Downloading, Installing and Starting Crossword Express:-

Downloading Crossword Express
The file you will download is called CrosswordExpress.zip. When it is downloaded, the file will be found in your normal download folder, as defined in Preferences for the web browser you are using. Both Windows and iMac users should note that the .zip extension may be missing from the file name. This is due to an OS option setting which, if turned on, will remove certain common extensions from file names. Examples of this are .zip .jar .com .exe .jpg and some others. Try not to be confused by this. The files will still work as described.



Installing Crossword Express
There are slight differences in the installation process, depending on the computer you are using. The following describes the steps for iMac and Windows. Using this information, you should have no difficulty installing on computers having other OSs.
  • Apple iMac
    • A double click on the icon for the CrosswordExpress.zip file will result in the creation of a new folder named CrosswordExpress, which will be placed in the same folder as the .zip file.
    • This CrosswordExpress folder contains all of the elements of the Crossword Express program, and should be moved to any location you prefer on your hard drive. The Applications folder would be the most logical choice for this.

  • Windows The steps involved in installing the program on a Windows computer are a little more complicated and so they are spelt out in detail in the following:-
    • Download a copy of the CrosswordExpress.zip file. It is assumed that this will appear in a Download folder somewhere on your computer.
    • Move this file from the Download folder onto the Desktop.
    • Right click on the icon of the .zip file. This will give you a popup menu containing an item called Extract All… Click this item.
    • This should give you a dialog which you can use to control the extraction process. It should contain a Browse… button.
    • Clicking the browse button gives you a selection box from which you can select a destination. Click Desktop as your chosen destination.
    • Click OK. This returns you to the Extract All dialog.
    • Now you can click Extract to complete the unzipping operation.
    • A new folder called CrosswordExpress will appear on the Desktop. Double click the icon of this folder to see the contents.
    • You can now start Crossword Express by following the instructions in the next paragraph.
Starting Crossword Express
  • Open the CrosswordExpress folder in the location where you have installed it.
  • Look for the file CrosswordExpress.jar, remembering that the .jar extension may be missing.
  • Right click the file, and select the Open with... option.
  • On iMac select the Jar Launcher.app option, and on Windows select the Java(TM) Platform SE binary option to start the program.
  • If the option mentioned above doesn't appear on your computer, it indicates that the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) has not yet been installed on your computer. Refer to Common setting-up problems... for the simple remedy to this problem.
  • For greater convenience, iMac users can create an alias for CrosswordExpress.jar, and drag it onto the Desktop, while Windows users can similarly create a shortcut and place it on their Desktop.
  • Begin exploring the world of Crossword Express.
Common setting-up problems...

  • A commonly reported problem is that there is no CrosswordExpress.jar file when the downloaded file is un-zipped. Normally it is only Windows users who report this problem, and it is caused by an inappropriate setting in the Folder Options item of the Control Panel. To correct this, select the View tab in Folder Options and make sure that the Hide extensions for known file types check-box is not checked. This will allow the full name of CrosswordExpress.jar to be displayed. You will then find that the file is present and correct.

  • The executable file of Crossword Express is CrosswordExpress.jar Such files (having a .jar extension) will run on any computer which has a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed. If it fails to run on your computer, it simply means that your computer has not yet been equipped with a JRE. This is easily remedied:-
    • For Windows.
      Select Start / Control Panel / Java / Update.
      Clicking the Update Now button will either tell you that you have the correct version already installed, or it will automatically install the correct version.

      For detailed assistance on the subject, visit  https://java.com/en/download/faq/java_win64bit.xml 

    • For iMAc.
      Select Settings / Java / Update
      The resulting dialog will tell you the version of Java you have installed. If this is not the recommended version, an Update button will appear, and you can use this to download the correct version.

      For detailed assistance on the subject, visit  https://java.com/en/download/help/mac_install.xml 

  • Even after installing the latest JRE software, it is possible that the program may not run on some Windows computers. This is caused by the association between .jar files and the program which runs them having been hijacked by some other misbehaving program. There are several free software tools available which will heal this problem, and one which has been found effective can be downloaded from
     http://johann.loefflmann.net/en/software/jarfix/index.html 

What to do next...

  • If you decide you don't wish to continue using the program, it is very easy to remove from your computer. Simply drag the CrosswordExpress folder to your Recycle bin, and it is gone forever. If you made a shortcut, then naturally you should drop that in the bin as well.

  • If you like the program, but you have some reservations, you may send bug reports and suggestions to  my email address.  Please don't be alarmed or offended if you don't receive a reply to such communications. I will be spending my time correcting the program, and generally improving its performance.

  • If you really like the program, you could help by doing one or more of the following:-
    • Tell all of your friends about it.
    • If you have a web site of your own, a link to www.crauswords.com would be very helpful.
    • If you are a teacher of students who enjoy the puzzles, please make sure they know that they also can install a copy on their own computer at school or at home.
    • Mentioning Crossword Express on social media would be an excellent way of ensuring that it does not become extinct.