FREELANG Dictionary - Installation Manual

Freelang dictionary runs with Windows only. It is a stand-alone program, it doesn't integrate into other applications like Internet Explorer or Microsoft Word. It is a simple bilingual dictionary, not an automatic text translator.

The dictionary is very easy to install: the program on one hand, and one or several word lists on the other hand, to be installed in the same folder. It is a clean installation, nothing is written in Windows registry. The program doesn't contain any adware or spyware, and no registration is required.

1. Quick guide
2. Download
3. Installation
4. Note to Windows Vista users
5. Note to Windows 95/98 users
6. Installation of an update
7. Installation: troubleshooting
8. Known bugs when using the program
9. Uninstallation of the dictionary
10. Our recommendations for other products
11. Before contacting us...

1. Quick guide

The installation process in short: download the program, download the wordlist, then double click on each file to launch the installation. Make sure they both install in the same folder. Then launch the dictionary by using the shortcut that was created in your Start menu (or on the Desktop, if you specified so). If you have any trouble during the installation, or if you are unsure how to proceed, please keep on reading this installation guide.

2. Download

There are two files to download: the program installation file, and a word list (or several word lists) installation file. These files can be deleted after the installation has been completed.

Tips for downloading:

When you download a file, make sure you know where it goes in your computer, because you will have to find it and double-click on it. If you are unsure, download to the Desktop.
Before downloading a file, please take note of the file size, so as to make sure that the downloading has completed successfully. Good websites (like this one :-)) always provide the size of the files to download.
If the download was interrupted, try to download again. But be careful, sometimes the corrupted file is kept in memory (this is a common process, things you load are kept in memory so as to be displayed faster when you load them again) and you just download the incomplete file again. To solve the problem, delete your temporary Internet files, or just be patient before trying to download again.

3. Installation

Freelang dictionary is made of two components: the program, and at least one word list. You can install as many word lists as you want, with only one installation of the program. But the program and all the word lists must be installed in the same folder (same directory). We recommend that you accept the default directory suggested during the installation.

To install the program and a list:

Download the program setup file (the link is on every page dedicated to a language) in a temporary folder (or on your desktop) and double-click on it to install.
Do the same for the word list and make sure you install it in the same folder as the program (which is already the case if you accept the suggested folder).
Use the icon created in your Start menu to launch the dictionary.

4. Note to Windows Vista users

Our dictionary program runs better with Windows XP, but it is also compatible with all versions of Windows, from Windows 95 to Windows Vista. However, in order to run properly under Windows Vista, the dictionary needs to write some data in some of its files. Vista doesn't authorize this under "Program Files", unless you log on as the Administrator (which is not quite recommended). That's why we had to change the default destination folder, from "Program Files" to "Documents and Settings". So, if you are running Vista, please do not modify the suggested folder, or install the dictionary in a folder on which you have full rights.

Another way to solve the problem is to modify the dictionary shortcut properties: right click on the shortcut, open the Properties dialogue box, go under the Compatibility tab and check the option to set the program permanently to administrator priviledges.

If you have just upgraded to Windows Vista and you have installed the program in its "old" location, C:/Program Files/Dictionary, you will experience some problems, such as: impossibility to reverse the wordlists, impossibility to add your own words, impossibility to create personal wordlists. So you can only browse the dictionary, and only one wordlist (Spanish to English, for instance, but not English to Spanish).

5. Note to Windows 95/98 users

We don't support Windows 95/98 anymore, but the old version of our program is still compatible with these operating systems. Click here to download the program and click here to browse the wordlists directory.

We can't provide any wordlist updates for Windows 95/98, and we can't provide technical assistance either. Thank you for your understanding.

6. Installation of an update

Installing an update is as easy as installing a wordlist for the first time. But the new list will replace your old one, so if you had added some words to the list, or if you had corrected some entries, everything will be lost. If you want to avoid that, please contact us and tell us what language and how many words (approximately) are involved. We will then give you further instructions.

7. Installation: troubleshooting

No strings file found! This is probably the most common error message after the installation, when trying to run the program for the first time. It means that the program and the wordlist were not installed in the same folder, or that the installation files were mixed with the destination files (i.e. you downloaded the installation files to "Program Files/Dictionary", for instance, and you installed into this very same folder - this is not allowed!). To solve the problem, make sure you install the program and the wordlist in the same folder, whatever happens or whatever confirmation message you may get. If you choose to install in a custom folder, make sure a folder named "freelang" is not automatically appended to the destination path.

Can't open English_(whatever language).wb - Program aborted! This error message usually appears under Windows Vista, when trying to reverse the wordlist. To solve the problem, please read our note to Windows Vista users.

8. Known bugs when using the program

The Search window has disappeared! The Search window keeps positioning itself higher and higher, until it disappears from the screen. This is a very rare bug, fortunately, but it's been reported to us several times, so here is the solution: go to Start menu, Run, then type win.ini. Notepad should now display the contents of your win.ini file. Scroll down if necessary, until you see the [Dictionary] section. Delete it entirely, that is until you find another section in [square brackets like this]. The whole section should look like this:

[Dictionary]
searchwindowsize=25
searchwindowminimal=0
PracticeMode=0
PracticeSound=1
StayOnTop=0
WinPosLeftMain=557
WinPosTopMain=340
WinPosLeftSearch=387
WinPosTopSearch=188
ClipSearch=0
AddNewWordsToList=1
WinPosLeftAdd=525
WinPosTopAdd=403

After the section has been deleted, run the program again.

The list doesn't position itself correctly! In search mode, when you type "b", for example, the list automatically scrolls down until you see the words beginning by the letter b. But when you type another letter, it doesn't work. This is due to a bug inside the wordlist itself. We would be grateful if you could take the time to contact us and tell us what language is involved, so we can fix the problem. To fix it by yourself, just add a word to the list (any word, you can delete it afterwards). It will force the sorting of the wordlist and should be enough to get rid of the bug.

9. Uninstallation of the dictionary

To remove Freelang dictionary, go to Start menu, Settings, Control Panel, Add/remove Programs. Find the two lines corresponding to Freelang, select one after another and click Remove button.

Personal word lists are not deleted automatically, so you may have to remove them manually, either from folder "C:/Program Files/Dictionary", or "C:/Documents and Settings/Yourname/Local Settings/Application Data/Freelang Dictionary". If the latter is not visible, open a Windows Explorer window and go to Tools, Folder Options, click on View tab and check "Show hidden files and folders".

10. Our recommendations for other products

Thanks to our sponsor, Ectaco, we also provide a shop where you can buy Eletronic pocket dictionaries and Translation software for all platforms (including mobile phones, Pocket PC, Palm, Windows...).

11. Before contacting us...

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions, just make sure you have read this page, as well as the FAQ (answers to frequently asked questions).

If you have a problem with the dictionary, please describe it precisely. Tell us what version of Windows you are using, what language list you are trying to install and how you have done so far. The more precise the description is, the sooner you will get an answer. Please also bear in mind that Freelang is a non profit website, and that we reply to the many emails we receive during our free time.

Thank you for your understanding!