Installing SoftMaker Office for Windows

Normal installation

You can install SoftMaker Office for Windows by double-clicking on the MSI file.

It depends on your computer as to whether you should install the 32-bit or 64-bit version:

  • If you are using a 32-bit version of Windows, you must install the 32-bit version of SoftMaker Office.
  • If you are using a 64-bit version of Windows, you can install either the 32-bit version or the 64-bit version of SoftMaker Office. We recommend the 64-bit version because it can handle very large documents.

Error code 2502 or 2503 during installation

Are you getting error code 2502 or 2503 during the installation? This is because your Windows folder for temporary files has the wrong access rights and the Windows Installer thus cannot store any temporary files in it.

You can fix this as follows:

  1. Open your Windows folder in Windows Explorer. This folder is usually called c:\Windows.
  2. Find the Temp folder inside and right-click on it.
  3. Now select Properties.
  4. Switch to the Security tab in the new dialog box.
  5. Now click on the Advanced button.
  6. The system displays a new dialog box in which you click Next to obtain administrative rights to fix the folder.
  7. Select the "Administrators" account in the list of users and click on Edit.
  8. In the dialog box that appears, select Full access and click on OK.
  9. Confirm all further messages.
  10. Install SoftMaker Office again.

Deploying SoftMaker Office for Windows in a network

You can install SoftMaker Office for Windows across your network using your favorite software deployment tool.

Deployment instructions

Configuring SoftMaker Office for Windows with administrative templates

Administrators can use administrative templates to distribute application settings for SoftMaker Office NX Universal and SoftMaker Office Professional via group policies to computers in a network. When such a setting is made centrally, users can no longer change it themselves.

You can also use administrative templates to distribute a product key for SoftMaker Office, relieving you from having to manually enter it on individual computers.

The following section describes the use of administrative templates on a local PC. The templates are also compatible with system management software such as SCCM and SMS.

  1. Download the administrative templates for SoftMaker Office and unpack them.
  2. Place the file softmaker.admx in %windir%\PolicyDefinitions.
  3. Place the file softmaker.adml in %windir%\PolicyDefinitions\en-US. (Replace en-US with your system's language code.)
  4. Run gpedit.msc.
  5. You will find the SoftMaker Office Professional settings in Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > SoftMaker and in Local Computer Policy > User Configuration > Administrative Templates > SoftMaker:
    • Settings made in Computer Configuration are for all users of the computer.
    • Settings made in User Configuration are for the logged-in user.
  6. Click on one of the SoftMaker branches to open it.
  7. Next, click on the application whose settings you want to change.
  8. You will now see the application settings that are available for configuration. Double-click on a setting to edit it. There are three options:
    • Not configured: The setting is not made. Users can configure it in SoftMaker Office Professional.
    • Enabled: The setting is set to "On", and users can no longer change it in SoftMaker Office Professional.
    • Disabled: The setting is set to "Off", and users can no longer change it in SoftMaker Office Professional.
    For some settings, additional options are displayed in the dialog box. Set them as needed.

Installing SoftMaker Office for Windows on a USB flash drive

If you want to carry SoftMaker Office for Windows and important documents with you, you can copy SoftMaker Office to a USB flash drive. You can then insert this USB flash drive in any Windows-based computer (for example, those of friends or in Internet cafes) and run SoftMaker Office. When you unplug the USB flash drive, no traces of SoftMaker Office are left behind on the PC.

Proceed as follows:

  1. Install SoftMaker Office on your regular PC's built-in hard drive. This lets you work with the applications as usual on your PC, even without a USB flash drive.
  2. Click on the Windows Start button, then choose Programs > SoftMaker Office > Install SoftMaker Office on a USB stick.
  3. Follow the instructions in this program. The program now copies the complete SoftMaker Office folder and the complete folder Documents\SoftMaker to your USB flash drive. This makes all SoftMaker Office program files, all documents and all settings from Documents\SoftMaker available on the USB flash drive.

When the program is done, your USB flash drive contains a fully functional copy of SoftMaker Office which does not register itself in the operating system, as well as all your documents and configuration files.

To launch one of the programs, open the SoftMaker Office folder on the USB flash drive and double-click on the program you want to run (for example, TextMaker.exe or PlanMaker.exe).