Problems with DOS SW44 Dictionary Creation

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
September 27, 2003

Sandy Fleming in the UK wrote:
> Am I supposed to unprotect the DIN file or is it protected for a
> reason? I
> don't want to take too cavalier an approach to file protection because
> I
> might end up with a corrupt dictionary with a lot of work in it that's
> become completely inaccessible. So I thought I'd better ask first!


Dear SW List, and Sandy -
Thanks for this message. The problem you mention can happen in several
ways. Here are some:

1. Working from the CD, without installing the program on your hard
drive... (CDs automatically lock the files so they cannot be changed)
2. If you copied the SignWriter folder over to your hard drive, without
using the Install Program, and you are using any Windows operating
system except for XP...smile....all or some of your files may possibly
be locked, and I can teach you how to unlock them...
3. your dictionary file is corrupted and we can try to repair it, or
re-install it from the CD...

So let us solve Number 2 above...
In Windows operating systems before XP, CDs will sometimes lock files
if they are copied directly from the CD to your hard drive, without
using an installation program. It is a terrible feature in the older
forms of Windows. Did you have a problem using the Install program?
Maybe there was a glitch in the Install program too...who knows...

  So first, let's see if your files are locked. Try this, and then tell
us what happens:

1. Be sure SignWriter is closed. Don't start the program yet.
2. In Windows, open the SignWriter folder and find the "sw044.dic" icon
in the folder.
3. Right-click with your mouse, on sw044.dic, to choose "Properties".
4. In Properties, take a look at "Read-Only". Is it checked? If so,
that means it is locked...Change Read-Only to "Archive", which means it
is unlocked...Then close Properties.
5. Do the same with sw044.din....So now BOTH sw044.dic and sw044.din
are unlocked.
6. Then try using SignWriter again as before. If the same thing happens
again...go through each icon in the whole SignWriter folder, to see if
there are any others that are "Read-Only" (locked) by mistake.

What operating system are you using with SW Dos?...Did my install
program work for you, or were there problems? I am interested to read
your reply....

Val ;-)