- Help on installing ClearEdits.
- Download ClearEdits CleanUp to share ClearEdits’ suggestions with friends and coworkers.
- Tips for using ClearEdits’ different editorial tools.
- Tips for using ClearEdits’ advanced edits — vector edits.
For questions not answered here, contact us directly, by emailing support@clearwriter.com or calling the ClearWriter office at 202.721.0354 or 800.230.4204. So that we can best assist you, please include a thorough description of any problem and where it occurred, information on your computer, web browser, internet connection, and operating system, and your name, email, and phone number.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install ClearEdits?
How do I use ClearEdits?
Can I try before I buy?
What is the refund policy?
Can I buy ClearEdits over the phone?
What are the system requirements for ClearEdits?
Does ClearEdits work on Macs?
Can I install ClearEdits on more than one computer?
How can I download the ClearEdits installation program?
I already purchased ClearEdits for download. How can I get a CD version?
I previously purchased ClearEdits but have lost my download or CD.
Do I need to purchase again to recover my software?
What are the ClearEdits terms of use?
What is ClearEdits Clean Up?
How do I upgrade to the newest version of ClearEdits if I already
own a previous version?
Troubleshooting
ClearEdits’ suggestions do not appear.
The ClearEdits toolbar does not appear.
The links to the PDFs don’t work.
An administrator can use ClearEdits, but I cannot.
I lack software installation privileges.
I installed ClearEdits Clean Up, and now the ClearEdits icons no longer
appear.
Formatting messages (such as font color) are displaying
alongside ClearEdits’ suggestions.
How to fix
A macro security error
Error 53
Error 76
Error 429
Error 3501
Error 4605
Error 6003
Errors not listed here
Frequently asked questions
How do I install ClearEdits?
See our installation guide.
How do I use ClearEdits?
See our user guide.
Can I try before I buy?
Absolutely. Simply follow the instructions for taking advantage of our
free five-day trial.
What is the refund policy?
ClearEdits is nonrefundable. If you would like to try the program before purchasing,
take take advantage of our free five-day trial.
Can I buy ClearEdits over the phone?
Yes. Please call ClearEdits sales at 202.721.0354 or 800.230.4204.
What are the system requirements for ClearEdits?
ClearEdits 5.0 works on the following Microsoft® operating systems: Windows®
7, Windows® Vista, Windows® XP, Windows® 2000, Windows® NT 4.0,
Windows® Me, Windows® 98, and Windows® 95. ClearEdits runs on Microsoft®
Word® 2010, Word® 2007, Word® 2003, Word® 2002, Word® 2000 and Word® 97. ClearEdits uses about 10 megabytes of hard drive space.
Minimum system requirements Pentium® or Pentium Pro®, AMD®, or
100 percent Intel®-compatible processor running at 200 MHz. 64 megabytes of
random access memory (RAM). Monitor screen area set at 800 x 600 pixels.
Ideal system environment
100 percent Intel-compatible processor running at 500 MHz or faster.
128 megabytes of random access memory (RAM).
Monitor screen area set at 800 x 600 pixels or higher.
Does ClearEdits work on Macs?
Not at this time. To be notified when a Mac version becomes available, please send your contact
information to sales@clearwriter.com.
Can I install ClearEdits on more than one computer?
The ClearWriter terms of use allow you to use ClearEdits on more than one of your
own machines for your personal use, so it is not a problem to install it on both
your home and work computers.
If you are purchasing for an office or computer lab, you must purchase one program for each employee or computer. Email sales@clearwriter.com for details and group licensing discounts.
How can I download the ClearEdits installation program?
The installation package for ClearEdits 4.0 can be downloaded from
http://www.clearwriter.com/download/ceinstall.zip. The installation package
for ClearEdits 3.5 can be downloaded from
http://www.clearwriter.com/download/ClearEdits3.5/ceinstall.3.5.zip .
I already purchased ClearEdits for download. How can I get a CD version?
There is a $5 charge for a CD, which can be processed over the phone by calling
202.721.0354. CDs are available only for ClearEdits 4.0. If you purchased before
May 2004, you must upgrade. The upgrade is $25, and the CD is another $5 (plus sales
tax if you live in the District of Columbia). The upgrade may be purchased over
the phone as well.
I previously purchased ClearEdits but have lost my download or
CD. Do I need to purchase again to recover my software?
No. The installation package for ClearEdits 4.0 can be downloaded from
http://www.clearwriter.com/download/ceinstall.zip .
If you would like a CD mailed to you, please call 800.230.4204 to process a $5.00 shipping and handling fee. Please note that CDs are available only for ClearEdits 4.0. If you own ClearEdits 2.0, you can upgrade for $25 by calling us at 800.230.4204
What are the ClearEdits terms of use?
See the terms of use
on the ClearWriter website.
What is ClearEdits Clean Up?
ClearEdits Clean Up is a free utility that lets writers work with documents containing
ClearEdits’ writing improvement advice. When writers receive a marked up document
from coworkers, colleagues, professors, and others, they can easily review and accept
or reject ClearEdits’ suggestions without purchasing ClearEdits. For example, employees
can use it to review suggestions from a supervisor.
ClearEdits Clean Up can be downloaded from the ClearWriter website.
Current owners of ClearEdits do not need Clean Up, which is included in the full version of the program. Installing Clean Up will cause ClearEdits to malfunction.
How do I upgrade to ClearEdits 4.0 if I own an earlier version?
Please call 800.230.4204 to upgrade to ClearEdits 4.0 for $25.
Troubleshooting
ClearEdits’ suggestions do not appear.
First, for ClearEdits' suggestions to appear, you must make sure that the Track
Changes settings are enabled in Word:
1. Go to the "View" tab and make sure you are in Print Layout view.
2. Go to the "View" tab again, then "Toolbars," and make sure "Reviewing" has a
check mark next to it.
3. On the Reviewing toolbar there should be a white box indicating which view you
are in; make sure "Final Showing Markup" is selected.
4. On the Reviewing toolbar, click the "Show" button and hover over "Balloons;"
make sure "Always" is checked. See the image below for an illustration.
5. Again, click "Show" and then select "Options." In the window that appears, under
the blue heading "Balloons" there is a field that says "Use Balloons (Print and
Web Layout)." Make sure "Always" is selected in the white box next to it.
Second, screen tips and animated text must also be enabled. To enable screen tips and animated text:
1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the View tab.
2. Under Show, make sure the ScreenTips and Animated Text boxes are checked.
If you have the "show all" paragraph display button selected on your toolbar, you will see highlighted and numbered brackets, usually with your initials in them, after each editing suggestion. Deselect "show all" to make the numbered brackets disappear.
Third, if you are using Word 2002, your document must be in “Print Layout” view. To do this, select “Print Layout” under the “View” menu.
The ClearEdits toolbar does not appear.
If the ClearEdits toolbar will not appear at the top of the Word screen:
In Word, go to View > Toolbars and make sure ClearEdits is activated (has a check mark). If it isn't there, you may simply wish to uninstall and reinstall the program. This often solves the problem and takes less time than troubleshooting.
If the same problem occurs after you reinstall ClearEdits, it is likely because
Word is not seeing the ClearEdits template file. To fix this:
1. Search the computer for the file Clearedits.dot.
2. In another search window, search your computer for the file normal.dot. This
is the Word template that comes with Microsoft Word. If your search returns no results,
you may need to search in subfolders and hidden files. To do this in Windows XP,
in the search window, click on More Advanced Options and then check the boxes for
Search system folders, Search hidden files and folders, and Search subfolders.
3. After locating both files, go to the folder that contains normal.dot and copy
Clearedits.dot into that folder. It is fine to have Clearedits.dot in more than
one location.
4. After you do that, close and reopen Word and see if ClearEdits appears. If it
does not, restart your computer to reset any necessary settings.
If that doesn't work, copy Clearedits.dot to the "Startup" directory. To determine where this directory is:
1. In Word, go to Tools > Options > File Locations tab.
2. To see the full path for Startup, select that row from the list and click on
"Modify."
3. In the window that appears, click on the down arrow next to "look in: Startup"
and the full path appears.
4. Write down the path on a scrap of paper. Close out of that and open the folders
on the path until you reach the Startup folder. Copy Clearedits.dot into that folder.
Again, close and re-enter Word, and restart the computer if necessary. Check that the ClearEdits toolbar is activiated from the View menu again, to make sure it didn't simply fail to be activated.
Sometimes after doing this, the toolbar does appear, but if you click on a button you receive a run-time Error 53. If that happens, see our instructions for fixing Error 53.
The links to the PDFs don’t work.
The PDFs are user guides and are not integral to using the application. Uninstalling
and reinstalling ClearEdits will likely restore the links to those PDFs on the toolbar.
If not, you can open them directly from the folder ClearEdits is installed in (C:/ClearEdits
if you installed to the default location), or you may have installed a shortcut
to the User Guide on the desktop. You can also download the
user guide and the vector edits guide.
An administrator can use ClearEdits, but I cannot.
See the suggestions for fixing Error 3501.
I lack software installation privileges.
Ask your system administrator or IT professional to do the installation.
I installed ClearEdits Clean Up, and now the ClearEdits icons no
longer appear.
ClearEdits already includes the functionality of Clean Up and will stop working
if you install Clean Up. To restore ClearEdits, uninstall Clean Up and then reinstall
ClearEdits.
Formatting messages (such as font color) are displaying
alongside ClearEdits’ suggestions.
Your can turn them off from the “Reviewing” toolbar in Word. Go to the “View” menu,
then select “Toolbars,” then select “Reviewing” to activate the toolbar. Then, on
the toolbar’s drop-down menu for “Show,” deselect “Formatting.”
How to fix
A macro security error
ClearEdits uses macros to run, so you need to enable macros in Word. The Macro settings
on your Word program need to be set to "Low."
1. Click "Tools" at the top of the Word window.
2. Select "Macro" then "Security."
3. In the popup window, select the "Security Level" tab, and select the radio button
for "Low." (Word warns that changing your macro setting to "Low" may leave you unprotected
from potentially unsafe macros. Make sure you keep your virus protection software
up to date.)
4. Exit Word and restart the application to make sure that the settings take effect.
Error 53
There is likely a problem with the registry. The path for ClearEdits in the registry
is not the actual path where "clearedits.exe" resides. To verify this, please follow
these steps:
1. Go to the Start button, then click on Run.
2. Type "regedit.exe" and click enter. The registry will appear.
3. Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > CDI > ClearEdits. Look for the key called
"ProgramPath" on the right side. If you installed to the default location, it should
say "C:\ClearEdits."
4. If it does not, change the registry by double clicking on the ProgramPath key
and typing in the correct directory (C:\ClearEdits is the default).
Error 76
This error usually indicates a problem with the registry. See the advice for fixing
Error 53.
Error 429
An Error 429 usually occurs for one of three reasons:
1. Incomplete installation. If you did not reboot your computer after installation, do so. Otherwise, uninstall and reinstall ClearEdits by downloading the installation program again from http://www.clearwriter.com/download/ceinstall.zip. Reboot your computer after installation.
2. Incorrect permissions during installation. If you do not have software installation privileges on your computer, you will need your IT person to install for you.
3. Running the application outside of Word. ClearEdits runs only by using the icons on the Microsoft Word toolbar, not by running the .exe file.
Error 3501
ClearEdits needs to be installed to a folder to which the user has read/write access
privileges. The default location, C:\ClearEdits, usually works. But, if it doesn’t,
ask your system administrator (your IT professional, for example) to give you privileges
to the ClearEdits folder and to all the files in the folder.
Error 6003
If your computer is behind a firewall, ClearEdits may not be able to download because
the installation file supplied upon purchase is first unzipped and then installed.
The problem is often resolved by downloading the files, unzipping them, and then
installing the software.
1. Download the installation program from
http://www.clearwiter.com/download/ceinstall.zip.
2. Save the file to the desktop, then open the zipped folder.
3. If necessary, click the option on the left side of the window to "Extract all
files." 4. Click on the icon for "ClearEdits Setup.exe" to install.
Errors not listed here
Most technical problems with ClearEdits can be solved simply by uninstalling and
reinstalling the software on your computer. If you no longer have your download
link or an installation CD for ClearEdits, let us know and we can provide that information
for you. The installation program can be downloaded from
http://www.clearwriter.com/download/ceinstall.zip .