windows

Acrobat Reader DC

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ClaroRead 7 and later work great with Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. Acrobat Reader DC is the new name for Adobe Reader (so the last version of Adobe Reader was Adobe Reader XI or 11).

ClaroRead 6 and earlier do not have speech with highlighting. You can update ClaroRead to version 7 through ClaroRead Cloud or by using this simple patch. Just download, then run it – you will need to be an administrator – and it will simply update ClaroRead for Acrobat Reader DC support.

Claro Software & Windows 10 Compatibility

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We have tested all of our products with Windows 10, and all of our products work fine. This includes:

  • ClaroRead (Pro, Plus, Standard, SE)
  • ScreenRuler
  • ClaroView
  • ClaroCapture
  • ClaroIdeas
  • WordRead
  • Scan2Text
  • Oska WordBanks
  • ScreenMarker

If you have an older version of any of these programs and need an update, please contact Support. If you have a product not on the list, please contact us to let us know and confirm support – if your product runs on Windows 8.1 you should expect it to work on Windows 10.

Fixing problems with starting up

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Symptoms

  • “I try to start ClaroRead or WordRead but it only gets to about 75% of the progress bar and the form never actually appears.”
  • “ClaroRead just won’t start: it flashes then disappears.”
  • “Nothing happens when I double-click the ClaroRead icon.”
  • “ClaroRead or WordRead crashes with a message about LHCOM02w.dll.”
  • “Save to audio crashes.”

Diagnosis

  • Run ClaroRead, will not start up.
  • ClaroRead uses speech: broken speech systems will stop ClaroRead working. Try the tests on Fixing Problems with Speech and fix any problems you find first.
  • If you are on Windows Server, and/or receive a Windows error message about an application error (rather than the program hanging), or you receive a Windows error message about “Data Execution Prevention”, or you see the exception code 0xC000041D in Windows Application Event log, see Cure 2
  • Download and run SAPI4Test.exe, get error message “Component ‘Xvoice.dll’ or one of its dependencies not correctly registered: a file is missing or invalid.” or one or more voices do not work. See Cure 1
  • If ClaroRead displays a message “Invalid Hard Disk!” while loading and will not go any further then you may have the Windows Script Host disabled or broken, see Cure 3.
  • If ClaroRead gets about one-third of the way loaded and then hangs, and also you cannot play any audio on your computer, then see Cure 4.

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Problems recording audio in Microsoft Windows

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Sound problems on Windows machines can be especially difficult to fix if they relate to recording. Many Claro applications support recording, but only if recording works on that machine. The article helps you fix Windows recording problems.

Test applications. You can test recording with the Microsoft Sound Recorder application. Other useful applications to try include Skype (which lets you see and test different Recording Devices) and Audacity.

Windows Settings. Find the Recording settings in Control Panel, Hardware and Sound, and the Sound windows. You want the Recording tab. There you will see your Recording Devices. For example, your laptop might have a built-in microphone (Recording Device “Integrated Microphone Array” in the list below) and a 3.5mm mic jack for an external headset (Recording Device “Microphone”). If you plug in a USB mic or connect to a Bluetooth, these will appear as Recording Devices.

The Recording tab in the Sound control panel in Microsoft Windows

The Recording tab in the Sound control panel in Microsoft Windows

Symptoms of recording problems

  • You cannot record at all.
  • The “Record” button in audio applications is greyed out.
  • Trying to record produces an error message or crash.
  • Audio applications do not recognise and offer the Recording Device you want to use on your system (Skype is a good test)
  • Audio applications will record, but the resulting audio is completely silent.
  • Audio applications will record, but the resulting audio consists of static.
  • You can record with one Recording Device but not another (e.g. the mic jack works okay, but the mic above your laptop screen does not.)
  • You have several Recording Devices all called “Microphone”.

Misleading symptoms

A Recording Device can appear in Sound correctly, be enabled, and its volume indicator shows that it is responding to sound. It may still not record in an audio application if the device drivers are wrong or the manufacturer audio application has muted the Recording Device.

Things to check and fix

  • Correct installation of audio device drivers from the manufacturer. You may need to update or install manufacturer drivers if you have any of the following symptoms:
    • Multiple Recording Devices with the generic name “Microphone”.
    • Recording Devices are using generic Microsoft drivers.
    • Sound not displaying some devices you know you have plugged in.
    • Recording Devices enabled in Sound, and the microphone level showing activity, but audio applications not recording with that Recording Device.
  • Windows settings in Sound. Check that:
    • The Recording Device you want to use is enabled in Sound.
    • The Recording Device you want to use is the Default Device or Default Communication Device.
    • The Recording Device you want to use is not muted.
    • The “Stereo Mix” Recording Device is not disabled, if present (advice from Microsoft Support)
  • Volume turned on in manufacturer-provided audio software.
    • If the volume is muted in the manufacturer-provided audio software, Windows may still show it as active, but it won?t work in your audio application.
    • Check in the System Tray (Notification Area) for manufacturer-provided audio applications.
    • Check for Realtek, Intel, Aureal, Creative or Roland applications on your system and see if they control your audio settings.

Background Colour in Windows 8

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In Windows XP, Vista, and 7, you can change the background colour of windows to make them easier to read.

In Windows 8 the setting to do this is still there, but it’s buried away. You have to change your Theme to one of the High Contrast themes in the Control Panel\Appearance and Personalisation\Personalisation screen. Then? you can change the Color setting.

This is long-winded and you may not want to set your machine to High Contrast – many people, such as people with dyslexia, want to change the background colour to reduce contrast, not increase it. And you lose the attractive Windows 8 styling.

You can use ClaroRead (Standard, Plus or Pro) to change the background colour in Windows 8:

  1. Start ClaroRead.
  2. Click the Extras button on the ClaroRead toolbar and select Advanced Settings Editor.
  3. On the General tab uncheck the “Reset background colour when exiting” checkbox.
  4. Close Advanced Settings Editor and restart ClaroRead.
  5. Go to Microsoft Word.
  6. Click the Font button on the ClaroRead toolbar and select Background. Choose the colour you want.

You can now close ClaroRead and the background colour will be set.

Microsoft Windows support

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Claro Software programs cannot work well on Microsoft Windows machines which are having technical problems. You should always keep your Windows installation updated and working smoothly. Only Microsoft-supported versions of Windows are supported by Claro (e.g. not Windows 2000).

If you are having problems here are some utilities that can help you:

Program Install and Uninstall
Fixes problems with installation and uninstallation of programs.
.Net Framework Cleanup Tool
Fixes problems with the Microsoft .Net Framework.
System Update Readiness Tool
Fixes some other problems with Microsoft .Net – try this if you encounter SXS errors with .Net.

Online Activation Error Messages (and what they mean)

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Error Message Cause/Solution
Your system clock appears to have been
changed, possibly in an attempt to defeat the
security system on this program. Please correct
your system clock before trying to run this
program again. If your clock is already correct,
rebooting the system may fix this problem,
otherwise contact the author of this program for
instructions (report code CCB-A).
-or-
Your system clock appears to have been set
back, possibly in an attempt to defeat the
security system on this program. Please correct
your system clock before trying to run this
program again. If your clock is correct, please
contact the author of this program for
instructions on correcting this error (report code
%1).		 This is an uncommon error caused by the
computer?s system clock changing too much. To
fix this, contact Claro for a ?FixClock? key and
further instructions.