| This list has been collected: Nov 1, 2000 - Apr 13, 2002 |
(Vaclav Losik, Czech Republic, Apr 10, 1997)
Question:
How to complete missing translations reported by File : Repair collection?
Answer:
If at recovery you get messages like Missing translation for Member #186:
"virtually every" you can fill out the translation using the following
procedure:
- choose Search : Text registry
- paste in the editing field the text whose translation is missing (e.g. virtually every)
- type in the translation in the translation pane of the registry window (bottom-right)
(Jan
Gromadzki, Poland, Jul 11, 1998)
Question:
I bought Advanced English 97 and I cannot pass through the
introduction. There are arrows pointing to icons that ... do not exist. What is wrong?
Answer:
You need a sound board installed in your computer (this is listed among minimum requirements!). Some script
commands do not work without a sound board and the introduction part is largely run by
scripts. If you want to use Advanced English without sound do the following:
- press Ctrl+O (to run Options dialog box)
- choose Data access tab
- check Full Access radio button (this will turn the access mode to Full as opposed to Read-Only that is set at the beginning of the introduction)
- uncheck Hide Navigation (to show the navigation toolbar that is otherwise turned on by scripts after introducing the user to other complexities of the program)
- delete the path showed in Secondary storage (this path shows where to look for sound files used by Advanced English; without a sound board those files are useless and deleting the path will speed up the program)
(Clarito Dimayuga, MD, USA, Sep
14, 1998)
Question:
Answer:
The graphs available from Tools : Statistics : Analysis are not exactly supposed to speed up learning. Their main function is to assist you in understanding the algorithm used in SuperMemo and in monitoring the learning process. Obviously, once you understand the graphs, your enhanced knowledge of your memory and the learning process may appear helpful in better organizing your work. Read more: Analysis of the learning process
(Clive
Hayden, Poland, Oct 19, 1998)
Question:
How can I best upgrade my SuperMemo 7 files to SuperMemo 2000?
Answer:
Use File : Tools : Import : From SuperMemo 7. Note, that you need to have
the file sm7imprt.exe in your bin subfolder.
This file can be downloaded free from the download page
(Neville
Bailey, Australia, Dec 5, 1998)
Question:
I have previously used SuperMemo 6 and SuperMemo 7. There was always a printable manual
file with the software. I cannot find anything like that on your website. Is there a
manual to download or order?
Answer:
No. As of 1997, all our documentation is provided as hypertext that does not have a
structure that can be printed and processed linearly (i.e. page by page). We
are proud to adopt the environmentally-friendly electronic publishing
If you insist on having the help in a printed form, the best thing you might do is to go to www.supermemo.com/help/guide.htm, print that page, follow hyperlinks to material that you do not understand and print it as you go. Alternatively you might Teleport the whole www.supermemo.com/help folder and print all pages one by one; however, you may find it hard to select the appropriate reading sequence
Question:
How can I empty a ClipBox? In SuperMemo 8, it would empty by a click
Answer:
In new SuperMemo, you have to Ctrl+click. This is a protection from losing the
contents of the ClipBox too easily
(Manfred
Kremer, Germany, Nov 11, 1998)
Question:
Recently, I have been using SuperMemo to learn economics. This would actually require the
inclusion of a lot of mathematical expressions, including integrals, fractions, etc. So
far I did not find a good way to do this. It would be nice to have an interface to display
either TeX, or postscript, or to have a formula editor included in SuperMemo. But maybe I
have overlooked something, and there is a possibility already provided?
Answer:
In SuperMemo 2000, you can either (1) use the HTML
component and use all HTML extensions that might be useful in displaying expressions
or (2) use the OLE component to display expressions edited in your
favorite equation editor as long as it supports OLE
(Michael
Baerlin, USA, Nov 20, 1998)
Question:
Is there a flashcard mode in which I could randomly display questions and answers for a
short period of time (user defined)? I like the idea of sitting there and reviewing the
answer without having to touch the keyboard or mouse
Answer:
No. We believe that random reviews are not recommended in the learning process. They
interfere with computations made by SuperMemo in reference to optimum repetition spacing.
Interference is unavoidable but should be minimized. SuperMemo
2000 still includes Tools : Random review (shortcut F11)
and a number of other random review options; however, these are intended only for (1)
collection authors (to review the material in preparation) and/or (2) for learning new
material at random
(Eric
Thompson, USA, Dec 15, 1998)
Question:
One important function I cannot find is regarding the contents window. I cannot seem to move elements around for
flexible organization. Ideally, I would like to move elements around like I do in Windows
Explorer
Answer:
You can drag and drop individual elements with the mouse. However, for more
flexibility you will need to enter the professional level by choosing File : Level : Professional. At the
top of the contents window you will be able to choose from several dragging modes as well
as to open another contents window to drag between windows.
For example, to create a new folder at the place of the current selection, simply press Ins.
To drag some elements into this folder choose Add as last child dragging
mode (combo box at the top of the contents window), grab individual elements with the
mouse, drag them and drop them onto the newly created folder
(Petr
Bajer, Czech Republic, Dec 30, 1998)
Question:
I have a couple of separate collections. Does SuperMemo keep
a global learning optimization data or data stored in individual collections are
independent?
Answer:
All collections keep independent optimization data (\info\sm8opt.dat
file). That is why we recommend you keep all your knowledge in one collection. You can
freely swap sm8opt.dat files (for example, to speed up the convergence of the learning
algorithm in a new collection)
(Michael Duggan, Canada, Jan 27, 1999)
Question:
I am having difficulty doing my final drill in one of my files. I am down to the
last few elements and every time I hit the Next repetition button the same element remains
on the screen and the counter doesn't show any movement. Any suggestions?
Answer:
It is hard to diagnose what has actually happened but if you use Learn : Cut drills the
problem will definitely go away
(Tom Scott, Feb 12, 1999)
Question:
I just came across your website. Is it difficult to prepare material for learning
with SuperMemo?
Answer:
No. The most popular approach is to create pairs of questions and answers. You
just press Ctrl+A (to add a new element) and type in the question and the answer.
That's all. Then you just click Learn to start learning.
You can build huge collections and learn effectively for years using only text, questions
and answers. Adding images, sounds, video, etc. requires some more hard disk space and 2-3
more steps (such as: add an image component and import an image file, etc.)
See: Learn SuperMemo in 30 days
(A.M.V.C.Raju, Malaysia, Feb
15, 1999)
Question:
For some time now, when I start SuperMemo I get a message DZIP32.DLL file is
not found. Program seems to work fine. Is it dangerous? I worry about losing my 700
items
Answer:
This message is not generated by SuperMemo. Neither does SuperMemo use such a
DLL. Perhaps you should ask an expert to have a look at your computer.
(NB: the user has later confirmed that the same message was also cropping up when MS Word
started)
(Marek Futrega, Poland, Feb
25, 1999)
Question:
I upgraded from SuperMemo 8 to SuperMemo 2000 and noticed that Ctrl+H does not
work any more. When I select a word on the list and choose Browse,
I always get No elements found
Answer:
This is a limitation of the upgrade procedure. Due to a change in the format of
the lexicon registry, the registry is deleted during the upgrade. It is enough to choose File
: Repair collection and check Rebuild lexicon to create new
lexicon registry and restore the previous functionality
(Kazimierz Bigus, Poland,
Mar 1, 1999)
Question:
How can I quickly change the color of newly added items?
Answer:
Add a new item (Ctrl+A), choose Color on the element menu, select the color and choose Save as default
(Ctrl+Alt+S). This will save the item with the changed color as the default template that will be used in adding new items
(Kazimierz Bigus, Poland,
Mar 1, 1999)
Question:
How can I transfer only a subset of elements from one collection to another?
Answer:
You have to start from placing your subset of elements in the browser (read
about subsets to select from a number of options). You could
also start from a browser selection and choose Child : Selected in the
browser to open a child browser with selected items. Once you have your elements in the
browser, choose Tools : Transfer on the browser menu
(Frantisek
Kvapil, Czech Republic, Apr 23, 1999)
Question:
I wanted to download the whole website in the CHM format by the link points to
SuperMemo Help.
Answer:
Both SuperMemo Help and the rest of the website are
integrated in the same file
(Tomasz Szkopek, Poland,
Sep 13, 1999)
Question:
I cannot use Polish diacritical characters, e.g. with Alt+C or Alt+S?
Answer:
Please use Tools : Options : SuperMemo : Trim shortcuts. This will turn off couple of
offending shortcuts
(Steven
MacAulay, Austria, Nov 22, 1999)
Question:
All my pages in SuperMemo are grey, is there any way I
can change the colour?
Answer:
Yes, please choose Color on the element pop-up menu.
If you want to make this change permanent for all newly added items, press Ctrl+Alt+S
(for Template : Save as default)
(John
Daniel, USA, Dec 22, 1999)
Question:
Is it necessary to install Internet Explorer to use your help files
off-line?
Answer:
No. You can also use plain HTML help files. For this purpose you would need to
do two things:
- copy the contents of www.supermemo.com/help/ folder to <SuperMemo folder>/help/help folder on your hard disk (for example, if your SuperMemo is located at d:\sm2000\sm2000.exe, you would copy www.supermemo.com/help/index.htm to d:\sm2000\help\help\index.htm, etc.)
- select Tools : Options : SuperMemo : Help system : HTML Help
You could also copy other folders from www.supermemo.com and place them in <SuperMemo folder>/help/ to retain access to some auxiliary articles such as Six steps to excellent memory, Reading the Internet, etc.
(Alex
Lee, Canada, March 20,
2000)
Question:
How do I import gif or jpg files to SuperMemo?
Answer:
This is the simplest procedure:
- Choose File : Level : Middle (or Professional)
- Choose Edit : Add components : Image (alternatively use the compose toolbar)
- Right click the newly added image components, select Import file, and select the file you want to import
Press Ctrl+Alt+S if you would like to import more images using the same template
(L.G., Brazil,
Oct 6,
2000)
Question:
Why can I not transfer my SuperMemo 2000 collections back to SuperMemo 8? Do you try to follow
Microsoft practices of forcing people into upgrades?
Answer:
Not at all! The reasons are purely technical. New
features are often not supported by old versions and cannot be transferred. For
similar reasons you cannot transfer Windows applications back to DOS. Partial
transfer can be made by exporting collections as text. However, even this format
has undergone change and many features will be lost on the way. For example,
SuperMemo 8 does not support long texts, rich texts, HTML, OLE, 32-bit options and many
more. Most of all, one-way upgrades are optional! The only time in the history
of SuperMemo where users were indeed forced to take action was in January 2000
when the y2k bug kicked in (not actually affecting the learning process).
Naturally, those y2k-compliant upgrades were provided free
(Karl Hillis, Canada,
Feb 25, 1999)
Question:
I want to use SuperMemo to learn Spanish. I am having problems however when it
comes to the acute accents over the vowels. Could you please give me a solution? I have
the standard 101 key North American Keyboard
Answer:
You might try installing Spanish keyboard in Windows. Otherwise, you should
remember to turn NumLock on when typing Alt+0 sequences (e.g. Alt+0241
for �)
(Daniel, Poland, Mar 3, 2001)
Question:
Is it possible to have SuperMemo randomly shuffle multiple-choice items at
repetitions?
Answer:
No. The only shuffling takes place when you import multiple-choice items
with File : Tools : Import : Q&A Text. The
sequence of components remains the same later on
Question:
I added a note with Alt+N, deleted the rich text component and ...
now I get an empty element each time I use Alt+N
Answer:
You must have modified the Reading template globally (i.e.
deleted the component from the element as well as from the template). To restore
the original Reading template you can: (1) delete Reading in
template registry and (2) use Tools : Add predefined templates on the
template registry menu
Complex terminology is not required to use SuperMemo (#5516)
(Krzysztof K., USA, Tue, Jun 05, 2001 5:36)
Question:
On one hand you claim that learning terminology of SuperMemo is optional, and on the other you state that
the lack of knowledge of terminology generates 60-70% of your support e-mail
Answer:
Both are true. You can
successfully use SuperMemo by only understanding buttons Learn and Add
new. However, many customers impatiently delve into functionality that is of secondary importance in learning (e.g. structure of the
knowledge tree). Because tree terminology such as child, parent, sibling is not obvious to non-technical users, these users quickly get lost in the documentation and prefer to write to support
You can copy pictures via the clipboard (#6888)
(Ronn, Wednesday, September
12, 2001 9:08 AM)
Question:
How can I transfer a picture from MS Publisher or MS Paint to the answer field?
Answer:
Copy your picture to the clipboard and use
Ctrl+V or Shift+Ins. This will add a new image component. Then select
Answer on the image component pop-up menu (right-click).
Important: if this fails, press Esc a few times to make sure you are not trying to paste into the text field. Pasting images into text components will be ignored
SuperMemo CE upgrades are free (#6899)
(David Kelly, Sat, Sep 15, 2001 0:25)
Question:
This past summer I registered SuperMemo for my Pocket PC. (Casio EM500). Do I qualify for your new upgrade?
Answer:
Yes. Until now, all SuperMemo CE upgrades have been free. To receive the program via e-mail, write to
SuperMemoMail and provide the address to which the program should be sent to
Library collections do not include SuperMemo (#6931)
(Fernando Inigo (through Yahoo! Store Order System), Tue, Sep 18, 2001 23:17)
Question:
Does
English Grammar Mix come with SuperMemo or do I have to order the program separately?
Answer:
All material from
SuperMemo Library comes without SuperMemo. This means that you need to obtain the program before you order from the library. Some collections are available as text and can be used with SuperMemo freeware; however, many will require SuperMemo 98 for Windows or later. For more details, see the compatibility table which is displayed on each collection's page. It tells you which versions of SuperMemo a given collection can be used with
SuperMemo locked (#8756)
(allison z, USA Educational, Wed, Apr 17, 2002 2:43)
Question:
I bought SuperMemo 2-3 months ago online, and was told I was registered. I have a pink bar at the top of my screen which told me to register, and I sent two e-mails without response. Now I am at 100% credit and the program keeps closing
Answer:
1. If you have sent mail to
register(AT)supermemo(.)com, you should have received the response via the autoresponder. If this has not happened, you might have had wrong return address specified in your e-mail software. Alternatively, your message or the response might have been lost (e.g. if one of the servers on the way was down for a longer time).
2. If you are coming back to use SuperMemo after a break, it is enough you open some of your learning material to have it unlock automatically (i.e. to cancel the credit count). Independently, your message will be processed within a business day and you will receive all data necessary to unlock the program.
Further reading: www.supermemo.com/help/register.htm
The best material for learning English with SuperMemo is Advanced English (#6846)
(Eszlari Gabor, Hungary, Mon, Sep 10, 2001 20:17)
Question:
Could you recommend the best ready-made English learning material for use with SuperMemo?
Answer:
Advanced English 97 CD-ROMs would be the best choice. However, you can also order smaller derivatives of this material from SuperMemo Library. This material is vocabulary oriented but also includes grammar, proverbs, idioms, etc.
See: Advanced English 97
(Jiri P., Czech Republic, Sep 23, 2000)
Question:
Is there any difference between the answer
No and Cancel to Do you want to use on-line help?
Answer:
No, there is no difference. However, analysis of user behaviors indicates that users feel more comfortable at pressing
Cancel when they do not understand the question. Additionally, on frequently-appearing confirmations, users often prefer a quick
Esc over a less effortless N. This last point is particularly relevant in on-line help confirmation
(George Wu, USA,
Dec 2, 2000)
Question:
In occlusion tests, the occlusion rectangle tends to drop behind the picture and
it is difficult to work with components in the occlusion test. How can I best
resolve it?
Answer:
It is most convenient to use Ctrl+T
to move from component to component and set components in the editing mode. Once
the rectangle is selected and set in the editing mode, you can switch between
presentation, editing and dragging modes with Alt+click
Scheduling tools do not affect pending items (#7024)
(Patrik Nilsson, Tuesday, September 25, 2001 12:49 PM)
Question:
It is possible to set all pending elements in a collection to be rescheduled with one repetition per day for a month, if there are 30 items in the list
Answer:
All scheduling tools in SuperMemo affect only memorized items. As for pending items, it is up to you when you decide to learn new material. There are no tools to apportion pending material. A typical approach is to allocate a specific time to learning and learn as much material as time allows
File : Repair collection is not available at the beginner level (#7389)
(JACK COLLINS, Tue, Jul 24, 2001 23:18)
Question:
I
don't know how to run the File : Repair collection
Answer:
- choose File : Level : Professional
- choose File : Repair collection
- if you suspect serious data damage, check all entries among recovery options
You can add pictures by using the clipboard (#7395)
(Wieslaw Sawicki, Poland, Thursday, September 27, 2001 10:13 AM)
Question:
I would like to learn chess and display large pictures in proprietary format not supported by SuperMemo. How can I do it?
Answer:
You can copy your pictures to SuperMemo via the clipboard to convert
them to JPG or GIF formats. For example:
- select the picture
- press Ctrl+C (copy to the clipboard)
- switch to SuperMemo
- go to the element that is to display the picture (e.g. with Ctrl+G)
- press Ctrl+V (paste from the clipboard)
The picture will be pasted to the current image component or will create a new image component. If the picture is very large, try using Stretch on the image component menu
Import options in SuperMemo are limited (#7310)
(Jake Vargo, Fri, Oct 12, 2001 9:50 PM)
Question:
Is it possible to import a
Palm database or Excel file into SuperMemo 2000?
Answer:
- you can import question and answer material from Palm SuperMemo to SuperMemo 2000 (for details see Palm FAQ)
- you can import question and answer material from Excel as long as you are able to export it in the standard SuperMemo format (i.e. with "Q: " and "A: " prefixes). For details see: File menu
- you can open whole Excel files in SuperMemo in the OLE component or in the HTML component
Dutch SuperMemo (#8155)
(Wil Hoefnagels, Netherlands, Thu, Nov 22, 2001 7:31 AM)
Question:
I ordered SuperMemo on line. I have discovered that I could also have a version in Dutch. Is it possible to change to the Dutch version?
Answer:
Unfortunately, SuperMemo for Windows is only available with an English interface.
Unlocking SuperMemo (#7476)
(Jeremy T. H., Sun, Oct 28, 2001 17:22)
Question:
I am very interested in SuperMemo. Please send me a password, etc.
Answer:
Passwords are used to unlock commercial versions of SuperMemo. As such they are only sent to customers who order one of these products. However,
there are non-commercial options to explore: (1) You can use SuperMemo freeware,
(2) You can download a trial version, (3) You can write to library (at) whiz (dot) me to obtain SuperMemo in return for a declaration to contribute your own material to
SuperMemo Library (e.g. questions and answers related to your hobby, etc.)
SuperMemo does not suport UNC pathnames (#7559)
(Joe Cotellese, Fri, Nov 02, 2001 3:24)
Question:
SuperMemo has just displayed the following error:
"Access denied!
System locked: \\gypsy\my documents\sm2000\systems\Knowledge Tree.Kno"
Answer:
Unfortunately UNC pathnames are not supported in SuperMemo 2000. Mapping this network path to a drive letter is the only workaround
Compiling lexicon is a time-consuming operation (#7481)
(Robert W., Friday, October 26, 2001 11:01 AM )
Question:
When I use search, I do not see recently introduced words. Why?
Answer:
Probably you have
Tools : Options : Data access : Compile lexicon on the fly turned off. You need to run
File : Repair collection with Rebuild lexicon turned on. You can also return to compiling the lexicon on the fly; however, this slows down
SuperMemo
Use Remember or Ctrl+M to make sure SuperMemo refreshes your memory regularly (#8746)
(Leitnick, David, Monday, December 17, 2001 10:56 PM)
Question:
At the bottom of the screen, what does the
Remember button (Ctrl+M) do?
Answer:
Remember is used to introduce an element to the learning process. It is the same as introducing it with
Learn. However, Remember is immediate and you do not need to wait for the element's turn in the
pending queue. Once you choose Remember, SuperMemo will regularly
refresh your knowledge of the selected element
Failure at posting order form may result in an order not being placed (#7564)
(Veronika Feder, Belgium, Thu, Nov 01, 2001 10:16 AM )
Question:
I have ordered SuperMemo 2000 but I haven't received any confirmation
Answer:
There are two most likely scenarios:
1. Your computer or the network failed to correctly post data from the order form. In such a case the order will not be registered and you will receive no response,
or 2. You have typed a wrong e-mail address on the form. In such a case, all responses will be sent to the wrong address
You should receive an immediate confirmation of your order via e-mail (unless you unchecked the confirmation checkbox). If this was not the case, please write to
SuperMemoMail
With Alt+A you may never know there is a knowledge hierarchy behind (#318)
(Janusz, USA Educational, Thursday, November 01, 2001 8:14 PM)
Question:
It is not true that you don't need branch operation for simple learning. SuperMemo will barf if you exceed some 1000 elements in a single branch, so you do have to organize your knowledge
Answer:
If you use the beginner level's
Add new (Alt+A), SuperMemo will organize the knowledge tree folders to meet the maximum children limit per branch. Once the branch overflows, it will automatically be
reorganized. At the beginner level, you never need to worry about the existence of the
knowledge tree
SuperMemo 7 Freeware might be your best choice if you want to use floppy disks (#7552)
(Sonya Buckman, Wednesday, October 31, 2001 4:21 AM)
Question:
Can I use SuperMemo on many computers that change all the time? Is there a way to run the programme from a disk?
Answer:
You
can use SuperMemo on many computers. You will need at least two diskettes. One to store the program (1.3MB as ZIP), and another one to store your learning material. In those circumstances, you might opt for SuperMemo 98 which generates slightly smaller collections than SuperMemo 2000. Perhaps you could even swing back to SuperMemo 7 freeware which is able to store the entire Advanced English on a single disk (Advanced English 97 takes 40 MB excluding 650
MB of sound). If your computers have access to e-mail or the web, you could also
transfer files by sending them over the Internet
Default background image is the name of the image registry member (not a file) (#6271)
(Safecity Training Academy, Australia, Sat, Dec 29, 2001 5:59 PM)
Question:
When you try to change the background image by pointing to a certain image file (e.g.
d:\supermemo\bak.bmp), SuperMemo ignores the command and installs a completely different image!
Answer:
If you want a
BMP file used as a background image, you need to import it to the image registry or choose
Background : Import file on the element menu. If you want to use
Default background image in Options, you need to provide an image name from the image registry. If you type a filename instead, the nearest match from the image registry will be used (e.g.
"Cockroach" or "Cook" instead of "c:\ocr\picture.bmp")
Build Lexicon can be safely skipped in Verification and Recovery (#6241)
(Patrik Nilsson, Wednesday, January 02, 2002 2:42 PM)
Question:
How long is the normal time for repairing a collection? When I had a few
hundred elements fewer the same repair took about ten minutes. The last hundred made this process take much longer. Thirty-five minutes for registering components
Answer:
A large 100,000 element collection may take an hour to verify (or longer on slower computers). The most likely reason for
the slow down is adding long articles when Build Lexicon is checked. As Build Lexicon is the least vital and the longest taking verification step, you can safely skip it. If you do not build lexicon on the fly (see:
Options), the lexicon will only miss words
used in newly added material. This will not affect the binary search
Error message in SuperMemo (#3875)
(jam, USA, USA Educational, Sat, Apr 28, 2001 18:08)
Question:
SuperMemo has just displayed the following error:
Cannot get the current Contents selection.
Access violation at address 00521020
Answer:
SuperMemo has just tripped over on a basic item selection in the Contents window. This indicates that the program or your Windows have become unstable. SuperMemo's address space has been corrupted by another application, hardware glitch, software bug, etc. If you restart SuperMemo and Windows, the problem should not reoccur
Splitting final drill into smaller portions may provide short-lasting benefit (#8515)
(Will Bunker, Monday, December 03, 2001 11:22 PM)
Question:
I was wondering if there is a reason that you drill all unremembered items concurrently. When you have a large list of new items that you are attempting to learn this makes it hard to learn new items. In the past I always chunked 7 to 9 items at a time as I drilled with flash cards. Then as I learned some of the items I would add new unknown items to my drill list
Answer:
Ideally, you should work on your mnemonic and concentration skills to make final drill redundant. Naturally, chunking the drill in smaller portions makes it possible to pass the drill much faster, but the retention over the following days will be lower. Some record breaking attempts were made where 2000 items were memorized
with SuperMemo in a single day in small chunks. However, on the next day, the retention was less than 50%. Small chunks may reduce inter-item interference and as such may also result in less univocal
memory engrams that will prove more volatile
You will receive assistance if you fail to download (#8497)
(David, USA, Tue, Dec 04, 2001 9:17)
Question:
I ordered SuperMemo on Friday, Nov. 30th. Problem is, my ISP was AT&T@Home cable,
and they used Excite for their ISP service. Excite went bankrupt and ceased operations the same night I order SuperMemo. What shall I do now?
Answer:
You will immediately receive alternative download instructions. As long as you have access to the Internet, you will soon certainly enjoy faster learning with SuperMemo
Import from SuperMemo 7 uses text files as an intermediary (#6277)
(Safecity Training Academy, Australia, Sat, Dec 29, 2001 5:59 PM)
Question:
Importing files from SuperMemo 7 does not work. When we tried to import the files the program responded that it could not find a TXT file (this does not mean anything to us because SM7 files are .INF not .TXT)
Answer:
SuperMemo 2000
does not import SuperMemo 7 files directly. Instead, it makes use of SM7Imprt.exe application that converts
SuperMemo 7 files to text. SuperMemo 2000 then imports contents of these files. To make sure this all works correctly check the following:
- You use the latest SM7.exe (e.g. freeware). Pre-1995 files could show compatibility problems
- You have downloaded up-to-date SM7Import.exe from the download section
- You have placed SM7Import.exe (unzipped) in the \Bin subfolder
- You use up-to-date SM2000.exe (one of early releases used asynchronous import that showed timing problems on very fast computers). Updates to Build 10.09 are free for registered users
Use the search box at supermemo.com to find solutions to problems (#6672)
(dieter.gauss, Germany, Friday, January 11, 2002 9:35 AM)
Question:
I just want to make a simple multiple choice Q&A. Not one word in your entire guide how to do it
Answer:
The easiest way to find solutions to problems that are not described in the mainstream guide, is to use the
Find searchbox at supermemo.com home page. For example, type in
multiple choice and click Find. You will find a pointer to the article that describes building
advanced tests with SuperMemo, which shortly
describes multiple choice tests
Maximize on the element window will cover the entire screen (#4413)
(Maarten, the Netherlands, Jan 19, 2002)
Question:
I always want to see Status Bar, when I maximize the element window my Status Bar at the bottom of the screen disappears
Answer:
Maximize on the element window is a Windows-wide function. As such, maximize will always cover the entire client area of the screen. Changing that behavior is counter-advised by Window compatibility logo requirements. Status bar could have been marked with StayOnTop attribute, but this would, in turn, make it cover the element window. The best solution is to select your preferred windows layout (without maximizing the element window), and save it as the default layout (e.g. with
Ctrl+Shift+F5). This way, SuperMemo will always start with Windows arranged to your best liking
You can memorize, forget and dismiss elements in the browser (#6723)
(Patrik Nilsson, Wednesday, January 16, 2002 6:05 PM)
Question:
I'd like a shortcut for forgetting dismissed elements in the browser
Answer:
With
Ctrl+R, Ctrl+M and Ctrl+D in the browser you should be able to accomplish all forget, memorize and dismiss combinations. Remember to synchronize the element window with the browser selection (synchronized selection is the default setting)
Learning "outside" SuperMemo is still beneficial (#6782)
(T.Sz., Jan 22, 2002)
Question:
When I'm reading books, talking to speakers of English, writing English e-mail, etc. am I not interfering with the learning process by precipitating repetitions of English words and thus reducing my learning efficiency?
Answer:
No. The interference with the SuperMemo algorithm is well compensated by the benefits of contact with live language
You may need an intermediary upgrade stage to upgrade very old collections (#6879)
(Mariusz Pniewski, ComputerLand, Poland, Thu, Jan 24, 2002 10:12)
Question:
Why can I not upgrade Video English from Genius 1.0 to SuperMemo 2000?
Answer:
This is a bug in upgrade procedures in SuperMemo. You can resolve this problem by first upgrading from Genius 1.0 to SuperMemo 99, and only then upgrading from SuperMemo 99 to SuperMemo 2000. If you do not have SuperMemo 99, you can use an unregistered version from the download section at supermemo.com.
Bug details: Both Video English and Genius 1.0 were developed in 1995. New versions of SuperMemo frequently update fixed record structures of its database tables. Separate upgrade units denoted by the year of release are used for the upgrade purpose. Each unit converts old records to new records by assigning NewRecord:=OldRecord and filling out the remaining NewRecord fields with appropriate default values. However, one of registry database table records has changed twice since 1995. As NewRecord uses the type registered with the current version, the older substitution became invalid as it attempted to use the newest record structure instead of the intermediary structure. The correct substitution would be: Record1998:=Record1995 and then Record2000:=Record1998. This way, SuperMemo 2000 lost its ability to upgrade from the oldest 16-bit collections created with Genius 1.0. This problem will be fixed in the future so that you could upgrade all collections back to Genius 1.0 (1995), import collections back to SuperMemo 6 (1991) and convert Q&A material (except the learning process) from all other version of SuperMemo
Problems with Component Order Editor (#3441)
(Nick Clarke, United Kingdom, Saturday, November 11, 2000 8:59 PM)
Question:
If I have an image and a shape component with the same
Display At setting, and the image is on top, then if I use Ctrl+T repeatedly until the shape is selected and resize it, the shape appears on top during editing. But when I press
Esc to leave editing mode and save the change, the shape remains on top, hiding the image
Answer:
When working with
Component Order Editor keep two things in mind:
- Component order is not refreshed upon quitting the editor. To remedy this problem, use Back (<) and Forward (>) buttons to leave and return to the element. This problem will be fixed in future releases
- Component Order Editor affects only the source element data. In other words, you will not see the changes through a template (except for the components that are solely contributed by the source). A simple remedy to this problem is to Impose the template on source. In the future, component reshuffling will also affect the template whenever possible, and will impose the template automatically when the template cannot be changed consistently
Internationalization of SuperMemo for Windows is highly limited (#8645)
(Berthold Schwarz, Sat, Dec 15, 2001 11:26)
Question:
Is there a possibility to choose menu language using SuperMemo according to the nation a user is living in? Or is it always English?
Answer:
SuperMemo provides rudimentary internationalization only at the beginner level.
You can prevent your components from entering the editing mode on click (#6933)
(Dustin Darcy, USA Educational, Friday, January 25, 2002 1:21 AM)
Question:
How about a lock mode? Sometimes I WANT to stay in PRESENTATION MODE. On occasion I let my cursor wander and I haphazardly click on an object changing it to EDIT MODE, creating all sorts of unneeded havoc
Answer:
You can turn this off with
Tools : Options : Mouse : Edit texts : On click.
You can also go further by setting Tools : Options : Data access : Access mode : Read only or
Learn only
Debugging version may report harmless error (#7010)
(Martin S., Feb 04, 2002)
Question:
With new SuperMemo I often get messages such as: Burden has been corrected from 998.2616275 to 998.2616276
Answer:
You must have turned the debug mode on in
Options. This is a harmless floating point operation rounding error. SuperMemo does not report floating point operation errors beyond a selected level of accuracy. However, the debugging version will report an error even if the number difference is less than a billionth of the reported number. Ignore these messages or turn the debug version off
Registries modify names of duplicated registry members (#7093)
(Fred.Clough, Tuesday, February 05, 2002 7:01 PM)
Question:
I created a few categories. When I go to the category registry, I have there lots of different name variations generated by the system. The names are ending with foreign characters
Answer:
If you create several categories with the same name, SuperMemo will modify each of these names slightly (e.g. by adding random characters to the name's end). This comes from the registry limitation which says that all members have to have different names. In other words, you cannot have two categories with the same name.
Only comments and translation registries can keep duplicated items (e.g. two different texts can have the same translation)
My password does not work (#7670)
(mlorenz1000, Germany, Sat, Mar 02, 2002 9:45 AM)
Question:
I tried many times to unlock SuperMemo with the password, but it doesn't work. Are you sure about the password?
Answer:
Once you are sure you type the correct password with CapsLock off, there are three conceivable way in which it might still not work:
- You are trying to unlock a wrong version. For example, you downloaded SuperMemo 99 from the download section, and then purchases SuperMemo 2000. Your password will not work with SuperMemo 99 (see Help : About to see your version)
- You have downloaded a national version of SuperMemo 2000 (in your case a German version). Then you purchased SuperMemo 2000 from the English site. Your password will not work with the version downloaded from the German site (see Help : About to find out the origin of your copy)
- Your program file is corrupted, i.e. it has been downloaded with an error. In a very unlikely case, the program might seem to be functional but its part related to registration is corrupted
All above cases can easily be resolved by downloading the file again
Trust in a merchant is a frequent problem in e-commerce (#7699)
(Mia, Mon, Mar 04, 2002 18:22)
Question:
I did receive an e-mail conformation of a receipt of my order. It states that there would be a follow up that I am yet to receive. I am suspicious that this is not legit. I have never attempted to purchase
anything other than books from Amazon.com over the computer
Answer:
The second e-mail in the order process is sent only after your order has been processed manually. As your order arrived on weekend, the follow up was not immediate.
As for legitimacy, you can find reassurance by taking this into consideration:
- the product does exist (you can download a trial from supermemo.com)
- the merchant has nothing to gain by denying you the license and access codes
- the ordering process runs from Yahoo servers and cannot be channeled from you into an illegitimate website
In addition, all reputable credit card companies offer quite solid protection from dishonest Internet merchants.
It would be a pity if similar misgivings were to deny anyone a chance to experience SuperMemo. Luckily, one can always download SuperMemo freeware or write to SuperMemo Library to can get SuperMemo in return for your learning material contributions, i.e. without ever having to use a credit card
You can execute final drill before outstanding repetitions (#12362)
(Claire Fitzgerald, Friday, August 09, 2002 7:11 AM)
Question:
I was entering new elements today and when I pressed
Learn it went straight to Final Drill
Answer:
You might have chosen
Learn : Selected stages : Final drill, or there were no outstanding items left scheduled for today.
It is worth remembering that it is not recommended to execute the final drill before all outstanding repetitions are done
SuperMemo for Palm Pilot requires your device ID (#12501)
(Paulette Martinez, Sunday, August 18, 2002 4:24 PM)
Question:
I purchased a copy of
SuperMemo for the Palm OS a few months back, and then my palm device crashed, and I had it replaced. When I reinstalled SuperMemo it has reverted to the demo version rather than the full version
Answer:
SuperMemo for Palm Pilot is linked to your particular device. To obtain a new password you need to write to
support AT mapletop DOT com to send your new hardware ID data and obtain a new password
How to optimize learning? (#8121)
(John Biel, Saturday, March 16, 2002 1:15 AM)
Question:
Please tell me what buttons to push in order to optimize my learning?
Answer:
Optimizing repetitions should not be of your concern. It is enough you choose
Learn regularly to have SuperMemo do it for you.
You will yet need to optimize the way you formulate
knowledge. See also: SuperMemo
Decalog
You can share your learning material within a company (#8128)
(jsch, Japan, Wednesday, March 20, 2002 7:15 AM)
Question:
Are you aware of any ESL programs--as distinct from individuals--that are making use of your SuperMemo software? I'd be particularly interested in knowing whether it would be possible to share a collection of vocabulary words as a community of users working on a company computer network with no access to the Internet
Answer:
SuperMemo is not very popular in corporate or class-room setting. It does not make collaboration easy. It does not fare well in a networked environment. It also requires highest concentration that makes it work best at student's home. It is possible to share learning material. Usually, one user develops the material and shares it with others. It is also possible to combine work of many students into one body of material. However, incremental development is rather complex. Optimally, small bodies of knowledge are exchanged
Internet addiction falls out of this site's focus
(Greg, Saturday, July 21, 2001 8:17 AM)
Question:
I am looking for professional information about IAD. Can you help?
Answer:
IAD
falls out of this site's focus. We have found for you a couple of links with
some interesting excerpts though:
- http://www.concentric.net/~Astorm/iad.html - Internet Addiction Disorder is the term first proposed by Dr. Ivan Goldberg for pathological, compulsive Internet usage. The criteria for this disorder are based on similar criteria for substance abuse disorders found in the DSM-IV. It is ironic that Dr. Goldberg was not serious about proposing this as an official diagnostic category, yet this term became used extensively. Dr. Goldberg recently revised his suggestion to change the term for this condition to Pathological Computer Use, and changed several of the criteria
- http://psychcentral.com/netaddiction/
-
Do some people have problems with spending too much time online? Sure they do. Some people also spend too much time reading, watching television, and working, and ignore family, friendships, and social activities. But do we have TV addiction disorder, book addiction, and work addiction being suggested as legitimate mental disorders in the same category as schizophrenia and depression? I think not. It's the tendency of some mental health professionals and researchers to want to label everything they see as potentially harmful with a new diagnostic category. Unfortunately, this causes more harm than it helps people
[...]
What some very, very few people who spend time online without any other problems present may suffer from is compulsive over-use. But compulsive behaviors are already covered by existing diagnostic categories and treatment would be similar. It's not the technology (whether it be the Internet, a book, the telephone, or the television) which is important or addicting -- it's the behavior. And behaviors are easily treatable by traditional cognitive-behavior techniques in psychotherapy - http://www.victoriapoint.com/internetaddiction/articles.htm - Internet addiction articles
There are no plans for a dedicated version for
Windows ME
(Walter Cook, Saturday, July 21,
2001 7:20 PM)
Question:
Will you have a version of SuperMemo 2000 for Windows ME out soon or
have you developed a workaround solution for it?
Answer:
Currently a dedicated version for Windows ME is not planned.
There is a likelihood of improved performance with new component
library coming with the release of Delphi 6 (compiler used to develop
SuperMemo for Windows). Another hope comes from Microsoft patches that
could resolve incompatibility
and memory leak problems (see: Memory
leak bug in Windows ME). Otherwise, the only solution for now
is to try a
demo
of SuperMemo for
Windows and decide if performance problems disqualify the
product
Prospects for SuperMemo for Mac are not good
(Sneha Desai, Non-Profit
Organisation, Fri, Jul 05, 2002 4:04)
Question:
Is there a Mac version of SuperMemo planned?
Answer:
Due to little customer interest, the Mac version was
terminated back in 1995. Currently, no company is formally committed to
develop an alternative. The main limitation is the difficulty to
predict if the development investment would pay back