thanks, antevark. it's really no effort for me to get the patch updater thaing tomorrow. no need for any sweat. it's just blocks away and i plan to visit potamus anyway. i appreciate your diligence! -bummed that www.corel.com didn't answer the telephone anymore, but we've been through this with MetaCreations products before, eh? ... they always re-emerge somewhere else because like rasputin, you can't kill'em! - jim