VistaType LP
Colors

Installing VistaType LP

Three steps and a restart. No administrator password.

  1. Close Word and Outlook

    Both hold the files open. The installer will stop and remind you if either is still running.

  2. Run the installer

    Double-click VistaType LP and Braille Macros Setup. If Windows shows a blue “Windows protected your PC” message, choose More info then Run anyway — that appears because the installer is not code-signed.

    Click through the wizard and finish. It takes under a minute.

  3. Restart the computer

    Signing out of Windows and back in does just as well. Everything except the typeface works straight away; the VistaTypeLP Sans typeface is installed for you personally rather than for the whole machine — which is what avoids the administrator password — and Windows only takes personal typefaces into use when you sign in. Until you do, Word cannot see it and it shows grayed out on the attach large-print template dialog.

Validating the installation

  1. Open Word — a blank document is fine.
  2. Look along the ribbon for the VistaType LP and Braille Macros tabs.
  3. Click VistaType LP → Help → Version & Updates. If a message appears, the macros are running and the VistaType LP version should match the version number shown on the installer.

If the tabs are there, the version matches the installer, and the buttons respond, you are ready to go.

What it changes on your computer

  • The macros go into your STARTUP folder for Word, so they load every time Word opens.
  • The large-print template goes into your Templates folder for Word.
  • The VistaTypeLP Sans typeface goes into your personal Fonts folder, along with its license. It is deliberately left in place if you uninstall: a book VistaType LP set in it carries its own copy inside the file and is safe either way, but a document typed in it by hand carries nothing, and taking the typeface off the machine would change how that document sets.
  • Two new tabs are added to Word's ribbon. Your tabs are not replaced, and you can hide, rename or reorder the new tabs within the ribbon.
  • Quick Access Toolbar icons — you choose during the install what happens here. Your own toolbar is saved first, and you can have it back at any time.
  • Trust settings are adjusted so that Word will run the macros.

Upgrading? Close Word first, then run the new installer straight over the top. There is no need to uninstall the old version. If Word is open, the install quietly does nothing and the About box still shows the old version.

If something is wrong

The full installation guide covers the Quick Access Toolbar choices, arranging the ribbon tabs, uninstalling, and troubleshooting — including missing tabs, buttons that do nothing, duplicate tabs after an upgrade, and macro security warnings.

Read the full installation guide, or write to jerry@vistatypelp.org.