SuperMemo editing disabled all of a sudden!: Difference between revisions

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=== SuperMemo 2004 on Windows 8.1 ===
=== SuperMemo 2004 on Windows 8.1 ===
==== problem ====


I have downloaded SuperMemo 2004. I would really like to learn incremental reading, but when I click the article I cannot modify the text. I can use only backspace to delete letters and words but I cannot add any letters, words, or sentences on my own. Unlike Windows 8, Windows 8.1 I am running on comes preinstalled with Internet Explorer 11. What can I do to make things work?
I have downloaded SuperMemo 2004. I would really like to learn incremental reading, but when I click the article I cannot modify the text. I can use only backspace to delete letters and words but I cannot add any letters, words, or sentences on my own. Unlike Windows 8, Windows 8.1 I am running on comes preinstalled with Internet Explorer 11. What can I do to make things work?
==== workarounds ====
You might try going back to earlier explorer (see: http://www.technorms.com/34477/uninstall-internet-explorer-11 or http://www.wikihow.com/Uninstall-Internet-Explorer-11-for-Windows-7). It seems SuperMemo will need to release a newer/better freeware version. This make take some time though.


== Windows 8, SuperMemo 15 ==
== Windows 8, SuperMemo 15 ==

Revision as of 23:33, 29 September 2015

SUMMARY

Recent updates to Windows (Apr 2014) cause editing problems in older SuperMemos. The only known solution to-date is to disable the problematic update. In particular, uninstalling Internet Explorer 11 seems to resolve the issue.

There have been no reports of problems with SuperMemo 16.

Answer

Windows XP

Windows XP is probably unaffected. It did not receive the update (XP support ended at the same time). It does not use newer versions of Internet Explorer.

Windows Vista/7, SuperMemo 2004/2006/2008

Uninstalling Internet Explorer 11 seems to have solved the problem in all cases reported

Here you can find the procedure to uninstall Internet Explorer 11, just follow the steps and the problem would be resolved (SuperMemo 2008)

http://www.wikihow.com/Uninstall-Internet-Explorer-11-for-Windows-7

Windows 8, SuperMemo 2004/2006/2008

Internet Explorer can only be deactivated. Please see if you can locate and disable the update from Apr 9, 2014 (the day after the support for XP ended)

SuperMemo 2004 on Windows 8.1

problem

I have downloaded SuperMemo 2004. I would really like to learn incremental reading, but when I click the article I cannot modify the text. I can use only backspace to delete letters and words but I cannot add any letters, words, or sentences on my own. Unlike Windows 8, Windows 8.1 I am running on comes preinstalled with Internet Explorer 11. What can I do to make things work?

workarounds

You might try going back to earlier explorer (see: http://www.technorms.com/34477/uninstall-internet-explorer-11 or http://www.wikihow.com/Uninstall-Internet-Explorer-11-for-Windows-7). It seems SuperMemo will need to release a newer/better freeware version. This make take some time though.

Windows 8, SuperMemo 15

We had only two reports of problems with SuperMemo 15 in Windows 8 on Microsoft Surface. Please be sure you have the most up to date version of SuperMemo 15: http://super-memory.com/english/down.htm

The newest SuperMemo 15 in the newest Windows with the newest Internet Explorer does not seem to be affected.

Windows 8, SuperMemo 16

Until now, there have not been any complaints about Internet Explorer 11 and Windows Update in Windows 8 in SuperMemos 16. SuperMemo 16 seems to work flawlessly in Windows 8 with the newest version of Internet Explorer.

Links

Windows Update

  • Several similar cases in succession indicate the problem is caused by a recent update to Windows (with Internet Explorer 11). Please use Help : E-mail : Bug report to submit your version of SuperMemo, IE, Windows, etc.
  • Recent security update to Internet Explorer 11: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2936068
  • Bugs in past IE updates were usually fixed with the successive update (within weeks). Disabling the update in the meantime is the only option known.

Severity

Your data is safe and will not be affected. The problem is related to the behavior of Internet Explorer when interfaced by older SuperMemos. The IE update might include a bug that disabled editing in SuperMemo. This could also be a case of IE ditching some prior functionality, which would be a rare, breaking change, that is bound to cause serious inconvenience to users of older versions of SuperMemo.

Original hints: Things to try

  • see if Ctrl+E, Q, A or a similar keyboard shortcut allows of editing (e.g. in case the problem was mouse related)
  • undo the most recent IE/Windows update (at last for a while)
  • resetting Internet Explorer to config defaults
  • this will probably not help: reinstalling Internet Explorer (Microsoft's support for IE8 ended on Apr 8, 2014, and that browser might now be vulnerable to malware infections)
  • this will probably not work: repair Windows

technical

In IE11, Microsoft ditched support for some of objects and methods. This might be the reason for the incompatibility. It is unclear if this is a temporary glitch, or if this means that IE11 is dead for older SuperMemos (or older SuperMemos are dead if you want to use Internet Explorer 11).

Feedback

If you find a solution, do not forget to write back!

Individual cases

Several cases have been pasted below to make it easier to find this page with different keywords:

Joe's case, Apr 11

SuperMemo 2004, Windows 7, IE ver. 11

I've used Supermemo for years without any problems (I bought Supermemo 2004).

For no reason whatsoever, while going through one of my reviews, I noticed a mistake I made with one of my element's question and tried to edit it... but couldn't. I thought it was just that element, and tried to edit a different one... couldn't either. I tried using an entirely different collection, and neither the answer nor question field couldn't be edited at all. I tried the solution given here:

http://www.super-memory.com/help/faq/archive2005-2008.htm And that also didn't work. Really, the only time I can actually type in the question and answer field, is when I add a new element. If I add another new one, then come back, I magically can't edit anymore.

Please help. This collection has THOUSANDS of elements all of which I wouldn't be able to make any edits at all! I've gone through the online documentation as best as I can all to no avail. I've never had problems making edits before today and this is driving me crazy. If it helps any, I'm in Windows7, and the supermemo version is 2004. I've ported that copy over the years to different computers as I've bought new computers over the years, but like I said, I've never had this problem ever, even in this relatively new computer until today.

Your help would be highly appreciated.

Sam's case, Apr 12

SuperMemo 2006, Windows 7, Firefox, IE ver. 11.0.9600.17041

My computer restarted itself while Supermemo was open and now it won't let me type in anything on any of my collections even after trying to reopen and repair them.

Richard's case, Apr 15

SuperMemo 2006

My collection that was created within supermemo 2006 seems to have become read- only. I am unable to edit old questions and answers or create new ones. The actual learning process is still intact. In other words, I can still view & learn already created materials. However, I can not add anything new to this collection. Please help me. I have a separate collection that also seems to have become read only. So it seems to be something global happening to my supermemo. Whatever is happening prevents me from typing. All of the other features, menus, and buttons of super memo appear to work.

Please help me. I am getting desperate. This is over 7 years worth of information gathered in this collection.

Szymon's case, Apr 16

SuperMemo 2004, Windows XP

I've encountered a serious problem while using Supermemo 2004. One day I was unable to edit the fields of Answer and Question. I did not change anything in the setup and the problem appeared overnight. I upgraded my version to the trial one - Supermemo 2008. It changed for better as after moving back to the previous element just after creating the new one and returning to the new one it is possible to edit. However, it still seems to be a nuisance. What is worse, I am afraid it might change for worse one day without the possibility of editing as it was in case of Supermemo 2004. I want to buy Supermemo 2008 but could you explain what the problem is behind this nuisance. best regards

Windows 8.1 case

SuperMemo 2004, Windows 8.1

I´ve been trying out supermemo 2004 on Windows 8.1 for almost 2 months and I´ve been happy with the results, but recently a rather annoying problem has appeared in my copy of SuperMemo: whenever I import an article using Ctrl+Alt+N (or any other Import Article button), I can´t select any text to extract fragments through a regular left-click “drag” selection; instead I have to right-click wherever my selection starts, then Shift+left-click where I want my selection to end.

Afterwards, when I click con “extract fragment”, it creates the new fragment topic alright, but then sends me back to the beginning of the article.

My left-right mouse clicks are not inverted since the contextual menu shows up when I´m selecting with the right click. I can´t edit any text either with my keyboard even though the edit mode is activated; to delete any text I have to select it through the manner described above, then go to cut/copy/paste on the contextual menu and choose delete.

Normal “drag” selection comes back if I change text from Full HTML to Read only, but then the extract fragment buttons wont work.

This wasn´t happening until a few days ago but now it happens with every element, both ítems and articles are affected. I tried creating a new collection but it still happened there. I also tried deleting the SuperMemo files and unzipping the original zip file again, basically “reinstalling” the program but the problem still persists.

Though this problem doesn´t break the Incremental Reading functionality, it makes it really annoying and even frustrating to use, so I was hoping you could help me figure out a solution to this problem. I´m saving money to buy SuperMemo 15 or 16, but it will take a few months and in the mean time I´ll need to keep using super memo 12.


Thank you very much in advance.

Roope case

SuperMemo 2004

I'm using Supermemo 2004. Some time ago I noticed that I can't add new items or paste articles. When I press "Add New"-button, Supermemo opens a new item, but I can't write anything to it. When I try to add articles with Ctr+Alt+N, internet explorer opens, but the article isn't added to the collection. I tried finding a solution through FAQ, but didn't find anything that would work.

Randall case

SuperMemo 15, Surface (Windows 8)

I've been using Supermemo since 2011, and Supermemo 15 since I bought a Microsoft Surface with Windows 8 (probably about 2 years ago?). Yesterday, my windows 8 was updated to a new version and my Supermemo 15 stopped working properly. I could still do repetitions, but I could not add new items. I could not type new information into the program, and the Kloze function did not appear to be working properly. I was initially panicked since I have over 30,000 items in the program and use it every day. However, I saw that there was a new version, so I upgraded to SuperMemo 16

Feedback

Feedback 1

Joe B. wrote:

Ah! brilliant. I just uninstalled version 11 of IE that seems to have solved the problem!

Thank you very much for not abandoning me, I'm actually pretty relieved this worked out :)

Thanks again.

Joe

Feedback 2

Sam wrote after uninstalling IE11:

All sorted so thanks for your prompt help.

How odd, but thankfully I don't use IE much.

Keywords

edit, editing, SuperMemo 2004, SuperMemo 2006, SuperMemo 2008, SuperMemo 15, SuperMemo 16, Internet Explorer, update, Windows, Surface, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 uninstall, can't edit, cannot edit, editing stopped, editing disabled