MyPostageRateSaver
Question&Answers
Q59 Why are some of my addresses that were corrected with the previous version not corrected in the new version?
Q60 Can I export a barcode from the program?
Q61 How do I design and print a 4-per-page Landscape postcard layout (5.5" x 4.25")?
Q62 My Postage Statement, Summary Report and Tray/Sack Labels only print half the page
Q63 How can I print one specific record in my database multiple times?
Q65 "An error occurred while opening the database file. The database may be corrupted or you may be out of hard disk space. Clear some space, and then try to open file"
Q66 How can I temporarily filter out records in my list that do not qualify for my bulk mailing?
Q69 Why can't I see "Notebox"-type fields on the Data Table?
Q72 How do I use the "Skip Labels" or "Skip Cards" feature?
Q74 Why can’t I do the Automated Carrier Route Sort that I did with previous versions?
Q59 Why are some of my addresses that were corrected with the previous version not corrected in the new version?
A59(Answer ID 1832): The new version of MyPostageRateSaver uses DPV (Delivery Point Verification). DPV is a new requirement from the USPS for address correction and it verifies that there is a real deliverable address on the mail piece. Fox example: In the previous versions, the USPS database would say that 200-600 Main St with odd numbers were acceptable. Now, it checks that there really is a 235 Main St. Not just that it is between 200 and 600 and odd.
This should help the mailer and the USPS save money on mail that can't be delivered.
Q60 Can I export a barcode from the program?
A60(Answer ID 1078): Our database programs can generate product barcodes based on numerical information in your data file. These barcodes can be viewed only on the Print Preview view of the program or on an actual hard copy printout of an output form.
The barcode itself is only an interpretation of the numerical data of your database that the program is creating for a printout. It is not an actual piece of your data file. Therefore, you cannot "export" a barcode's formatting and appearance for use in any other program.
Q61 How do I design and print a 4-per-page Landscape postcard layout (5.5" x 4.25")?
A61(Answer ID 1096): This can be approximated by customizing the LCC-35 4 per page landscape rolodex card.
- Select the Format menu and choose New Form (you will need to be viewing the Output Forms to select this)
- When prompted to enter a name, call it something descriptive, maybe 'Landscape 4Up PostCards' or something similar, and then click OK.
- In the Part Number box, type LCC-35 which will display a 4 per page landscape rolodex card. With this rolodex card design highlighted, click the Custom button and enter the dimensions as shown in the image below:
- Click OK twice which will take you to the "Design" mode where you can add your mailing fields or whatever you would to have on the postcard. Since a rolodex card has been customized, it is important to note that the two slots on the bottom of the card are unprintable regions. Refrain from adding fields/images over the slots, as these areas will not print.
Q62 My Postage Statement, Summary Report and Tray/Sack Labels only print half the page
A62(Answer ID 1223): On Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP, the printouts for bulk mail reports may acquire an incorrect page size setting for your printer. The information being sent to your printer may be interpreted as the printout being based on a spool of labels instead of a 8.5" x 11" sheet. When this happens, the reports print as if the only available print area is the width of a tractor-feed label spool, which is often 4" (or about half the page).
This usually happens when the user is using both a sheet-feed and a tractor-feed printer on the same system with their mailing program. This "partial-page" behavior does not happen on Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows ME systems and only will only happen on NT-based Windows operating systems (NT, 2000 & XP). Repeatedly switching the printouts between a sheet-feed printer and a tractor-feed printer causes the page size to stay at the 4" (approximately) page width of a tractor-feed spool design, and this printer page size causes the reports to print incompletely.
To resolve this problem, you will need to re-build your file as follows to re-set the page size settings of your mail list file.
- Open your program by double-clicking on the program's icon in the Start Menu or on your Desktop
- Open your initial list file that contains the file with which you want to print. If that list is already opened, continue on. Otherwise, choose the File Menu and select Open. On the window that appears, browse to the folder containing your initial list in the Look In drop-down, and then highlight the file name in the window underneath by left-clicking on it. Once the file is highlighted, click the Open button.
- Choose the File menu and select Export.
- On the Export dialog, select the option All Records for the "Export Mode" and then click the Add All button to tell the program to export all the fields for each exported record. When you're done, click OK.
- A Save As dialogue will open. Choose a hard drive or disk location to create the file in by selecting it in the Save In drop-down. Then, give the export file a name in the File Name entry (you can use the default ExpFile name if you want). When you're ready to export, click Save. Make note of the name and location of your file for importing later.
- Open an new file by choosing the File menu and selecting New File. Use the standard template if prompted.
- Go to the Layouts section and choose a sheet-based page design (we highly recommend the Barcoded form latter selection in the "Full Page" folder). Do not select any spool- or tractor-feed designs at this point or any point further in the steps! Doing so may cause the problem to re-appear as the program may "hold on" to that incorrect page width of a tractor-feed based design. You are not going to actually print the Barcoded form letter design, but you want it active when you are re-printing your bulk mail reports so the program knows you have a full-page active to print to.
- Once you have your new file open with a sheet-based label design active, choose the File menu and select Import
- In the main window of this Import dialog, you should find the file you just exported. When you see it, left-click on it once to highlight it, then click the Open button.
- A dialog Use First Record for Field Names will appear. Click the Yes button on this dialog.
- A window Assign Import Fields will appear next. If the bottom-left dialog box for Fields in Import File is completely empty, then simply click the OK button. If the bottom-left dialog box for Fields in Import File has field name entries in it, you will need to assign those fields to an appropriately-matching field from the bottom-right dialog box for Fields in Current File. Do this by left-clicking to highlight a field entry in Fields in Import File list, then finding its appropriate match and clicking on it in the Fields in Current File listing. When you do this, both entries should disappear from their respective lists and re-appear as a field assignment in the top dialog box (For example, you might need to click on First Name in the Fields in Import File listing and then click on its "match" in the Fields in Current File listing, which is First). Repeat this manual assignment process until you have assigned every field from the Fields in Import File listing (so that it is empty), or it contains the leftover fields you have decided you do not need. Click OK when you're done.
- The records will be imported and added to the file. You will see the imported data on the Data Table or Data Entry tabs in the program. Click on one of these tabs to verify that your information imported successfully.
- Insert your mailing CD, go to the Mailing menu and select Check Addresses to re-run the address checker.
- When the address check is done, go to the Mailing menu and select Process Bulk Mail.
- Enter your bulk mail settings and answer the questions the Bulk Mail Wizard presents to you
- When you finish step 3 of the Bulk Mail Wizard, you will get the print preview of the first record of your list on the Barcoded Form Letter layout. Click the printer button at the top of the page to bring up the Bulk Mail printing options. Choose the options to print the Summary Report, Postage Statement and Barcoded Tray or Sack Labels
- Print your reports at this point - the active sheet-feed based design should let the reports print correctly without cutting off half the page..
The page size may change back and cause this particular printing error again if you switch this current design back to a tractor-feed based printout. If this happens, you will need to repeat these steps to re-set the page size settings in a new file.
This is a known bug in the program and only occurs on Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP when the user is utilizing both a pinfeed and sheet-feed printer on the same system and switching between them when printing. You may wish to consider switching operating systems to Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows ME if you wish to use both kinds of printers at the same time with your mail list program.
Q63 How can I print one specific record in my database multiple times?
A63(Answer ID 1099): With your database program, you have complete control over which record(s) you want to print and how many of each record you want to print out. Below are some instructions for printing a specific record mutliple times from your program:
How to print one record multiple times:
- Open your database program and open the database file you wish to print with.
- Activate the design you wish to print on the Output Forms tab..
- Go to the Data Table tab. You will see rows and columns of data you have typed. Each row is information for one data record and each column is data for that specific data field. Each record row is preceded by a number on the left representing that record's placement in the current sort.
- Highlight the record you want to print multiple times. Do this by holding down the CTRL key on your keyboard and then left-clicking on the record row's number. The entire row should become highlighted.
- Go to the File menu and select Print, then choose the option in the sub-menu to the right of Print to print the Active Output Form.
- The Print dialog will appear. Set the option in the bottom-left for Print Range to be Selected Records in Data Table.
- Now, set the option in the bottom-right for Number of copies to be the number of times you wish to print the selected record. For example, if you have one sheet of 30 labels and you want to print the data record 30 times to fill the entire sheet with the same data, you would enter "30". If you instead wanted 3 sheets of 30 records all the same, you would enter "90" (3 sheets x 30 records per sheet). This number is NOT the number of "sheets", but the number of times you want the data record to print each label, envelope or card.
- Insert your label sheet or mail pieces into your printer and click the Print button to begin printing.
A65(Answer ID 1557): Various errors can mean that your MyPostageRateSaver file is corrupted and is unreadable by your program. Some of the common errors are:
- MFC Application error. This program has encountered a problem and will now be closed by Windows.
- This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.
- My Mail List has caused an invalid page fault in module mfc42.dll
- An error has occurred while opening the database file. The database may be corrupted or you may be out of disk space. Clear some space and try to open the file.
If you have a corrupted MyPostageRateSaver file that will not open in your program, this usually occurs because your system shut down or "froze" unexpectedly while your list file was open and active in your MyPostageRateSaver program. This can happen if you experience a power outage, a system failure, or a program error from ANY program running on your system while our Mail List program is running at the same time.
Essentially, if our MyPostageRateSaver program is not allowed to save the file and close normally, the active database that was in use at the time can become corrupted.
When the MyPostageRateSaver file is open, the data is in a "writeable" state and the database is in flux as it sits in your computer memory. If the program cannot close down properly and save the data in your file's database properly, the integrity of the database can become compromised. When this happens, either the list file will not open at all or whenever you try to make a change to the file, the program will crash.
You can often recover the names and addresses in your MyPostageRateSaver file by exporting or extracting the data out of it and then re-importing the information into a new, blank MyPostageRateSaver file. This uses your existing list data information in a newly created database structure.
If you are able to open the file in your Mail List program, but you cannot make a change to it:
(Scroll down the page to read about what to do if you cannot open the list file at all)
If the file opens, but you cannot edit a design, save the file or make other modifications to it, then the database is corrupted, but not so much so that it cannot be read by our program. You do not want to continue using this file, as continued use may cause the database to become more corrupted and eventually fail to open at all. We recommend you do the following to "re-build" your list file:
- Open your list file in your MyPostageRateSaver program. Do this by selecting the Open command in the File menu and then double-clicking on your list file in the browsing window.
- Once your file is open, choose Export from the File menu at the top of the screen.
- On the Export dialog, select the option All Records for the "Export Mode" and then click the Add All button to tell the program to export all the fields for each exported record. When you're done, click OK.
- A Save As dialogue will open. Choose a hard drive or disk location to create the file in by selecting it in the Save In drop-down. Then, give the export file a name in the File Name entry (we recommend you use the default ExpFile name if you want). When you're ready to export, click Save. Make note of the name and location of your file for importing later - usually the export is on your Windows Desktop.
- What you have now created is an exported file of just the text data from your labels list. Open a new file now by choosing the File menu and selecting New File
- Once you have your new, blank file open, choose the File menu and select Import
- In the main browsing window of this Import dialog, you should find the file you just exported. When you see it, left-click on it once to highlight it, then click the Open button.
- A dialog Use First Record for Field Names will appear. Click the Yes button on this dialog.
- A window Assign Import Fields will appear next. If the bottom-left dialog box for Fields in Import File is completely empty, then simply click the OK button. If the bottom-left dialog box for Fields in Import File has field name entries in it, you will need to assign those fields to an appropriately-matching field from the bottom-right dialog box for Fields in Current File. Do this by left-clicking to highlight a field entry in Fields in Import File list, then finding its appropriate match and clicking on it in the Fields in Current File listing. When you do this, both entries should disappear from their respective lists and re-appear as a field assignment in the top dialog box (For example, you might need to click on First Name in the Fields in Import File listing and then click on its "match" in the Fields in Current File listing, which is First). Repeat this manual assignment process until you have assigned every field from the Fields in Import File listing (so that it is empty), or it contains the leftover fields you have decided you do not need. Click OK when you're done.
- Now, you should return to the Data Entry tab. Click on the Data Table Tab to view whether or not your data imported correctly. If you have matched up the fields properly in the previous step during the "Assign Import Fields" process, you should have your data back into the program in a file that is not corrupt.
- The data of your file will have transferred, but any customized label designs will have to be re-created as these will have been lost with your previous corrupted file.
- Save your re-built file by choosing the File menu and selecting Save As... Give your rebuilt file a name and save location in the browsing window and click Save when you are ready to save the file.
If you cannot open your list file at all in your MyPostageRateSaver program
If you cannot open your file at all because our program crashes whenever you try to load the list, then you will need to extract the data from the main Mail List files using Microsoft Excel. If you do not have Microsoft Excel to perform these operations, contact Technical Support for further assistance in recovering your list data.
The data from your list file is in a file with a *.mml extension located in the directory where you save your data. To understand how you are going to be able to recover your data, you will need to understand how your Mail List program saves and archives your files.
For example, if your file was saved on your computer as a file you called "friends", then the files that our MyPostageRateSaver program creates to save your data are as follows:
friends.mml
friendsmlb.bcf
friendsmlb.fsif
friendsmlb.msif
friends.dbt
This collection of files works together to act as your complete MyPostageRateSaver file. All of these files would be in the same Windows folder you saved your MyPostageRateSaver file to.
The raw text data of this list would be stored in the file friends.mml. It is this *.mml file that would be used for the steps described below to open and extract with Microsoft Excel.
Here is how you can extract your data using Microsoft Excl:
- Open Microsoft Excel on your computer
- In the File menu choose the option Open
- In the Look In: drop-down box, browse to the folder location where your corrupted MyPostageRateSaver files reside. If you are not sure where your file was saved, try looking in the default Data folder in the program's installation directory:
MyDocuments
- Once you have selected the folder with your file in it in the Look In: drop-down box, change the Files of Type drop-down at the bottom of the window to the selection All Files (*.*)
- You should see collections of files with names similar to the ones used as examples above. You want to find the main *.mml file of your corrupted file in this window and Open it. This file will have an icon different than the other files in this window - it will have an icon similar to the icon for your program. If you are not sure if you are identifying the correct file, right-click on the file you think is your *.mml file and then choose Properties from the menu that appears. The Type should say MyPostageRateSaver Document or something very similar. If so, then this is the correct file.
- If you open the correct file, you should rows and columns of data that make up your Mail List file's data. Go to the File menu here and select Save As...
- The Save As dialog will open. Change the Save In: drop-down dialog to My Documents. Then, change the Save As Type: drop-down selection to "CSV ( Comma delimited) (*.csv)". With these settings, click Save. Close Microsoft Excel.
- You will now want to try and open your Mail List program again. If you cannot open your program, it is because the program is trying to open the last list file you were working on - which also happens to be the file that is corrupted and you are trying to recover. You will need to move or delete your corrupted list file in Windows so that your program does not find it and keep trying to open it unsuccessfully when you launch the program. The best way to move the file is to browse to the folder where your file was saved and then Cutting and Pasting the *.mml file to a completely different folder, like your My Documents folder. As long as the file is moved, your labels program will then be able to open with a new, blank Mail List file.
- Once you can open your program successfully, you want to start a new file. You can do this by selecting the File menu and selecting New File (choose Standard Template if you are prompted to select a template).
- Once you have your new, blank list file open, choose the File menu and select Import
- In the main browsing window of this Import dialog, you should browse to your My Documents folder. In this folder you should see the file you saved through Microsoft Excel. When you see it, left-click on it once to highlight it, then click the Open button.
- A dialog Use First Record for Field Names will appear. Click the Yes button on this dialog.
- A window Assign Import Fields will appear next. If the bottom-left dialog box for Fields in Import File is completely empty, then simply click the OK button. If the bottom-left dialog box for Fields in Import File has field name entries in it, you will need to assign those fields to an appropriately-matching field from the bottom-right dialog box for Fields in Current File. Do this by left-clicking to highlight a field entry in Fields in Import File list, then finding its appropriate match and clicking on it in the Fields in Current File listing. When you do this, both entries should disappear from their respective lists and re-appear as a field assignment in the top dialog box (For example, you might need to click on First Name in the Fields in Import File listing and then click on its "match" in the Fields in Current File listing, which is First). Repeat this manual assignment process until you have assigned every field from the Fields in Import File listing (so that it is empty), or it contains the leftover fields you have decided you do not need. Click OK when you're done.
- Now, you should return to the Data Entry tab. Click on the Data Table Tab to view whether or not your data imported correctly. If you have matched up the fields properly in the previous step during the "Assign Import Fields" process, you should have your data back into the program in a file that is not corrupt.
- The data of your file will have transferred, but any customized label designs will have to be re-created as these will have been lost with your previous corrupted file.
- Save your re-built file by choosing the File menu and selecting Save As... Give your rebuilt file a name and save location in the browsing window and click Save when you are ready to save the file.
It may turn out that you cannot recover your data on your own using these methods. If you need to retrieve your data, please contact Technical Support for additional assistance. Technical Support can be reached via email at support@mypostageratesaver.com
Q66 How can I temporarily filter out records in my list that do not qualify for my bulk mailing?
A66(Answer ID 1211): If you run a bulk mailing, you may find that one or more address records in your list do not qualify for the bulk mail settings you have designated. This could be because the address was not found in the USPS database.
If you wish to filter out these "unqualifed" records from your list, you can do so by using the Filter command in the Data menu to tell the program to show you the "uncorrected” addresses. This would let you mail these pieces separately.
For filtering out "uncorrectable" addresses in the mail list:
This will let you filter out addresses that do not qualify for bulk mail because the Address Checker could not locate the address in the USPS database. You would have to send these pieces using a first-class stamp.
To show the "uncorrectable" addresses, make sure you have checked your addresses first by choosing the Mailing menu and selecting Check Addresses. When the checker is finished and reports the correction results, click OK.
Now, go to the Data menu and select Filter. Here, click on the Advanced tab. Set the Display Records If: drop-down for the first box to CASS Status. Then set the second drop-down box to is uncorrectable. Click OK and the program will now show you only the records that were not included in the bulk mailing. You may print them independently now for mailing using regular first class mail.
- You may print them independently for mailing using regular first class mail
- You can re-run the Bulk Mail Wizard and perform a separate bulk mailing. Standard regulations for bulk mail still apply (200 piece minium, etc.)
Q69 Why can't I see "Notebox"-type fields on the Data Table?
A69(Answer ID 1097): Data in a Notebox-type field is not designed to display on the Data Table tab of the program. Since this sort of field is designed to hold up to 65536 characters of data per data record in a paragraph-oriented format, the contents of a Notebox-type field could not be displayed on the Data Table. However, just because you are not seeing your Notebox-type field on the Data Table does not mean that your information is missing. You will see all your Notebox-type field data on any printing layouts or designs that incoporate that Notebox-type field - both in on-screen previews and on printed hard copies of layout designs. Go to the Data Entry view of the program to view the contents of your Notebox-type field (as long as the active layout design has this Notebox-type field on it).
Q72 How do I use the "Skip Labels" or "Skip Cards" feature?
A72(Answer ID 1102): The Skip Labels and Skip Cards functionality is found by bringing up the Print dialog. To bring up the Print dialog, go to the File menu and select Print and then choose Active Output Form from the sub-menu to the right. On the dialog that appears, you will see the button Skip Labels or Skip Cards in the bottom left-hand corner.
Let's use Skip Labels as an example: Skip Labels allows you to mark label positions as the ones you do not want to print on. This is helpful if you've already printed on a page of labels, the page of labels wasn't entirely used, and you don't want to print on top of the positions of already used labels. Left-click on each label in the sheet that represents a label that's already been used. An X will appear, meaning the program will not print on this position. Repeat to place an X on any other label positions. The program will not print on positions with Xes on them. This function only applies to the first page of labels if you are printing multiple sheets.
If you do not have a Skip Cards or Skip Labels button...
This means you have a layout/printout selected that is not a sheet of labels or perforated card stock. These layouts will not have the Skip Labels or Skip Cards option. Not all layouts or printouts have this option available.
If the Skip Labels button is grayed out...
This means that you probably have a "pinfeed" or "tractor feed" label layout selected. If you do, it likely does not support Skip Labels. Skip Labels is only compatible with sheet-based label sheets, and not spooled labels.
Q74 Why can’t I do the Automated Carrier Route Sort that I did with previous versions?
A74(Answer ID 1720): The USPS has eliminated the Automated Carrier Route sortation that it previously offered. The new MyPostageRateSaver Gold supports enhanced carrier route sorts for “Line of Travel” (eLOT) and “Walk Sequence”. Your list must contain the eLOT or Walk Sequence data to take advantage of these carrier route sorts.