Support / FAQ

NXPowerLite

NXPowerLite Desktop Edition - FAQ

Which versions of Windows and Microsoft Office does NXPowerLite Desktop Edition work with?

NXPowerLite Desktop Edition is compatible with PCs running Microsoft Windows 2000 or later. Microsoft Office integration requires Office 2000 or later.

It can optimise Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations created using any version of Microsoft Office from Office 97 onwards. This includes files saved in the new Open XML formats (such as DOCX, XLSX or PPTX), as used by Office 2007 and Office 2008.

Which email clients does NXPowerLite Desktop Edition work with?

NXPowerLite Desktop Edition can automatically optimise email attachments in Lotus Notes (Notes 6.0-8.0), Microsoft Outlook (Outlook 2002 or later), Outlook Express (OE 6.0 or later) and Windows Mail (Mail 6.0 or later).

Can I download older versions of NXPowerLite?

Yes. NXPowerLite 1, 2, 3 and 4 are no longer available to purchase, but existing customers can still download these versions using the following links:

Are there bulk deployment options for IT Managers?

Yes. NXPowerLite Desktop Edition is supplied as a Windows Installer .MSI file. This makes it easy to install and register automatically, for example via Group Policy. Default settings and behavior can be set automatically using the simple Registry scripts available on request.

I've purchased NXPowerLite Desktop Edition. Why does it tell me I'm still evaluating?

You need to register NXPowerLite Desktop Edition to take it out of evaluation mode. To do this, start the software and click the 'Enter Code' button in the 'About' box (or select 'Enter Code' from 'Help' menu). Then enter your registration code in the window that appears.

If you don't know your registration code, enter your email address in the box below and we'll send it to you (you must enter the email address that you originally used to purchase NXPowerLite Desktop Edition).

I'm an existing customer with a new PC. How can I set up NXPowerLite Desktop Edition on it?

A single NXPowerLite Desktop Edition license only entitles you to use the software on one PC, but if you remove NXPowerLite Desktop Edition from your old PC, you are entitled to use it on your new one. Simply download and install the latest version. To register it, press the 'Enter Code' button in the 'About' box (or select 'Enter Code' from the 'Help' menu). Then enter your registration code in the window that appears.

My registration code no longer works. What should I do?

This is probably because you have a registration code for NXPowerLite Desktop Edition 1, 2 or 3 and have downloaded NXPowerLite Desktop Edition 4. To upgrade to NXPowerLite Desktop Edition 4 at a special low price, visit our online store or request a quote. Customers who have purchased Annual Maintenance can upgrade free of charge – please contact us for your new registration code.

Do I need to have Microsoft Office installed to optimise a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file?

No, you don't need to have Microsoft Office installed. However, better results will be achieved with some Word documents if Microsoft Word is installed.

What languages is NXPowerLite Desktop Edition available in?

NXPowerLite Desktop Edition is available in the following languages:
Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish.

Can I optimise several files at once (batch processing)?

Yes. You can optimise as many files as you want in one sitting.

What does 'Flatten embedded documents' mean?

Embedded documents (such as Adobe Photoshop images or Microsoft Visio diagrams) tend to store far more information than Word, Excel and PowerPoint actually need to display them (a Photoshop image will, for example, store all of the layer information that built up during its creation). Flattening an embedded document removes this 'behind the scenes' data, leaving only the information that Word, Excel or PowerPoint needs in order to correctly display it. This drastically reduces the file size, but means that the document will no longer be editable from within Word, Excel or PowerPoint.

I've tried dragging a file onto the NXPowerLite icon, but nothing happens. Am I doing something wrong?

You probably have NXPowerLite Desktop Edition already open. If NXPowerLite Desktop Edition has already started, you should drag a file onto the main NXPowerLite window, rather than its icon.

NXPowerLite Desktop Edition doesn't work on my PC. What should I do?

This is probably because you are using an old version of Windows. NXPowerLite Desktop Edition does not work with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows ME.

Windows 95 users should use NXPowerLite Desktop Edition 2.1. Windows 98 and Windows ME users should use NXPowerLite Desktop Edition 2.5. Please note that these versions of NXPowerLite can only optimize PowerPoint files.

When I try to email a file using the 'Send To Mail Recipient (as Attachment)' feature in Windows Explorer or Microsoft Office, NXPowerLite does not optimise the file. Why is this?

When you create a new email using this method, third-party Add-Ins such as NXPowerLite's are not enabled. Unfortunately, this means that your file cannot be automatically optimised.

Is there a Mac version of NXPowerLite Desktop Edition?

Not currently. However, NXPowerLite can optimise documents, spreadsheets and presentations created on a Mac, providing they are saved in the Microsoft Office formats. Contact us to register your interest in an OS X version of NXPowerLite.

NXPowerLite technology - FAQ

What is file optimisation?

File optimisation can dramatically reduce the size of image-heavy files – by as much as 99% in some cases. It works by eliminating any excess baggage and converting graphics to the most appropriate file format and resolution. Optimised files remain in their original format and retain all their functionality, so they can be opened and edited by anybody. There's no need for special decompression or viewing software. Learn more.

What's the difference between optimisation and compression?

File optimisation can reduce file sizes far more effectively than traditional compression methods, such as ZIP compression. Optimising an image-heavy PowerPoint presentation will often reduce its file size by 90% or more (zipping the same presentation will result in a compression rate of just 10-15%). And, as optimised files remain in their original format, there's no need to unzip a file before using it. Learn more.

What file types can NXPowerLite optimise?

NXPowerLite can optimise Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations created using any version of Microsoft Office from Office 97 (or any other application that can save to the Word, Excel and PowerPoint file formats, such as Google Apps, iWork, Lotus Symphony, OpenOffice or StarOffice). This includes files saved in the new Open XML formats (such as DOCX, XLSX or PPTX), as used by Office 2007 and Office 2008. NXPowerLite can also optimise JPEG images.

In addition, NXPowerLite can optimise any of the above file types if they are contained within a standard ZIP archive (without unzipping it) resulting in a much smaller .zip file.

How much smaller will my files get?

That will depend on how many graphics and embedded documents your files contain, and how large they are. Users have experienced compression rates as high as 99% with no discernible loss of quality to their files. However, if your files contain no graphics or embedded documents, they are unlikely to get much smaller.

If I send an optimised file to somebody, do they need NXPowerLite?

No. The optimised file will remain in its original format and it can be opened and edited by anybody.

My file isn't optimising as well as I would expect. Why is this?

NXPowerLite optimises files by eliminating any excess baggage and converting graphics to the most appropriate file format and resolution. If a file doesn't contain many graphics, or the graphics were hand-optimised before they were inserted into your file, it's unlikely that NXPowerLite will be able to make much difference to its size.

Can I still edit a file after it has been optimised?

Yes. The optimised file will remain in its original format and it can be opened and edited by anybody.

Will the 'Compress Pictures' feature in Microsoft Office achieve the same results as NXPowerLite?

No. NXPowerLite will achieve significantly better results than the 'Compress Pictures' feature in Microsoft Office. This is because NXPowerLite intelligently selects the most appropriate format and compression level for each image in your document, spreadsheet or presentation. The 'Compress Pictures' feature merely reduces the image resolution and discards any hidden information. Additionally, NXPowerLite allows you to flatten any embedded documents in your files.

Why doesn't NXPowerLite optimise the contents of my ZIP archives?

NXPowerLite can only optimise Word, Excel, PowerPoint and JPEG files stored within standard ZIP archives (also known as 'legacy ZIP archives'). Some ZIP compression tools allow users to create non-standard ZIP archives that offer additional functionality (such as encryption or improved compression algorithms). These files do not follow the official ZIP format and are not supported by NXPowerLite.

Will NXPowerLite work with any other office productivity suites?

NXPowerLite can optimise files created in other office productivity suites (such as Google Apps, iWork, Lotus Symphony, OpenOffice or StarOffice), providing they are saved in the Microsoft Office formats.

Why were my Word, Excel and PowerPoint files so large to start with?

Generally, a lot of the file bloat experienced in Word, Excel and PowerPoint files is due to a combination of:

Graphics stored in uncompressed formats, such as TIFF or BMP.
Large images being scaled down or cropped within Word, Excel or PowerPoint, as these applications still store the full-size image within the file.
Embedded documents from other software packages, such as Adobe Photoshop images or Microsoft Visio diagrams.

Why were my JPEG files so large to start with?

JPEG images are often stored at extremely large sizes, due to the ever-increasing number of megapixels offered by digital cameras. Very high resolution images are useful for large-format printing purposes and they allow photographers greater flexibility when cropping and editing their images. However, if JPEG files are being viewed on screen, or printed to fit a standard photo album, they do not need to be nearly as large.