Installation

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Wenlin 216x93.png Wenlin User’s Guide

If you have Wenlin on a CD-ROM, you can run it directly from the CD-ROM, without any installation. If you’re just getting started, you could postpone installation until after you’ve had a chance to use Wenlin for a while. The Wenlin Tutorial is the best way to start.

Here are instructions for installation. If you’re not in too much of a hurry, it might be a good idea to read the remainder of this section before actually installing.

Complete installation requires about half a gigabyte of room on a hard drive. Installation of sound files is optional. Without sounds, installation requires considerably less disk space. For the precise requirements, see System Requirements.

The instructions are different for MS-Windows and Mac OS.

Upgrading from an Earlier Version

If you used an earlier version of Wenlin, and you made changes to any of the dictionary files, you may want to preserve those changes, and be able to use them with the newest version. It is possible to run Wenlin 3 and Wenlin 4 on the same computer without interference. You may find this convenient especially while making the transition. It is not necessary to uninstall earlier versions before installing Wenlin 4.3, so don't be in too much of a hurry about uninstalling.

Wenlin 4.3 uses a smaller format for sound files than earlier versions (MP3 instead of WAV). You can save disk space by using the new, smaller files. On Mac OS, they're now stored inside the application, so you'll never see them, you'll just hear them! On MS-Windows, they're stored in a folder named WenlinSound, which is created by the setup program. You don't need to install them separately (unlike earler versions).

Wenlin 4.3 uses a different name for its data folder, “Wenlin430Tushuguan” than any earlier version, by default. (Note: túshūguǎn 图书馆[圖書館] means ‘library’.) When you update from an earlier version, your older dictionary files will not be replaced, in case you have made changes to them.

There's more information about this in Appendix C. For now, you might just leave your older version of Wenlin alone and go ahead and install Wenlin 4.3.

How to Install for MS-Windows Winlogo 50x50.jpg

• Agree to the license in Appendix D
• Quit Wenlin if it’s already running
• Double-click on the Setup (or Setup.exe) icon on the CD-ROM, or the installation file you downloaded
(Or, when you insert the CD-ROM, setup may start automatically, or you may be prompted to install Wenlin, depending on how “AutoPlay” is configured on your computer)
• Follow the on-screen instructions for the setup program
You’ll be prompted to choose locations for the program and data or accept the default locations, and choose whether to install optional files
You may be prompted to enter an administrative password
• Eject the CD-ROM when the installation is complete (if using a CD-ROM)

The program location is where the program itself (“wenlin.exe”) will be installed. The default program location on most systems will be “C:\Program Files\Wenlin4” (or the equivalent in another language). We recommend using the default unless you really know what you're doing and have a good reason to choose a different location. Remember the location; you may want to navigate to this location later to install updated versions, etc.

The data location (also known as the “Tushuguan”) is where Wenlin's data files (dictionaries, fonts, texts, documentation, sounds, etc.) will be installed. The default data location on most systems will be inside the Public Documents folder; where that is depends on your MS-Windows version and configuration. On Windows 10/8/7/Vista, it might be:

C:\Users\Public\Documents\Wenlin430Tushuguan

On Windows XP, it might be:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Wenlin430Tushuguan

The setup program puts the WenlinSound folder, containing sound files, in the same location as the Tushuguan.

The setup program automatically adds a shortcut so you can start Wenlin by clicking on Start, Programs, Wenlin. When Wenlin is running, you can find its data folder by choosing Open Wenlin Folder in Explorer from the File menu.

How to Install for Mac OS Applelogo 50x50.jpg

• Read the license in Appendix D
• Quit Wenlin if it is already running
• If you have obtained Wenlin by downloading a file, double-click its icon to mount it and display the Wenlin application icon
If you can't find the file you downloaded, try looking in the “Downloads” folder, using the Finder Finder icon.png
Go to Downloads Finder menu go downloads.png
Double-click to mount
Find the “Wenlin” application icon Wenlin mac app tushuguan.png
• Drag the “Wenlin” application icon to the “Applications” folder
Copying the files may take a minute
• Eject the CD-ROM by dragging its icon to the trash (if using a CD-ROM)
• Find the Wenlin application icon inside the “Applications” folder
• Drag the icon to the Dock

The first time you run Wenlin, you'll be prompted to press one more button to finish the installation. Clicking the “OK” button will cause “Wenlin430Tushuguan” to be copied from inside Wenlin.app to your “Documents” folder.

When Wenlin is running, you can always find the Tushuguan (data folder) by choosing Open Wenlin Folder in Finder from the File menu.

How to Un-install (Remove) Wenlin

Before un-installing, be sure to make backup copies of any texts or dictionary files, if anybody has made any additions or changes that they would be sorry to lose permanently. If you don’t know how to make backups, obtain help. The following instructions cause the permanent deletion of files.

For Mac OS, simply quit Wenlin and drag all Wenlin icons to the Trash.

For MS-Windows, use the standard MS-Windows method of un-installing: quit Wenlin; click on Start, Settings, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs; select Wenlin, and press the button for removing it. If changes have been made within the Wenlin folders, it’s possible that some files and folders will not be removed by the un-installer, in which case you can drag any files that remain to the Recycling Bin.

Benefits of Installation

The following applies if you have a Wenlin CD-ROM. (Otherwise you need to install Wenlin in order to run it.)

It may be more convenient not to keep the disc inserted all the time; you could put it somewhere safe where it won’t get scratched or dirty. (And then you can use the CD drive for playing music, etc.)

Because a CD-ROM is a “Read-Only Memory,” you can only read it, you can’t write new information on it. Wenlin enables you to make dictionary changes and additions, but only after the dictionary files are installed on a hard drive (or other writable media).

Hard drives are usually faster than CD-ROMs, so Wenlin should run faster after installation.

What is a Hard Drive?

Here are few notes of clarification for people with less technical experience.

A hard drive, or hard disk, is where your computer generally stores files (documents, programs, etc.). Since a hard drive is usually hidden inside a computer, it may seem mysterious. A hard drive is similar to removable media like diskettes, but it’s not removable, and it’s generally faster and holds more data. Unlike a CD-ROM, a hard drive allows both reading and writing. New forms of writable media keep being invented, which are essentially equivalent to hard drives if they are fast enough and hold enough data. Some media are fast to read, but slow to write.

For MS-Windows, C: (the C drive) is nearly always a hard drive. D: might be another hard drive, or a CD-ROM drive, etc. (A: and B: are usually reserved for diskette drives.) Generally you can see the drive icons by clicking on a “My Computer” icon on the Desktop.

For Mac OS, the hard drive is often named “Macintosh HD” and located in the upper right-hand corner when you buy the computer, but most people change the name to something silly. It’s the one icon you really must have on your Desktop (besides the Trash).

What Installation Involves

Installing Wenlin is basically a matter of copying some files from the CD-ROM (if you received it on a CD-ROM) to the hard drive.

In fact, for Mac OS, that’s all there is to it. Optionally you can drag the Wenlin application icon to the Dock.

For MS-Windows, there are some complications involving the Start menu, the infamous read-only attribute, and the mysterious Registry (an operating system database where programs are supposed to store information about where they’re installed and how they can be un-installed, as well as user preferences). So, the Wenlin CD-ROM has a Setup program (Setup.exe) to accomplish MS-Windows installation.

More information about the folders and files that are installed for Wenlin is presented in Appendix C.


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