Windows® Users:
- Make sure you have installed a proper sound card. eReader can not function without this.
- Make sure you have Internet Explorer (IE) installed on your computer.
- If you are using eReader 2.0 and it freezes at the opening screen while running on Windows® 2000, try downloading the Windows 2000 Patch.
- If you are using eReader 3.0 and it freezes at the opening screen while running on either Windows® 2000 or XP, try downloading the Windows 2000/XP Patch.
Macintosh® Users:
- The Macintosh version does not have Internet reading capabilities. For more information, see below.
If you still have technical questions, please e-mail eReadersupport@cast.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
- Is CAST eReader networkable?
- Is CAST eReader a screen reader or is it appropriate for someone with a severe visual impairment? Mac OS
- Do you have a Mac OS® demo of CAST eReader?
- I am interested in purchasing the Mac version to read the Internet.
- I am using CAST eReader for Macintosh on a computer connected to my school's network. I can't seem to get out on the Internet. What is wrong?
- Are there any plans to make eReader for OS X?
eReader and Scanning
Some of the most frequent questions we receive are about the use of eReader software and scanners and using scanned files. We have prepared the information below to clarify eReader’s functions and capabilities with regard to scan technology.- What is the relation between eReader software and scanners?
- Does eReader read scanned files?
- What is the relation between eReader software and OCR software?
- Where can I find eReader-compatible files, whether scanned or other?
Voice
- Can I use eReader to read foreign language documents?
- Does eReader use ATT's Natural VoicesTM?
- I just installed CAST eReader for Windows on my computer and when I opened it for the first time, the voice had a lot of echo. What is wrong?
- I cannot turn my voice volume completely off. Why?
- When I switch from Human voice to Synthetic voice while reading a DAISY book, it does not resume from where it left off. Why does this happen and how can I prevent it?
- When I use CAST eReader it is mispronouncing many words. What do I do?
DAISY
- While reading a DAISY book, clicking on Larger Font or Smaller font has no affect on the Table of Contents
- I am reading a DAISY book and want to use the same Mark Place feature I can use in an RTF document but eReader will not let me. Why?
- Where can I get more DAISY 2.02 formatted books?
- Some of my DAISY books have internal hyperlinks for images or long descriptions and page numbers within the story text. When I click on these, I get the message, 'The Page Cannot be Displayed'. Why?
Web and Hyperlinks
- I cannot drag-and-drop a hyperlink from my RTF document into the address bar of the Browser window. Is there a workaround?
- I click on Stop while reading text in a website, but it doesn't always stop immediately. What's wrong?
- I hit the Tab key to move to a different location or element in any website, after I hit Space to stop reading, when I hit Ctlr Right Arrow to start reading from the new location, eReader continues reading from the last location.
- I want to delete a hyperlink in my RTF document, but when I highlight it to delete it, it goes to the website
- When I copy a URL from a website into an RTF document, it doesn't become underlined indicating that it is a hyperlink. Why?
- I created hyperlinks in an eReader RTF document. I then saved my doc. When I opened the RTF file in Microsoft Word, all my links did not work. Why?
- When I surf the web, sometimes a pop-up windows appears and reduces my original window size and I cannot move the pop-up. Why does this happen?
- I created hyperlinks in a Microsoft Word document. I then saved my doc as an RFT file. When I opened the RTF file in eReader, all my links did not work. Why?
- When eReader reads a web page and I have selected Highlight by Word, reading becomes very, very slow. Why does this happen?
Spell Checker
- Why doesn't eReader's Spellchecker highlight a misspelled word?
- When I perform a spell check, when it finds a word that's not in the dictionary, if I type the correctly spelled word, it tells me it is not in the dictionary. Why does it have to be in the dictionary, why can't I just type the correct word and hit Replace?
- Why doesn't eReader's Spellchecker tell me when Find and Replace has completed the task of finding misspelled words and replacing with the correct spelling? I never know if it actually finished.
Setting Defaults and Preferences
- Why can I not choose a font and make it the Default font? I would like to be able to use the same font every time I create a new RTF document.
- Why does eReader not save the background color I have chosen in my RTF document?
- For my RTF document, I have sized it to fit a portion of the screen on the right side. I saved and closed it. When I reopen it, why does eReader open it with a different size and different location then what I originally saved it as?
- When I click on Reset Program Defaults in my Preferences, the dialog box closes and I cannot review the Default values. How can I view the Defaults?
Taskbars and Visual Windows
- When I use the Split Screen feature, I cannot tell which window has focus. Sometimes I use my thumbwheel to scroll only to find that I am scrolling in the web page and not my RTF document.
- When I detach my Browser toolbar, I can only see the address bar and no longer can see the tools buttons. I cannot detach my DAISY toolbar at all.
- I have selected Auto Hide for my computer's task bar. When I maximize CAST eReader, my task bar will not appear when I bring my cursor over the task bar.
- I have minimized one of my open windows, but when I go to restore it, I cannot see the restore button on the minimized window. How can I restore my window?
- I'm using eReader on an XP system. Why can't I Tile or Cascade my windows?
Rich Text Formatted Documents (RTF)
- I used drag-and-drop to copy text and images from one RTF document to another, but it deleted it from the original document. Is this normal?
- In an RTF document, I removed extra carriage returns, but when I selected undo from the Edit menu, it did not return the document to its original orientation. Why?
- In an RTF document or any web page, when I highlight a portion of text and click on Read Highlighted Text, the button gets grayed out when I want to click on it. Why?
- I pasted several lines of text in my RTF document, but when I went to do and Undo in the Edit menu two times, it removed the last pasted line and then it replaced it with the second Undo. Why?
- eReader does not stop reading as it is suppose to at the end of a period when I select Step Ahead Stop. Why won't it stop?
Crashing
- I have just installed CAST eReader for Windows and when I launch it for the first time, the program freezes after displaying the splash screen. What is wrong?
- Occasionally, CAST eReader crashes when closing several windows or when closing eReader itself. What causes this behavior?
General
- Is CAST eReader networkable?
No, at this time CAST eReader is not networkable.
- Is CAST eReader a screen reader or is it appropriate for someone with a severe visual impairment?
CAST eReader is a text reader designed more for users with learning or reading disabilities. A true screen reader for someone with a visual impairment gives the user lots of contextual information. For example, it speaks where the cursor is on the screen or that the cursor just passed over a folder. CAST eReader does not provide context support but does have synchronized highlighting so that users see words as they hear them. This feature can help build word recognition.
Mac OS
- Do you have a Mac OS® demo of CAST eReader?
No, but you may purchase the Macintosh® version and return it during the first 30 days for any reason. We consider this period the trial period.
- I am interested in purchasing the Mac version to read the Internet.
The Mac OS® version does not read the Internet well and unfortunately there are no other products on the market for Macintosh that apply text-to-speech to the Internet. If you want to read basic HTML pages such as HTML books found in the Internet Public Library, eReader does well with those files.
- I am using CAST eReader for Macintosh on a computer connected to my school's network. I can't seem to get out on the Internet. What is wrong?
Your school may use a proxy server. eReader cannot be set to work with a proxy server. Contact CAST at (888) 858-9994 for a patch that will enable you to get to the Internet.
- Are there any plans to make eReader for OS X?
Yes! Please stay tuned.
eReader and Scanning
- What is the relation between eReader software and scanners?
eReader has many features, but it is not a scanner and it doesn’t have a scanner in it. Many people assume that eReader is or has a scanner because the scanning of print and textbook files is so often a step along the way in the process of creating digitized books and other-format books that can be read by screen readers. However, eReader is not part of the scanning process and does not communicate with a scanner during any of its functions. - Does eReader read scanned files?
eReader reads RTF, HTML, and DAISY2 file formats, but not scanned files per se. eReader will be able to read any files that have been scanned by optical character recognition (OCR) software and converted into RTF, HTML, or DAISY2 formats. Most scanners capture text and other information on a page in full; that is, a scanner creates a file that is like a snapshot, or photograph, of a scanned page. Therefore, the scanned page, no matter how many words or images it has on it, is treated as one item. eReader cannot read such a page because there is no text on it, only an image. - What is the relation between eReader software and OCR software?
Optical character recognition (OCR) software creates files that are more than, or different than, an image. OCR recognizes (that’s the ‘R’ in OCR) letters of text and creates a content file accordingly. For example, if you scanned a page with the word “elephant” written across the top using OCR software, the software would ‘recognize’ the letters in the word and recreate those letters in a file. You would then be able to see a file with the word “elephant” written across the top. Different OCR applications create different file formats from scanned material. Any RTF, HTML, or DAISY2 files created by an OCR software application from an original scan are readable by eReader. - Where can I find eReader-compatible files, whether scanned or other?
There are tens of thousands of e-books in formats that are compatible with eReader. Here are a few sources to help you get started: Project Gutenberg, currently hosting over 15,000 e-books of works in the public domain (http://www.gutenberg.org/); BookShare, currently hosting over 20,000 e-books in DAISY format (http://www.bookshare.org/web/Welcome.html); and The Online Books Page, currently hosting over 20,000 e-books (http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/).
Voice
- Can I use eReader to read foreign language documents?
The Windows version of eReader uses the Microsoft SAPI 4.0 and SAPI 5.0 voice engine that does not include foreign language voices. You can download foreign language voices (free of charge) from www.readplease.com that work with eReader.
- Does CAST eReader use AT&T's Natural VoicesTM?
CAST eReader 3.0 for Windows comes with AT&Ts Natural Voices included in the package.
- I just installed CAST eReader for Windows on my computer, and when I opened it for the first time, the voice had a lot of echo. What is wrong?
CAST eReader uses the Microsoft SAPI 4.0 and SAPI 5.0 voice engine. The program does not start with a default voice but randomly picks a voice when first launched. One of the available voices has an echo effect. To change the voice, go to Tools, then to Application Preferences, then to the Voice tab. Choose a voice without an echo from the list, such as Mike or Mary.
- I cannot turn my voice volume completely off. Why?
If you are using AT&T Natural Voices, it is not possible to turn the volume control completely off. Switch to a non-AT&T voice.
- When I switch from human voice to synthetic voice while reading a DAISY book, eReader does not resume reading from where it left off. Why does this happen, and how can I prevent it?
This is a known problem and will be resolved in a future release of eReader. To prevent this from happening, click on "Stop Reading" before changing from human voice to synthetic voice and vice versa.
- When I use CAST eReader it is mispronouncing many words. What do I do?
Both the Mac and Windows versions contain high-end and low-end voices. The phonetic rules for pronunciation are built into the voice engine. A low-end voice doesn't have as many rules as a high-end voice, so it is more apt to mispronounce words. With the Macintosh version, choose Bruce High Quality or Victoria High Quality to achieve better word pronunciation. With the Windows version, choose Mike or Mary. If eReader continues to mispronounce a word, use the Exceptions Dictionary to perfect the pronunciation.
DAISY
- While reading a DAISY book, clicking on Larger Font or Smaller Font has no effect on the Table of Contents.
This is known bug and will be fixed in a future release of eReader.
- I am reading a DAISY book and I want to use the same Mark Place feature I can use in an RTF document, but eReader will not let me. Why?
This feature is not yet available for eReader 3.0. It will become available in a future release.
- Where can I get more DAISY 2.02-formatted books?
As of today, there are very few DAISY 2.02 books. In the near future, eReader will incorporate a key that will enable it to read DAISY books made by Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D). If you would like to be notified when the new version of eReader is released, please sign up for the eReader mailing list by sending an email to eReaderMailList@cast.org.
- Some of my DAISY books have internal hyperlinks for images or long descriptions and page numbers within the story text. When I click on these, I get the message, 'The Page Cannot be Displayed.' Why?
This is a known bug and will be resolved in a future release of eReader.
Web and Hyperlinks
- I cannot drag-and-drop a hyperlink from my RTF document into the address bar of the browser window. Is there a workaround?
Yes. Highlight the hyperlink in your RTF document or Word document, right-click the mouse, select Copy, then Paste in the address bar in your browser window. Press Enter on your keyboard to surf the web site.
- When I click on Stop while reading text in a web site, it doesn't always stop immediately. What's wrong?
While reading text, CAST eReader stores a block of text to be read into its memory. eReader will continue to read until the end of this block.
- When I hit the Tab key to move to a different location or element in a web site (after I hit Space to stop reading), when I hit Ctrl-Right-Arrow to start reading from the new location, eReader continues reading from the last location.
If you cannot use a mouse, you will need to set up your mouse controls for use with a keyboard. Go to Windows Accessibility Options in Control Panel and set control preferences. You will then be able to use keyboard commands to click and highlight a link or image you tabbed to and begin reading from there.
- I want to delete a hyperlink in my RTF document, but when I highlight it to delete it, it goes to the web site.
This is a known bug. You will have to go back to your RTF document outside of eReader, and, while it is still highlighted, hit the delete key.
- When I copy a URL from a web site into an RTF document, it doesn't become underlined indicating that it is a hyperlink. Why?
This is the way eReader 3.0 presently works. For every hyperlink you copy into an RTF document, you will have to create a hyperlink. You can highlight each hyperlink and use the Format > Create Hyperlink method from the main menu, or highlight and use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + L. You will have to create each link one at a time.
- I created hyperlinks in an eReader RTF document. I then saved my document. When I opened the RTF file in Microsoft Word, all my links did not work. Why?
This is a known bug. You will need to open your RTF file in Microsoft Word (outside of eReader) and create each hyperlink individually.
- When I surf the web, sometimes a pop-up window appears and reduces my original window size, and I cannot move the pop-up. Why does this happen?
This is a known bug and will be resolved in a future release of eReader.
- I created hyperlinks in a Microsoft Word document. I then saved my document as an RTF file. When I opened the RTF file in eReader, my links did not work. Why?
This is a known bug. You will need to open your RTF file outside of eReader and create each hyperlink individually.
- When eReader reads a web page and I have selected Highlight by Word, reading becomes very, very slow. Why does this happen?
This is a known bug and will be resolved in a future release of eReader. We have found that it is caused by a memory buffering issue. To avoid this, use Highlight by Sentence.
Spell Checker
- Why doesn't eReader's spell checker highlight a misspelled word?
This is a known bug and will be resolved in a future release of eReader.
- When the spell checker finds a word that's not in its dictionary, and I type the correctly-spelled word, I'm still told the word is not in the dictionary. Why does it have to be in the dictionary? Why can't I just type the correct word and hit Replace?
This is a known bug and will be resolved in a future release of eReader. For now, you will have to first add the new word to the dictionary outside of eReader and then you will be able to replace these words.
- Why doesn't eReader's spell checker tell me when Find and Replace has completed its task? I never know if it actually finished.
This is a known bug and will be resolved in a future release of eReader.
Setting Defaults and Preferences
- Why can't I choose a font and make it the default font? I would like to be able to use the same font every time I create a new RTF document.
This feature has not been implemented in eReader 3.0. It will be available in a future release.
- Why does eReader not save the background color I have chosen in my RTF document?
This feature is not part of eReader 3.0. Future releases may address this question.
- I have sized my RTF document to fit a portion of the screen on the right side. I saved and closed it. When I re-opened the file, its size and location were not what I selected.
This feature is not part of eReader 3.0. Future releases may address this question.
- When I click on Reset Program Defaults in Preferences, the dialog box closes and I cannot review the Default values. How can I view the Defaults?
This a known bug. In order to review the default values, you will need to open the Preferences dialog box once again.
Taskbars and Visual Windows
- When I use the Split Screen feature, I cannot tell which window has focus. Sometimes I use my thumbwheel to scroll, only to find that I am scrolling in a web page and not my RTF document.
All the skins that eReader uses have this effect. The best way to know which window has focus is to look at the Title bar at the very top of the main screen.
- When I detach my browser toolbar, I can only see the address bar and no longer can see the tools buttons. I cannot detach my DAISY toolbar at all.
This is a known bug and will be resolved in a future release of eReader.
- I have selected Auto Hide for my computer's task bar. When I maximize CAST eReader, my task bar will not appear when I bring my cursor over the task bar.
This is a known bug in CAST eReader. Until a fix becomes available, do not maximize CAST eReader when using Auto Hide. Size eReader's main window so that the task bar will have enough room to appear.
- I have minimized one of my open windows, but when I go to restore it, I cannot see the restore button on the minimized window. How can I restore my window?
This is related to skins. Some skins provide more graphical detail than others. You can change to a different skin where more graphical detail will display and allow you to see the restore button. Some skins only display the System menu, others display Minimize, Restore, and Maximize, while others may not display anything or just the Close button.
- I'm using eReader on an XP system. Why can't I Tile or Cascade my windows?
This is a known bug. You will need to manually Tile or Cascade your windows.
Rich Text Formatted Documents (RTF)
- I used drag-and-drop to try to copy text and images from one RTF document to another, but the selected text and images were deleted from the original document. Is this normal?
Yes, this is normal. You must use the copy and paste functions.
- In an RTF document, I removed extra carriage returns, but when I selected undo from the Edit menu, it did not return the document to its original orientation. Why?
This is a known bug and will be resolved in a future release of eReader.
- In an RTF document or a web page, when I highlight a portion of text and click on Read Highlighted Text, the button gets grayed out when I want to click on it. Why?
If you have enabled Speak Menus and Tool tips in Preferences, when you click on the Read Highlighted Text button, it must first speak the tool tip name, i.e., "Read Highlighted Text," before it will allow you to click on the button itself. While it is reading the tool tip, the button goes gray temporarily. Once eReader finishes reading the tool tip, it will then allow you to click on it and read the text you highlighted. This feature can be disabled.
- I pasted several lines of text in an RTF document, but when I went to Undo in the Edit menu two times, it removed the last pasted line and then it replaced it with the second Undo. Why?
This is a known bug and will be resolved in the next version of eReader.
- CAST eReader does not stop reading as it is supposed to at the end of a period when I select Step Ahead Stop. Why won't it stop?
If the period comes before end quotation marks it will not stop. It is treated as all one sentence. Move the period after the quotation mark.
Crashing
- I have just installed CAST eReader for Windows, and when I launch it for the first time, the program freezes after displaying the splash screen. What is wrong?
CAST eReader is freezing when it loads the voice engine because the user has insufficient permissions on the computer. To resolve this problem, you must install the Permissions Enabler disk, which comes in the eReader package. There is also a downloadable patch on this web page. Go to: top and download the Windows 2000/XP Patch and run Set-up.
- Occasionally, CAST eReader crashes when closing several windows or when closing itself. What causes this?
At this time, CAST is aware of this bug and will be providing a fix. When you open several windows and want to close them, try closing them slowly, one at a time. Before closing eReader, wait a few seconds to allow other windows to completely close down. When you open new windows, wait a few seconds to allow the new window to completely open, then open another window. Save documents frequently to be sure all your work is saved and to allow eReader to clear its memory buffers. This will allow eReader to have less memory to manage and allow other functions more memory space.
