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Contents : Overviews : Installation
Installing SuperMemo

Installation in seconds

You can install SuperMemo in seconds by simply running the downloaded file sm06inst.exe. Skip the rest of this file. It was written for those who are less experienced with computers!

Uninstallation in seconds

You can uninstall SuperMemo (without removing your learning material) in seconds if you follow these steps:

If you cannot find SuperMemo entry in the Add or Remove Programs window, use uninst.exe in the [uninst] subfolder located in the SuperMemo folder (e.g. C:\Program Files\SuperMemo\uninst (Computer administrator) or C:\SuperMemo\uninst (Limited account) by default)

Installing SuperMemo for Beginners

If you already know the basics of using Windows such as copying files, creating directories, etc. you can skip blue insert boxes

Depending on the source of your SuperMemo, you will obtain it in one of the three basic forms:

This text describes the following procedures:

  1. Installing SuperMemo
  2. Providing the password
  3. Installing collections downloaded from SuperMemo Library (including Palm and Windows CE)
  4. Installing SuperMemo 2006 over SuperMemo 8, SuperMemo 98/99 or SuperMemo 2000/2002/2004
  5. Installing SuperMemo 2006 over Advanced English
  6. Updating SuperMemo 2006 to the latest release build
  7. Where is my SuperMemo?

See also: Frequently asked questions

Installing SuperMemo 2006

  1. Download SuperMemo 2006 from SuperMemo Store
    This is how you can download SuperMemo 2006:
    1. Go to the SuperMemo 2006 page at SuperMemo Store
    2. Click Order at the bottom of the page (this will add SuperMemo 2006 to your shopping cart and display its contents)
    3. Click Checkout below the contents of the shopping cart
    4. Fill out the order form (remember to correctly fill out the billing address which should be your cardholder address, not your current residence address)
    5. Click Send order
    6. Click Download beside SuperMemo 2006
    7. Choose Save when your browser asks you if you want to Open or Save the file you wish to download
    8. In the Save As dialog box, in the Places bar along the left side of the dialog box, click the Desktop button, and click Save to download SuperMemo 2006 Install Wizard (i.e. sm06inst.exe) onto the desktop
  2. Run the downloaded file sm06inst.exe by double-clicking its icon on your desktop. It will open SuperMemo 2006 Install Wizard which will guide you through the setup of SuperMemo 2006.
    These are the steps you will go through:
    In the first step, you are greeted with the SuperMemo 2006 Install Wizard Welcome page. The page recommends that you close all other programs before continuing with the setup. This is to ensure no conflict during the installation occurs. You can close all other running programs in one of the following ways (choose the one you feel most comfortable with):
    • Click the taskbar button corresponding to the program you want to close (this will switch you to the program window) and then click the Close button in the upper-right corner of the window
    • Right-click the taskbar button corresponding to the program you want to close and then click the Close item from the context menu that appears
    • Press the ALT+TAB shortcut key to switch to the next open program and then ALT+F4 to close it
    Once you close all other running programs, click the Next button to go forward to the next step
    In the second step, you can choose the folder you want to install SuperMemo 2006 and all its components to. By default, the install wizard suggests C:\Program Files\SuperMemo if you are running with a Computer administrator account or C:\SuperMemo if you are running with a Limited account. In case the Install to... folder does not exist on your computer, the install wizard will create it.
    If you want to choose a different Install to... folder, click the Browse... button the right. In the Browse for Folder, select the new folder and click OK. If you want to create a new folder that does not exist yet, click the Make New Folder button in the bottom-left corner of the dialog box.
    Once you choose the Install to... folder, click the Next button to go forward to the next step
    In the third step, you can choose the Start menu folder you want to create SuperMemo 2006 shortcuts in. By default, the install wizard suggests the folder named SuperMemo. You can rename it however you like it. In case the Start menu folder does not exist on your computer, the install wizard will create it.
    If you want to create the Start menu folder as a subfolder of the folder that already exists, click the folder in the list.
    In case you do not want to create the Start menu folder (if you rarely or never use it), select the Do not create the Start menu folder checkbox at the bottom of the window.
    Once you choose the Start menu folder or select you do not want it, click the Next button to go forward to the next step
    In the fourth step, you can select the additional tasks you want SuperMemo 2006 Install Wizard to perform during the setup. These tasks fall into the following three categories:
    • Help system - SuperMemo Help provides detailed instructions for using SuperMemo and a number of overviews useful for the student. You can select the install wizard to configure SuperMemo 2006 to either use the on-line SuperMemo Help at www.supermemo.com/help (Internet help (on-line)) or download the off-line SuperMemo Help from the web (Microsoft® Help (off-line)) so that you could view it off-line.
      If you have a good access to the Internet, it is recommended that you use the on-line help (the default setting) as it is constantly being updated upon discovering errors or pages that need clarification.
      Note that once the off-line SuperMemo Help becomes outdated, SuperMemo will automatically attempt to connect you with the page on the web from which you can download an update. If you do not wish that to happen, choose Tools : Options : SuperMemo : Help system : Microsoft Help (CHM) (otherwise leave the default setting, i.e. Tools : Options : SuperMemo : Help system : Optimize).
    • Icons
      • Add desktop icon - select this checkbox (it is checked by default) if you want SuperMemo 2006 Install Wizard to put the SuperMemo shortcut onto the desktop
      • Add Quick Launch bar icon - select this checkbox if you want the install wizard to add the SuperMemo shortcut to the Quick Launch bar located next to the Start button on the taskbar
    • Internet Explorer
    Once you select the additional task you want SuperMemo 2006 Install Wizard to perform, click the Next button to go forward to next step. In the next step, the install wizard downloads and installs SuperMemo 2006 on your computer. As this step rarely involves any interaction with you, this description skips it.
    In the last fifth step, SuperMemo 2006 Install Wizard reports to you that the setup has been completed successfully. At this stage, you can yet instruct it to do one of the following two actions:
    • Run SuperMemo 2006 - select this checkbox (it is checked by default) if you want to run SuperMemo 2006 after you press the Finish button at the very end of the installation process. Alternatively, you can run it by double-clicking its icon on the desktop, in the Quick Launch bar, etc. (whichever you have decided to add during the setup)
    • Open containing folder - select this checkbox if you want to open a Windows Explorer window displaying the folder which SuperMemo 2006 and all its components have been installed in after you press the Finish button at the very end of the installation process
  3. Read ABC of SuperMemo to start your speed-learning adventure
  4. Within one business day since ordering SuperMemo, we will contact you with instructions how to input the password needed to continue your work with SuperMemo. Read below about providing the password
  5. If you have any doubts about any of the steps of the installation procedure, please do not hesitate to write. Even if you are a computer novice, you should not be shy or afraid of asking questions. By understanding your problems we can better support other users in the future

Providing password

SuperMemo 2006 is protected with an unlock password. Without the password it can only run for a limited period of time. To better understand the reasons for which we introduced the password, read about Unlocking SuperMemo. Within a business day since buying the program, we will contact you via e-mail and provide you with the unlock password and further instructions.

Important! You should not be afraid of losing the password. Once you input it in SuperMemo, you are not likely to ever need it again. If you ever see the red bar again, it is enough to open any of your previously used collections to restore the program to full functionality. If you lose the password and all your collections, you can always get the password back from us.

You should input the password using File : Installation : Input password. Alternatively, you can just continue using SuperMemo and it will at some point ask you to input the password. If the option Input password is grayed, your SuperMemo has been already unlocked (no action necessary).

Installing collections downloaded from SuperMemo Library

  1. If you have not installed SuperMemo yet, start with Installing SuperMemo 2006 (or your Windows CE or Palm version)
  2. Download the collections you plan to install (you can download commercial collections from SuperMemo Store or freeware collections from SuperMemo Library). Always download to the SuperMemo folder (e.g. C:\Program Files\SuperMemo or C:\SuperMemo by default in the Windows version). Remember to save with the extension EXE to be able to execute the file
  3. Run the downloaded file, e.g. by double clicking its icon in Windows. Once you run it, it will create all collection files in the [systems] subfolder located in the SuperMemo folder (C:\Program Files\SuperMemo\systems or C:\SuperMemo\systems by default). Remember that the downloaded file must be located in the SuperMemo directory!

Notes:

  1. Users of SuperMemo CE and SuperMemo for Palm Pilot should import text files located in each collection's [txt] folder. For example, if you have run RomanceMix.exe in E:\romance, your Spanish vocabulary material will be importable from E:\romance\systems\Basic Spanish\txt\spanish.txt (refer to your SuperMemo for Pocket PC or for Palm manual for import instructions)
  2. If your collections are in SuperMemo 98/99 or 2000/2002/2004 format, SuperMemo 2006 will upgrade them instantly at first opening with File : Open collection
  3. SuperMemo 2006 automatically installs true type fonts that ship with your collection. Only Classical Greek comes with non-true type fonts. If you downloaded Classical Greek, please have a look below
    4. This is an exemplary procedure for downloading and installing Medical Biology in Windows:
    1. Go to the SuperMemo Library page at SuperMemo Store
    2. Click Medical Biology
    3. Click Order at the bottom of the page (this will add Medical Biology to your shopping cart and display its contents)
    4. Click Checkout below the contents of the shopping cart
    5. Fill out the order form (remember to correctly fill out the billing address which should be your cardholder address, not your current residence address)
    6. Click Send order
    7. Click Download beside Medical Biology
    8. Choose Save when your browser asks you if you want to Open or Save the file you wish to download
    9. In the Save As dialog box, find the SuperMemo folder (C:\Program Files\SuperMemo (Computer administrator) or C:\SuperMemo (Limited) by default), or simply type the path you want to save the file to, e.g. C:Program Files\SuperMemo\medbiol.exe
    10. Run the downloaded file (e.g. click Start, click Run and type in the name of the file such as C:\Program Files\SuperMemo\medbiol.exe). This will create Medical Biology files in the subfolder [systems] (e.g. C:\Program Files\SuperMemo\systems\medbiol.kno, etc.)
    11. Run SuperMemo (e.g. by double clicking its icon created earlier)
    12. In SuperMemo, Choose File : Open
    13. Choose the file medbiol.kno
    14. In SuperMemo, choose the Learn button to start learning

Installing SuperMemo 2006 over earlier installations

This is how you can install SuperMemo 2006 over SuperMemo 8, SuperMemo 98/99 or SuperMemo 2000/2002/2004 downloaded from the Internet or installed with SuperMemo CD-ROMs such as Advanced English, MegaMix, etc.

  1. Download SuperMemo 2006 from SuperMemo Store and save the downloaded file on the desktop
  2. Run the file sm06inst.exe, e.g. by double-clicking its icon on the desktop. Once you run it, it will detect the already existing older SuperMemo installation and offer you the choice to upgrade it to the latest (Upgrade) or install SuperMemo 2006 from scratch (Clean install). You should avoid using older versions of SuperMemo along with SuperMemo 2006 therefore it is recommended you choose the former to prevent compatibility problems from happening in the future.
  3. Once you open your collections in SuperMemo 2006, they will automatically be upgraded. Only the windows layout may change slightly. You can adjust the layout and save it with CTRL+SHIFT+F5
  4. Within one business days since ordering SuperMemo, we will contact you with instructions how to input the password needed to continue your work with SuperMemo. Read above about providing the password

Updating SuperMemo 2006 to the latest release build

Run the file sm06inst.exe. It is stored in the [setup] subfolder located in the SuperMemo folder (by default, C:\Program Files\SuperMemo\setup\sm06inst.exe if you are running with a Computer administrator account or C:\SuperMemo\setup\sm06inst.exe if you are running with a Limited account). Once you run it, it will detect your current SuperMemo 2006 installation and suggest that you update it. If you choose to do so, it will then compare SuperMemo 2006 on your computer with the latest available on our server. In case a newer version is available, it will download it and replace the current installed version with it.
Even if there is no newer version available, the install wizard will allow you to modify your current configuration (e.g. remove or add shortcuts, change the preferred SuperMemo Help, etc.)

Where is my SuperMemo?

If you are not sure where SuperMemo on your computer is, you can always locate it using Windows:
  1. Click Start on the taskbar, and then click Search from the Start menu
  2. In the Search Results window, in the Search Companion bar along the left side of the window, from the What do you want to search for? list, click All files and folders
  3. In the All or part of the file name: text box, type in the name of the file using the following selection:
    • sm2006.exe - if you are looking for SuperMemo 2006 (remember not to put spaces before or after the dot)
    • sm2004.exe - if you are looking for SuperMemo 2004
    • sm2002.exe - if you are looking for SuperMemo 2002
    • sm2000.exe - if you are looking for SuperMemo 2000
    • sm99.exe - if you are looking for SuperMemo 99
    • sm98.exe - if you are looking for SuperMemo 98
    • sm8.exe - if you are looking for SuperMemo 8
    • sm06inst.exe - if you are looking for SuperMemo 2006 Install Wizard
    • sm04inst.exe - if you are looking for SuperMemo 2004 Install Wizard
    • sm2006zip.exe - if you want to locate the SuperMemo 2006 installation file
    • sm2004zip.exe - if you want to locate the SuperMemo 2004 installation file
    • sm2002zip.exe - if you want to locate the SuperMemo 2002 installation file
    • sm2000zip.exe - if you want to locate the SuperMemo 2000 installation file
    • sm99zip.exe - if you want to locate the SuperMemo 99 installation file
    • smhelp.chm - if you are looking for SuperMemo Help
    • sm*.exe - if you are looking for SuperMemo downloaded from the Internet and you do not remember exactly what files you have downloaded (see the file date stamping to figure out which has just been downloaded)
  4. All locations of the searched file will be displayed in the column In Folder
  5. You can double-click files located in the column Name to run them. You can also hold down the ALT key and drag them to the desktop to create new icons. For example, if you hold down the ALT key and drag the file named sm2006, you will create a new SuperMemo 2006 shortcut on the desktop
  6. If you have problems locating SuperMemo, remember that you might have renamed its original file (e.g. when replacing an earlier version)

Frequently Asked Questions

You need to close SuperMemo before continuing with the setup
(Monika, Poland, 2006)
Question:
I have just tried to install SuperMemo but I received the following message:

You cannot install SuperMemo while it is running.

Close SuperMemo first.
After I press OK, SuperMemo Install Wizard closes.
Answer:
Yes, this is the correct behavior. When SuperMemo Install Wizard starts up it checks if SuperMemo is running in the background, and if it does it prompts you to close it before continuing with the setup. This is to prevent any conflicts during the installation process (e.g. when renaming older SuperMemos at Upgrade or overwriting older SuperMemo release builds at Update).

(Robert Whitinger, USA, Mar 4, 1999)
Question:
I installed smhelp.chm file in the bin folder but SuperMemo still attempts to connect me with the Internet help!
Answer:
Make sure that you choose Tools : Options : SuperMemo : Help system : Microsoft Help (CHM). If you choose Optimize instead of Microsoft Help, SuperMemo will always check the date of your chm file, and if it becomes outdated, it will attempt to connect you with the newer version of the same help page on the Internet

(Eugene Holst, USA, Aug 31, 1999)
Question:
I am using the Classical Greek but I'm not getting the Greek characters, but some strange symbols instead. I copied the font called graeca.fon from the sm2004\systems\... folders to my d:\Windows\Fonts folder. Is there something else I have to do to have the font available in Windows 95?
Answer:
Yes. Instead of just copying fonts you should install them. Use Control Panel : Fonts : Install New Font. In the Folders panel, choose the location where your graeca.fon font can be found (here: sm2004\systems\graeca\font\graeca.fon). In rare instances, if Install New Font is not visible, you may have to reinstall Windows or try to set the System attribute on the font folder in Windows (this problem appears in some OEM installations of Windows and is not related to SuperMemo)

You can use F1 to access on-line help (#6433)
(Garry Gross, Sat, Sep 01, 2001 10:45 AM)
Question:
Why I should not be able to just hit F1 to get help after installing SuperMemo?
Answer:
F1 will work. However, this way you will access the on-line help. This is a recommended way of using the documentation due to daily updates and corrections. Only if you want to use off-line help, you need to download the help file. This file is not included with SuperMemo for the following reasons: 

During Update you can check for the latest version of SuperMemo and change your current SuperMemo installation
(Terje, Thursday, September 02, 2004 7:40 PM)
Question:
I have just tried to update my current SuperMemo installation to the latest release build but I received the following message:

You have the latest version of SuperMemo.
When I clicked OK, SuperMemo Install Wizard apparently completed the installation as it reported it as successful. However, when I run SuperMemo and check its version (Help : About), the version ramains the same as the one prior to the installation
Answer:
When you choose the Update installation path, SuperMemo Install Wizard not only checks for the latest version of SuperMemo but it also lets you change the configuration of your current SuperMemo installation (e.g. if you have not created the SuperMemo Start menu folder during your previous installations, it gives you an opportunity to do it during the Update procedure). When you receive the message as the one in the question, it means the you have the latest version of the software installed on your computer and no newer version is currently made available. Once you click OK to the message, SuperMemo Install Wizard attempts to update your current installation with new settings (if you have modified them). If you have not chosen any new settings, SuperMemo Install Wizard will not do anything (as it can be inspected by clicking Show details during the Installing stage) and still reports the procedure as successful (to reassure users no damage to their current installations has been done).

SuperMemo Uninstall Wizard does not remove all folders/files
(SuperMemo Install Wizard Beta, Friday, August 27, 2004 5:07 PM)
Question:
I have decided to uninstall SuperMemo but after the procedure reported complete, I have received the message informing me not all folders/files have been removed.
Answer:
By default, the uninstaller plays it safe and doesn't remove folders/files that SuperMemo Install Wizard didn't create in the first place. Additionally, SuperMemo Uninstall Wizard will not delete any knowledge collections. They will have to be deleted manually at a later time (e.g. in Windows Explorer).

The SuperMemo button will not automatically appear on the Internet Explorer toolbar if you have previously customized the toolbar
(SuperMemo Install Wizard Beta, Tue, Jan 28, 2003 8:46 PM)
Question:
I had checked the Internet Explorer : Add toolbar button option, however, I do not see it on my Internet Explorer toolbar although the installation process was reported successful?
Answer:
If you have customized the Internet Explorer toolbar, the SuperMemo button will not appear on it automatically. The toolbar button will be added to the choices in the Customize Toolbar dialog box and will appear only if the toolbar is reset.
To reset the toolbar, right-click it, and then click Customize available from the toolbar context menu. In the Customize Toolbar dialog box, click Reset.

SuperMemo help file may appear empty if active content is blocked
(MH, Poland, 2006)
Question:
When I double-click on smhelp.chm file, it appears it is empty inside
Answer:
You need to unblock active content. E.g. in Windows Explorer click Properties and then click Unblock