone has an answer for this or i will just uninstall.

Well, it has already been answered (Ctrl+Shift+mouse_selection), but I only can add that finding this out was not magic either.
I saw the scissors icon in the tray, right-clicked it, clicked
"Settings" and saw it (It can be changed to other hot-keys.).
(Alternatively, I could see the 'tooltip message' of the tray icon, which I didn't at first. ^_^)

GET LINUX
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfK1qqSOxuk
^^ are you the one?!

Program works great. Thanks!

@Greywolf Computer Services
Try this:
Open Internet Explorer
Click File->Open
Look for text that reads "Type the Internet address of a document, and Internet Explorer will open it for you."
Copy THAT with keystrokes or mouse movements...
...NOT!!!

Same problem for me as 94, 107, 111.

Installed, there is an icon on desktop. NOT in system tray. Clicking or opening does nothing so unable to register or try the program

XP system.

Errored out after I installed it and tried to start it. Oh well mabee I'll have better luck with tom. giveaway. Have fun y'all l8r

(btw I'm running xp home SP3, on a p4 3ghz w hyperthreading)

Sorry, I will pass. I like my free Gadwin PrintScreen which does capture text and anything else in the capture area.
Thanks GAOTD, will be back again tomorrow!

#7. I can't get this to work either on WindowsXP. Looks like they need to go back to the drawing board on this one.

I wish some of you would quit voting down comments just because someone can't get a program to work. It isn't ALWAYS because the commenter is a n00b. Sometimes it's just an unknown program conflict the software author needs to know about!

Arghh! There must be some cosmic force that draws a disproportional number of weirdos and masochists to this site. (I know I'm one of the latter and the jury is still out as to my membership in the first category).
The litany of "same as printscreen" or "I use xxx", when there is little or no functional correlation to the product being offered is mind numbing. By the way, I use Snippy for rectangular and freehand graphical screen captures 99% of the time.
I sure wish GAOTD would put a "readme for dummies" as an automatic first comment for every offer. Of course, that would make the next forty "I did everything right but it won't install" comments all the more painful.
My results so far... seems to work for text and text on web pages. The freehand mode seemed to grab more text than I had lassoed, but that's o.k. by me. Doesn't always work for text in PDF files though, unless you select "freehand" mode and rub your belly three times, or something like that. I suppose if it is just for that one column of numbers you can't get any other way, it is worth the incantations - I just wouldn't want to try to copy an entire financial statement (sober, anyway). Didn't try the asterisk password recovery feature because I can't think of anything handy that has an asterisk'd password.
In summary, if I use this program once to grab a column of data out of a document that is otherwise not gettable, it is worth having.

#113 -- Fubar

Before you tell other people their comments are false, you should know what you are talking about. Give me ONE.... just ONE example of text that this will capture that I can't capture with a windows keystroke and/or mouse movement.

I don't understand why so many people have made disparaging comments about this program. Installed and worked perfectly on my system (Vista Home Premium x64). It installed in Start > Programs, and I clicked on it, like I would any other program, to start it. Then I right-clicked on the scissors icon in my tray to access the Settings, Help file, etc. Maybe those who are having trouble have kludged their system or something. I created a Restore point, in case I have problems, but so far--none.

The Help file gives explicit instructions, if people will bother to view it. All you do is press CTRL-SHIFT to activate the drawing function, and your cursor turns into a + [plus sign]. Place the cursor where you want to start copying, then hold down the left mouse button and move it to surround the desired area. When you release the mouse button, Capture Assistant opens the menu to allow you to choose copy, copy as graphic, copy as text, etc.

I copied several screens and pasted them to Wordpad, where I can save each individually or one at a time. I rarely need to copy graphics, however, so I was mostly interested in copying text.

Someone said you have to choose Free (freehand) to copy text, but that's not true. I copied text using the rectangle much more easily than using Free. With the latter, it was hard to control the area I wanted to copy.

If you've ever had to contact tech support about a Windows problem (who hasn't?) or a problem with an application and had to type in the messages you got (sometimes very long) or tried to remember what messages you saw, you might understand why I was glad to get this. Sometimes tech support will allow you to send a graphic, but usually they want you to fill out a form with text or send an email describing the problem.

As a retired tech writer, I wish I had had an application like this when I was documenting applications, to save myself time. Even if I don't use it very much now, I'm glad to have it. Thanks, GAOTD and Renovation Software.

26. JonathansToolBar&Grill:

Actually no, if you go to teet.net you'll see the chat I'm talking about. It's a chat that's embeded in the webpage. that's why I was wondering if it was able to do a "Continuous" Capture of teh chat and dump it into a text file.

@67
@7

to open the program thing you need to press (ctrl+shift+left mouse button)

No good at all for the average PC user (unless they want to pretend to be someone important!)
Hopefully soon we'll get something everyone can use.

For anyone who simply wants to capture editable text from an image, try JOCR.
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Graphic/Graphic-Capture/JOCR.shtml
It is a simple free program that works very well to capture text on your computer screen that is not otherwise selectable, like in error messages for instance. It will even capture text from a bitmap or other image file if the text image is clear and sharp.

Also, look at TopOCR - Free OCR Software
http://www.topocr.com/
to use your digital camera images to capture editable text.
[Sorry, I can't figure how to make active links.]

Downloaded the software, got the user name and key number. When I went to download said than said user name and key were not correct to contach manufactor of software. Well I guess this will be the first and last that I download a free software. Now I know why it was free, you can't lol

RE:#71 LaserSight: Well you were right, that worked. Thanks! And I see now that I can't read. I'll just have to blame it on old age.. LOL

#88, Greywolf Computer Services, most of your comments (and other people's similar comments) are false. When this works, it will definitely capture text which you can't select by any other means (of course, it can't capture graphical text). It will capture text in multiple windows/controls. The problem is, it's simply not reliable, as numerous posts indicate. The people who say that they haven't had a problem probably haven't used it much. I don't believe code that's this unstable would be stable on some systems.

I was installing this program because i though it has ocr includet, but no it has not ocr includet, but thanks anyway GAOD

I followed all the instructions carefully but the software will not open when I click the desktop icon.

Positively a thumbs down! Poor code, poor execution, does not do near what it claims to do even when it does open. I'll stick with Capture Wiz Pro, thanks anyway.
The truth is, I've had my fill of troublesome give aways so from now on caution is how I'll decide on whether to try one or pass.
Funny but some people will give anything a thumbs up vote just because it's free or a day. To much voting here without actually trying first.
To be sure, system restore got rid of this one on my Vista system. Thats one of the best things about Vista! System Restore really works!

Being an artist I find this software offensive and akin to real theft! You do not capture graphics off a computer unless it is to be used illegally! Why would "Honest" people want someones passwords??? And why is GOTD actually endorsing this?!
Geez... Thumbs Down, duh!
Ariana

Installed and registered just fine on Vista Home Premium. Unfortunately, the program refuses to activate.

I downloaded it, clicked on it to register it, it registered and said it did, tried to open program and won't open! Wonder what is up with that? Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks

To # 17: Google "Gadwin print screen". Excellent freeware utility with lots of options. With it you can save what's on your screen to a file.

Another one for Kefin, #17:


I've enjoyed using one called MWSnap. It's free, it's quick,
it's easy to use...

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/mwsnap.html


Garfey

I just discovered this site. Let me get this straight...
The software is only free when installed today? If I get a new computer in 6 months, I would have to buy the software in order to to reinstall?

To Kefin #117
A program you might like is called Clip Diary at http://clipdiary.com/?s=cdm and does what you are describing. The saved amount of data is not known by me, but this tool I find very usefull.

97 I don't know about everyone else, but the program I recommended is PrintScreen 2000, has nothing to do with MS PRINT SCREEN or is it anything like it. PrintScreen 2000 will not capture text only, or reveal passwords, but it does everything else. Yes it is an old program granted, but it works, is free and is very easy to access and use.

http://www.webtree.ca/newlife/printkey_info.htm

PS My apologies I found out how to use it, it is in my system tray and I already love the program, thanks and my apologies for the last post.

I never write negative but I have to today, sorry. First of all I would never had known that the user name was giveawayoftheday had I not read the posts. I thought the user name was my name since when installing it they asked me for my name. I have downloaded it and it will not open. It says it regisred correctly but will not open up. I will give it some time to see if anyone has an answer for this or i will just uninstall.

hell of a pgm, after installing and registering, failed to open, reinstallation unsuccessful, WTF?

It would be interesting to know if this could capture text from an Acrobat document and paste it into Word, for example. Or from a spreadsheet. I have needs for both occasionally (damn, I HATE to type stuff over!) so I'll give it a try with this.

For you that says PRINT SCREEN is equivalent with this software, then I say you are absolutely clueless. It's borderline comical to read that type of comments.

A very nice program for capturing information that is snuggled in amoung ads and other information on a web site by using the free(form) capture format. I tried it out on a web based recipe and was able to capture only the parts of the recipe I was interested in. (I left out the nutritional information). One suggestion I have is to include a hot key to allow straight lines to be drawn when outlining the selected area in free mode.

I'll stay with JING it is free and does more you can save as jpeg or you can record what is on your screen or the window you create to record or capture from thanks i tried it now i'm deleting it