Help, please with MasterCook, MembersPlus. . .

[MUSICMAKER]

Can I call upon you good people to fill me in on MasterCook and MembersPlus? First heard about these when joining this forum last week, and read the few posts made, but have questions and would like to know more about these.

Have been working on a "family heritage" (mostly Italian) cookbook to pass on to my two sons. Had 196 pages, typed, pix, the whole works, in MS Word and lost ALL of it! (got this new computer with MS Vista and according to MS there are "problems" in Vista. Gee, thanks MS for not telling us!). I just do not want to put all the hard work into this cookbook and not have it be "functional" if the MC program is used. From what I've been reading, do you have cookbooks within a cookbook?

Also cannot get into MembersPlus and don't know why. Any help here?

Anything you have to offer will be greatly appreciated and welcomed.

Thanks!

[HomeCulinarian]

I got MasterCook for the same reasons as you. Except you were much farther along than me before your Word document crashed. I've only had MC for a few weeks and it seems really easy to use and you can put recipes in as many categories and cookbooks as you want. So when you're ready to publish, you can sort them. One thing I hadn't looked for in MC yet was an indexing ability. I don't think my colletion is as voluminous as yours and wouldn't really care about that. Someone else in the group probably knows.

I have an on-line backup service for my financial records. We use Quicken and I use the one that is affiliated with it. I added my recipe collection to the on-line backup files so my work won't be lost again. It costs ~$50/year, but we think it's worth it.

I don't know what MembersPlus is either... Any help from the others would be appreciated.

[cjs]

Linda, I'm really not computer savy - I know how to do it, just don't know if I know enough to tell someone else how to - but let's try.

To make this easier, instead of typing out "click on" I will just use " > "

Open MasterCook to 'CookBooks'
> on Help
> on Help Contents
>> (double click) on Cookbooks (left side listing)
> on Create a New Cookbook

and you will get this info -
"You can create your own cookbook and add recipes to it for use with MasterCook. You can share the cookbooks with your friends and family too.

Note: MasterCook Deluxe includes an empty cookbook called “My Cookbook”. You can use this as your personal cookbook or create another.

To create a new cookbook:
1. Click the New button on the toolbar or choose New Cookbook from the File menu.
2. Type a name for your new cookbook.

3. Choose a collection where you want the cookbook stored.
4. Click the box to use the categories you create.
5. Click the MANAGE COLLECTIONS button if you want to make changes to the cookbook collections, such as add, remove or rename.

Click OK when you’re finished.

© 2004 ValuSoft, a division of THQ Inc. All Rights Reserved."

And the other topics listed under the left side listing of cookbooks will take you thru all parts of starting a new one. Good Luck.

Now, as to the C@H MembersPlus - that's really snafu on C@H's part, in my opinion. The powers that be opened membership in this forum for about two weeks last year - if you were quick enuf to register, you're a part of it, if not, everyone else is up a creek. This is the forum/archives for all their recipes and just a very few can access it, which is a real shame. We have all begged, pleaded, whined to no avail for them to at least let the loyal members of this forum have access.

Right now, if someone wants a recipe from an old issue (that they don't have) one of the lucky ones can go over and copy/paste over here any old recipe wanted. I'm not sure who all is able to - Billy, Bizymomma(Angela), twilightkitten(Tammy), me, ............???

[bjcotton]

Somewhere or other are copies of the "lessons" I typed out on how to do things in MC. Unfortunately, I don't have them any more. Where they went I haven't the foggiest idea. I think Jean has copies, but the gremlins ate my copies. I just might have to do them again.

The one thing to remember if you ask someone to copy/paste a recipe from MembersPlus is that they need the "correct" title of the recipe. Otherwise it involves a lot of searching to find it.

[esgunn]

Billy - I just sent you back your lessons! Now you don't need to re-do them!

Erin

[Roxanne 21]

MembersPlus was a beta testing-----some of those luckier guys were part of the "program". Who knows why one was selected----??? Some of us "oldies" did not participate and are a little upset but if anyone has a question or recipe request--the foutunates of the site will accommodate us peons!!! UNLESS YOU WERE INVITED---no go!!! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ANOTHER PLUS FOR THE MEMBERS BUT, FOR SOME REASON HAS NOT BEEN LAUNCHED--no explanation as of yet---

[MUSICMAKER]

Quote:

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Billy - I just sent you back your lessons! Now you don't need to re-do them!

Erin

---

Billy or Erin -- is it possible to get a copy of this?

Thanks, all, for your input! Sure appreciate it!

FYI: Just a warnning to any of you in cyber-space who either have Vista or are planning on getting it -- You would be wise to wait! This was told to me by several MS reps in their Customer Support department. What they also told me, in addition to the "several problems" is that using ANY word processing program along with Vista, there is a "glitch" in Vista that allows you to "successfully" save NO MORE THAN TEN (10) PAGES ! You may, or may not, be able to successfully reopen the file later but eventually (after a second or above successful open) it WILL be gone!

Back to MC: CJ, you stated that you can open or create a cookbook under the "file" -- is that where you have created those cookbooks titled, "Jean's (or whomever, sorry, I forgot who ) Mama's Cookbook"? Also, can "chapters" be created, i.e. meat, chicken, soups, desserts, etc. within ones own cookbook?

RE MP -- That DOES STINK! The subscription cost to this magazine IS expensive (tho worth it, but they don't need to know this!) - and to cut this off from those of us who faithfully subscribe is not good! Several months ago I purchased from a store, the "Pasta" issue -- not that I needed it. (I'm Italian but purchased this only to have it because it is Cuisine, but also just to see what's out there), Stuck inside were two cards -- one to mail for a subscription and the other was for this 14 day free trial of on-line recipes with a "secret code" to enter for access. Thought that perhaps this is what MP was. Guess not.

Thanks again, all!

[MUSICMAKER]

OOPS! Forgot to ask WHERE to obtain this program!

[bjcotton]

When I bought my new computer they put Vista on it. I tried to use it sor a week or so, then took my computer back and told them to get that piece of krap off it. I went back to XP.

For MC 9 go to www.mastercook.com

I would be happy to send the lessons on to you Jeanette.

Erin my love, thank you for sending them back to me

[HomeCulinarian]

Billy - I got the instructions, thanx!

We got new computers at work for everyone this spring and made sure to order them BEFORE Vista was standard on the new machines. It's well known that all new MS programs are horrible at release.

The other thing is to back up your hard drive. If you experience a failure, everything could be lost. We chose the on-line backup route because it can be scheduled on a regular basis to run automatically.