GENERAL
INSTALLATION & SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
TROUBLESHOOTING
GENERAL
Q: What is SendShield for Microsoft Outlook®?
A: SendShield integrates with Microsoft Outlook® (not an application you use separately). As long as Outlook® is running, SendShield is protecting your privacy when emailing documents, spreadsheets and presentations. SendShield quickly scans your Microsoft Office attachments, alerts you to Hidden Data, and allows you to clean them with the click of a button.
A: Microsoft Office applications Word, PowerPoint and Excel enable you to display or hide certain types of information. For example, Microsoft Word allows you to track the changes you make to a document, and it also allows you to hide those changes from view. As a result, you risk emailing that document containing revision history, thereby revealing all the changes you and others may have made to the document.
Q: How does SendShield clean Hidden Data?
A: SendShield removes data that you may have forgotten to remove when preparing the file you're sending, and the way the data is cleaned depends on the type of Hidden Data.
| Microsoft Word | Recommended Action |
| Tracked Changes | Accept |
| Comments | Delete |
| Excel Objects | Convert to picture |
| Properties | Delete |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Recommended Action |
| Talking Notes | Delete |
| Comments | Delete |
| Excel Objects | Convert to picture format |
| Properties | Delete |
| Microsoft Excel | Recommended Action |
| Comments | Delete |
| Hidden Rows & Columns | Delete (Recommended: convert spreadsheet to values only) |
| Hidden Sheets | Delete (Recommended: convert spreadsheet to values only) |
| Tracked Changes | Delete |
| Properties | Delete |
| Formulas | Convert spreadsheet to values only |
Q: How do I purchase SendShield?
A: SendShield is currently in a beta testing period. During this period, you may use the application for free (see the SendShield License Agreement. To invite friends to join the beta,
Q: How do I launch the SendShield application?
A: SendShield integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Outlook® and activates as soon as you launch Outlook®.
Q: How do SendShield alerts appear in my email?
A: SendShield is fully integrated into Microsoft Outlook and only appears in your outgoing emails when you attach a file (subject to your preferences, which you can select in the Settings menu).
When a Microsoft Office file, such as Word, is attached and contains Hidden Data, SendShield produces an alert as follows:
To clean the file, select the hyperlink in the left hand side of the SendShield alert and choose your cleaning options. If all Hidden Data types are removed, the alert will be green, as follows:
Q: Does SendShield modify the original file?
A: SendShield only cleans the files which are attached to the email, not the original source file.
In general, when a file is attached to an email, Outlook takes a duplicate copy of the original file stored on your computer hard drive. SendShield only scans and cleans the attachment, the duplicate copy, so the original file is not modified. The next time you send that same original file, it will be identical to the first time you attached it.
If you want to save a cleaned version of the file on your hard drive, you may attach it to an Outlook email, clean it, send it to yourself and save that copy to your hard drive. Currently, SendShield's cleaning tools are not available for integration with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
Q: Why are some alerts different colors?
A: SendShield alerts show up yellow, red or green, depending on the Hidden Data found in your attachments.
Q: How do I clean my email attachments?
A: SendShield alerts contain a hyperlink with the name of the attachment. Clicking on the hyperlink will provide a detailed view of the Hidden Data found and cleaning options.
Q: Can I customize SendShield scanning settings?
A: Absolutely! SendShield will only scan for the types of Hidden Data you choose for Excel, PowerPoint and Word. For example, you can set SendShield to ignore file Properties when scanning Word files.
Customizing SendShield scanning and cleaning defaults is easy:
Q: Can I modify how and when SendShield runs?
A: Definitely. Since SendShield becomes a part of your Outlook experience, general settings can be found in the Outlook Options menu.
Q: What types of Hidden Data do Microsoft Office applications typically contain?
A: Hidden Data in Microsoft Office files comes in many different varieties, depending on the file type:
HIDDEN DATA IN MICROSOFT WORD
Tracked changes
Tracked changes are used to revise a draft without changing the original document (they can be accepted or removed). They are added by first selecting Track Changes from the Tools menu and then making changes to the file. Tracked Changes can be reviewed using the Reviewing Pane, available from the Reviewing Toolbar, or by selecting Markup from the View menu
Comments
Comments are used to comment on a draft without changing the original document. They are added by selecting Comment from the Insert menu. Within Word, Comments can be reviewed using the Reviewing Pane, available from the Reviewing Toolbar, or by selecting Markup from the View menu.
Excel objects
Charts and other graphics can be pasted into Word files as Excel Objects, in which case they contain all of the background data (numbers, formulas, notes and other data) from the spreadsheet that was used to generate the chart or graphic. This data is revealed by double- clicking on the Excel Object from within Word.
Annotations
Annotations are generated using Tablet PCs using the Insert Ink Drawing and Writing button on the Word standard toolbar. Annotations allow users to mark-up documents for editing purposes or for adding graphics, such as signatures to cover letters.
Macros
A macro is a series of commands that is recorded so it can be played back later. Word macros are created using the macro recorder or Visual Basic Editor, available when selecting Macro from the Tools menu.
File Properties
File properties are details about a file that help identify it, such as: a title, the author's name, the subject, and other keywords. Microsoft Word automatically creates initial information about the file and always updates properties to include statistics, such as file size and the dates files are created and last modified. Within Word, File Properties can be viewed by selecting Properties from the File menu.
HIDDEN DATA IN MICROSOFT POWERPOINT
Speaker Notes
Speaker Notes are text which is attached to specific slides but are not visible on the slide itself. Notes can be added, edited and viewed in the Notes Page or the Normal (Notes Pane) options under the View menu.
Comments
Comments are used to comment on specific slides without changing the original presentation. They are added by selecting Comment from the Insert menu. Comments appear in the upper left hand corner of the slide once the Markup option is selected from the View menu.
Excel objects
Charts and other graphics can be pasted into PowerPoint files as Excel Objects, in which case they contain all of the background data (numbers, formulas, notes and other data) from the spreadsheet that was used to generate the chart or graphic. This data is revealed by double- clicking on the Excel Object from within PowerPoint.
Annotations
Annotations are generated using Tablet PCs using the Insert Ink Drawing and Writing button on the PowerPoint standard toolbar. Annotations allow users to mark-up documents for editing purposes or for adding graphics, such as signatures to cover letters.
Macros
A macro is a series of commands and functions that are stored in a Microsoft Visual Basic module and can be run whenever you need to perform the task. PowerPoint macros are created using the macro recorder or Visual Basic Editor, available when selecting Macro from the Tools menu.
File Properties
File properties are details about a file that help identify it, such as: a title, the author's name, the subject, and other keywords. Microsoft PowerPoint automatically creates initial information about the file and always updates properties to include statistics, such as file size and the dates files are created and last modified. Within PowerPoint, File Properties can be viewed by selecting Properties from the File menu.
HIDDEN DATA IN MICROSOFT EXCEL
Hidden rows & columns
Rows and Columns can be formatted as Hidden under the Format menu. Once hidden, they remain out of sight until reformatted as unhidden.
Hidden sheets
Sheets can be formatted as Hidden under the Format menu. Once hidden, a sheet remains out of sight until reformatted as unhidden.
Comments
Comments are inserted in specific cells within a worksheet to provide additional information by the author or an editor about the cell or worksheet, such as how a formula was calculated. Cells containing comments are marked with a red rectangle in the upper, right hand corner. Comments can be viewed by selecting Comments from the View menu.
Tracked Changes
Tracking Changes in Excel logs details about workbook changes each time you save a workbook. You can use this history to understand what changes were made, and to accept or reject revisions
Macros
A macro is a series of commands and functions that are stored in a Microsoft Visual Basic module and can be run whenever you need to perform the task. Excel macros are created using the macro recorder or Visual Basic Editor, available when selecting Macro from the Tools menu.
File Properties
File properties are details about a file that help identify it, such as: a title, the author's name, the subject, and other keywords. Microsoft Excel automatically creates initial information about the file and always updates properties to include statistics, such as file size and the dates files are created and last modified. Within Excel, File Properties can be viewed by selecting Properties from the File menu.
Links to external files
Excel worksheets can be made to include links to external or internal website addresses, other spreadsheets and/or databases.
Q: Does SendShield automatically clean my attachments?
A: Yes! The default is that SendShield does not clean your attachments, but you can change your settings so that all attachments are cleaned automatically upon being sent:
Q: Can I undo the process of cleaning attachmens?
A: Once an attachment has been cleaned, the action cannot be undone.
If an attachment has been cleaned, and you would like to undo the action, follow these steps:
Q: What languages does SendShield support?
A: Currently, SendShield is for English language settings only.
Q: Does SendShield capture any information about its beta testers?
A: While in beta trials, and as part of our Product Improvement Program, the SendShield application occasionally sends bug report information to Unedged Software, LLC for diagnostic purposes. Information sent may include the names of documents scanned by SendShield as well as errors that occurred inside SendShield , and your email address. Information will never include the contents of your email or attachments. Information gathered will be used for the sole purpose of debugging, and never sold to third parties or used for non diagnostics purposes.
INSTALLATION & SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Q: How do I install SendShield?
A: The SendShield beta product comes as an installation package (e.g. sendshield.exe) and is available for download (www.sendshield.com) today. To install now or repair your current installation:
Q: What are the system requirements for SendShield?
A: To run normally, SendShield should be used on a PC with the following:
Q: Can I get technical support for SendShield?
A: As a first step, please see the Troubleshooting Guide below. SendShield is currently in beta and is being refined. We welcome your comments, and if possible, we will respond requests. You can reach us by:
Q: How do I uninstall SendShield?
A: To uninstall SendShield:
Q: What is Microsoft .Net 1.1?
A: To integrate with Microsoft Outlook, SendShield relies on Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1, a free update available from Microsoft
Q: Does SendShield need a server to work?
A: SendShield is a client-only application. It does not require a server.
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
Q: Why do I not see any alerts?
A: If you do not see any alerts, it's probably because:
Q: How can I share SendShield with friends?
A: To invite friends to join the beta,
Q: Why am I unable to clean files?
A: SendShield has been tested in many desktop environments, but we have not tested all possible configurations of Outlook and/or compatibility with all other Outlook-related applications, such as other Outlook add-ins or plug-ins. We have tested with many of the popular plug-ins, including: X-1, Plaxo, Qurb, Microsoft Business Contacts Manager. If SendShield is not operating normally, please feel free to contact us, and we'll take a look!