FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The FAQ is divided into the following sections:
Installation
Editing with PerfectIt
Problems running PerfectIt
Purchasing
Installation
What are the system requirements for PerfectIt?
PerfectIt requires Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows Vista. It works
with MS Word 2000, MS Word 2002, MS Word 2003 and MS Word 2007.
If you're working with very large documents (more than 100 pages) then
faster processors and more memory will make a significant difference to
the speed with which PerfectIt gathers information.
I don't see the PerfectIt icon in my toolbar, how can I load it?
See if PerfectIt is in the menu bar (it should be in the "Tools" menu and
can be run from here). If it is not, PerfectIt should be added manually.
In Word 2000/XP/2003, right-click on the toolbar and click on 'Customize' from
the menu that appears. A dialog box will appear. This is shown below.
Adding the PerfectIt icon to MS Word
As pictured above, click the 'Commands' tab, then the 'Tools' label, then
drag the label for COM add-ins to the toolbar. An icon for COM
Add-ins will be created in the toolbar. Click on that icon
and see if PerfectIt is in the box labelled 'Add-ins available'. If it is
there, make sure it is ticked. If it is not there, click on
the button called 'Add'. Browse to the folder where PerfectIt was
installed (usually C:\Program files\PerfectIt). Then click on
the file called PerfectIt.dll. Then choose 'OK'. Make
sure the box for PerfectIt is ticked and then click on 'OK' again.
If PerfectIt still does not appear, security settings may be set to
disable it. Click on the 'Help' menu in MS Word. Click on
'About Microsoft Office Word'. In the lower right-hand
corner, click on the button labelled 'Disabled items'. If PerfectIt
is in the list, then click on it and then click on 'Enable'.
In Word 2007, right-click on the ribbon and select 'Customise quick access
toolbar'. Select 'Add-ins' from the list on the left and
click on the button labelled 'Go...'. A screen like the one
below will load:
The add-ins dialog
Make sure that the checkbox for PerfectIt is ticked. If PerfectIt
is not in the list, click on the button called 'Add...' and then browse to
the folder where PerfectIt was installed, usually 'C:\Program
Files\PerfectIt'. Then click on PerfectIt.dll and choose 'OK'.
Still can't see an icon for PerfectIt? We're here to
help. Before you contact us, it's just worth trying to repeat that
installation. Restart your computer. Then start the
PerfectIt installation before you run any other files. When
it is finished, load Word and see if it is there. If it's not,
contact technical support and we'll get you up and running.
I paid for PerfectIt, how do I get rid of the purchase reminder?
When you purchased PerfectIt, you should have received an email with your
license key. If you have not, please contact technical support.
When you have received your license key, start MS Word and run
PerfectIt. When the purchase reminder loads, click on the button
labelled 'Register'. Then enter your name, email and license
key and click 'Submit'.
Editing with PerfectIt
What type of documents does PerfectIt work with?
PerfectIt works with all English language documents produced in Word.
PerfectIt is most likely to find errors in documents that are:
- Long (documents over 1,000 words are particularly prone to consistency errors)
- Produced by multiple authors
When should I use PerfectIt?
PerfectIt is intended as one of the last checks that you do on your document
before it goes to your client or out to press. For the best
results, we recommend you run it right before you do a final spell
check / read through.
In the main box, I see words called "fixed" or "adjusted" or "no error
found" – what do they mean?
After you run a test, each line in the box labelled 'locations to check'
represents a point in your document. Click the label and it takes
you to that point in the text. After you click 'Fix', the label
changes to 'fixed'. If you click on 'Undo' in PerfectIt, it
changes back. If you decide to change the entry yourself
(instead of clicking on 'Fix') then the text will change to
'adjusted'. If you delete the point in the document, it will change to 'no error
found'. Once it switches to adjusted/no error found, the text at
that location cannot be changed by PerfectIt but can be changed by
typing directly into MS Word.
Can I edit my document while I run PerfectIt?
You cannot edit documents while PerfectIt is running a test. When
each test finishes, you can jump back and forth between the document
and PerfectIt (exactly like a spell checker). Sometimes PerfectIt
will suggest that changes go directly into Word and users can switch
back and forth freely. In general, we recommend that the
changes you make while PerfectIt is running should be smaller changes (editing
individual words, phrases or paragraphs). If you decide to
dramatically alter the document (for example by adding pages of text or
large tables or graphics), PerfectIt should be restarted so that it can
gather information on these changes.
Do I still need to use spelling and grammar check?
PerfectIt does not check spelling and grammar and is not intended to replace the
grammar and spelling checker that are built into Word. We
recommend using PerfectIt with these tools, not as a replacement for them.
I pressed "Fix" but nothing happened. What do I do next?
PerfectIt does not jump to the next error when you press "Fix". It
gives you the chance to look through the changes at each location. When
you are satisfied that all changes have been made, click "Next" to show
the next error.
Why do errors come up on abbreviations when
my document already has a 'Table of Abbreviations' in it?
PerfectIt tests to see if your document has a Table of Abbreviations. If a
Table of Abbreviations is found, PerfectIt will find errors if:
- An abbreviation is defined in the main text (i.e. outside of the Table of
Abbreviations) but used without the definition before it is defined
- An abbreviation is defined more than once in the main text
(i.e. excluding the definition in the Table of Abbreviations
- An abbreviation is found that has not been defined in the
main text and does not appear in the Table of Abbreviations
- An abbreviation is spelled out in full after it has been defined in the
main text (i.e. excluding the definition in the Table of Abbreviations.
PerfectIt will also produce a Table of Abbreviations for documents that already
have a Table of Abbreviations. This will show any abbreviations
that do not appear to be in the Table of Abbreviations marked out
separately.
In some instances, there may be a Table of Abbreviations that PerfectIt is not
able to find. These are rare.
However, if this happens, authors may wish to disregard the errors above.
Problems with PerfectIt
After I run PerfectIt, why is my document filled with bookmarks?
If PerfectIt exits unexpectedly, it is possible that it will leave behind
some bookmarks where it located possible errors. These are
completely harmless. However, you can easily remove them just
by loading PerfectIt and then closing it again.
Why is the fix button disabled / greyed out?
There are a number of times when PerfectIt will disable the
'Fix' button. These include:
- After you click 'fix'
- If the text at the location of an error has been altered or deleted
The first instance of some abbreviation tests where the text is shown for
convenience, not for alteration (for example, where a definition has
been defined twice, the first instance should not be altered and 'Fix'
is greyed out.
Some tests where PerfectIt does not know what the
replacement should be (e.g. editorial comments). In these
instances, edits should go directly into MS Word.
How can I make PerfectIt run faster?
After you press the 'Start' button, PerfectIt needs to gather lots of
information about your document. That can take time. The
bad news is that the longer your document is, the longer PerfectIt will
take to gather information. The good news is that once the
initial gathering is over, PerfectIt runs all of the tests much
faster.
It's worth understanding that PerfectIt works by
running hundreds of searches per second. The longer a
document is, the longer each search takes. Also, the longer a document
is, the more searches that PerfectIt will have to run. This is
especially the case with documents over 100 pages. With
shorter documents, PerfectIt will run faster.
Why can't I use PerfectIt to enforce my company's style guide?
Every company has its own style. PerfectIt tests the internal
consistency of a document. However, it has no way of knowing if a
document that is internally consistent is in line with all of the
company's guidelines. If you need to enforce the rules of a
style guide, we have developed PerfectIt Custom Build. Our
programmers can create a bespoke version of PerfectIt that can check that documents
conform to a house style. Please contact us for more
information.
Purchasing
What's wrong with the free version?
There's nothing wrong with the free version. Apart from the reminder
screen, the free version is identical to the full version.
However, the free version is not free. When the trial license
expires, PerfectIt will not load. To use PerfectIt after the
evaluation period, you will need to purchase the full version.
Do I have to buy online?
Buying online is the easiest and fastest way to purchase PerfectIt. Our
credit card system is reliable, well-established and well known for
software payments. However, if you prefer to pay by cheque
(or other methods), please get in touch and we can arrange that.
There may be a small admin fee to cover any costs we incur.