Troubleshooter Guide

If you are unable to install the program and you have Microsoft Windows, download this Windows-only version. It's a bigger download and may take a little more room on your hard drive, but this version doesn't require Java.

Character Writer for Windows Only
	Windows-Only Download Version 3.1.0 15MB
Requirements: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7

Character Writer FAQs

Java 6 on 64-bit Mac Isn't Working
Although Java 6 is installed in Mac OS 10.5.5+, it is not automatically activated as the default machine. Here is what you have to do per Apple support:

• Go to Applications folder and find the Utilities folder.
• Inside Utilities find the Java folder.
  
• Inside Java folder double click on Java Preferences.app.
  
• You will see two white windows. In the bottom one called "Java application versions" you will see Java SE6 in the list. Click once on this and drag this name so that it is at the top of the list. This will change the preferred version of Java on your machine to Java 6.
  

Java 6 on 32-bit Mac Isn't Working
Apple didn't release Java 6 for 32-bit Mac until Mac OS 10.5.6+, so after an upgrade you should be fine.

Uninstalling on Linux
On some varieties and set ups of Linux, an uninstall link is not created. To uninstall Character Writer, navigate to the Character Writer folder (where CharacterWriter.jar is located). In that folder, you will find a file named "uninstall." Run that (usually by double-clicking) and Character Writer will be completely uninstalled from your computer.

How do I add characters?
Select a character in the upper left box where the character names appear. Either right-click the character and select "Add Character" or select "Add Character" on the Character menu. You can add as many characters as you need.

How do I switch between Character and Story modes?
To switch modes between Character mode and Story mode, click the "Switch Modes" button on the toolbar, it's the one that looks like this:

I'm trying the evaluation version and the Story menu is grayed out. Why?
Actually, you still have access to Story mode, even in the evaluation version. Just click the "Switch Modes" button on the toolbar (see above). When you're in Character mode, the Story menu is grayed out; when you're in Story mode, the Character menu is grayed out.

How do I change the names of my characters?
The default name when you first create a character is "Character Name." To change that name, go to the Basic Information tab in the Basics section. When you type a name into the First Name and Last Name boxes, the character name will change in the character list.

Saving in Character Writer
There are three ways to save your work in Character Writer (this makes your work easier to distribute). To save the entire Character Writer project, select either Save on the File menu or select the Save icon on the toolbar.

The CharacterPad in Character Mode (the very last section) and the Full Story tab in Story Mode can be saved as separate RTF files. Important: Saving the CharacterPad or Full Story tabs to an RTF file does not save the project. That's a separate file and a separate save.

If you're still experiencing issues, please send us a note via our support page. Thank you.