Edit Initial Settings (Winsteps.ini) file

(1) Editor path:

Editor=NOTEPAD

This specifies the word processor or text editor that is to be used by Winsteps. It is usually your Windows text editor. If Output Tables do not display, please change this text editor. You can make Winsteps use your own text editor or word processor by changing the Editor in Edit initial settings or editing Winsteps.ini in your Winsteps folder. Put the full pathname of your editor in place of Notepad, e.g.,

for WordPad it could be: "C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe"

for Word 6.0, it could be: "C:\MSOFFICE\WINWORD\WINWORD.EXE"

You can find the full path to your word processor by doing a "Find" or "Search" for it from the "Start" menu. Useful replacements for Notepad (maximum file size 45K) include NotePad++ freeware (maximum file size 2GB) which can be downloaded from notepad-plus-plus.org which may be in the "C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++" folder.

"Provide instructions for each user to change the Editor Path for their own Winsteps?"

You could send a .cmd file to all your end-users which appends to the Winsteps.ini "Initial Settings" file. For instance, to change all end-user text editors to Notepad. The file could be: EditorUpdate.cmd

and contain this one line:

echo Editor=Notepad.exe >> %AppData%\..\Local\Winsteps.com\Winsteps\Winsteps.ini

Then, the next time Winsteps launches, it will use Notepad.

(2) Excel path:

Excel=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\EXCEL.EXE

This provides a fast link to Excel from the File pull-down menu. The path to any program can be placed here. If Winsteps does not find Excel automatically, please go to the Windows "Start" menu, do a "Find" or "Search" for "Files and Folders" to locate it, and enter its path here. Excel is not part of Winsteps, and may not be present on your computer.

If this malfunctions,

a) check that the Windows filetypes are correct, by creating a .xls file, then double-clicking on it. Does it open in Excel? If not, then Excel is not properly installed.

b) Launch Winsteps

c) blank out the Excel path in "Edit menu", "Initial settings"

d) click on OK

e) "Edit menu", "Initial settings" should now show the correct path to Excel.

If the path is wrong or blank, then please update the .xls file association in the Windows Registry - Google can help with this.

(3) SPSS path:

SPSS=C:\SPSS.EXE

This provides a fast link to SPSS from the File pull-down menu. The path to any program can be placed here. If Winsteps does not find SPSS automatically, please go to the Windows "Start" menu, do a "Find" or "Search" for "Files and Folders" to locate it, and enter its path here. SPSS is not part of Winsteps, and may not be installed on your computer.

(4) R Statistics path:

RSTAT=C:\R\bin\R.exe

This provides a fast link to  R Statistics from the File pull-down menu. The path to any program can be placed here. If Winsteps does not find  R Statistics automatically, please go to the Windows "Start" menu, do a "Find" or "Search" for "Files and Folders" to locate it, and enter its path here. R Statistics is not part of Winsteps, and may not be installed on your computer.

(5) Temporary directory for work files:

Default Windows temporary directory/folder = %temp%

Temporary Output and Table files are placed in the same directory as your Input file (if possible), or in the "Temporary directory".

Other temporary files are placed in the "Temporary directory." Files ending "....ws.txt" can be deleted when Winsteps is not running.

If the temporary directory does not change when you type in a new one, and click OK:

1. The desired temporary folder does not exist: please create it.

2. You do not have write permission for the desired temporary folder: please give yourself write-permission

3. You do not have write-permission for Winsteps.ini in the Winsteps.exe folder: please give yourself write-permission

You could also:

1. Change the Windows temporary folder: how_do_i_change_the_location_of_windows_temporary_files

2. Delete Winsteps.ini in the Winsteps.exe folder

3. Launch Winsteps

(6) Maximize analysis-window on start-up?

When checked, the analysis window is displayed maximized (filling your screen). Unchecked, the window size is normal (big enough for practical purposes).

(7) Prompt for Report-output-file name?

With an unchecked box, this specifies that your standard report output file will be a temporary file.

A checked box produces a prompt for a file name on the screen. You can always view the Report output file from the Edit menu, and save it as another file.

(8) Prompt for Extra Specifications:?

unchecked specifies that there will be no extra specifications to be entered.

(9) Show Data-setup dialog?

When the box is checked the Data-setup dialog box displays.

(10) Display the Report-output-file after estimation?

When checked, this automatically shows the report output file if TABLES= or TFILE= is active in the Control file or at Extra Specifications. The Report Output File can always be displayed from the Edit menu.

(11) Output Excel files with .xlsx suffix?

Uncheck this box to output .xls Excel files

(12) Close output windows on exit?

Closeonexit=Yes or No or Ask

This choice can be overridden when Winsteps stops.

(13) Character that starts ....

SIGNS=;;,,..

This enables the processing of files in accordance with international usages. For instance, it may be more convenient to output files with decimal commas, use semicolons as separators, and indicate comments with exclamation marks:

(14) Excel decimal separator

Excel decimal separator is a decimal point or decimal comma: EXCELDECIMAL=

32-bit (native)

64-bit (R Statistics)

The 32-bit modules have been running successfully for 20 years, but do not support international character sets and recent changes in Windows and other software.

The 64-bit modules support international character sets and other recent changes. Some of these modules use R Statistics packages to support a wider range of functionality.

If the 32-bit or 64-bit module fails, click on the other module.

(15) Excel File/Plot Interface

See Excel Plot interface - Excelplot32=Yes is the 32-bit interface

(16) SPSS.sav Output

See SPSS functional check - SPSS32=Yes  is the 32-bit interface

(17) Excel\RSSST Input

Selects the 32-bit (wininput.exe) or 64-bit (wininput64.exe) conversion routine - XLRSSST32=Yes is the 32-bit module. XLRSSST32=No is the 64-bit module (requires R Statistics)        

(18) Data Setup Input

32-bit (windata.exe) and 64-bit (windata64.exe) modules with similar functionality

(19) Initial settings for control variables:

Variable = value

Control variables and their settings entered into this box are pre-pended to the settings in your control file. This enables you to set values which apply to all analyses. They are reported first in Table 0.3

(20) "Choose Text Font on Screen" for the Winsteps Analysis window:

Default is Fixedsys

Font details are kept  in the Windows Registry.

The font for Winsteps output files is set in the application that displays the files, such as NotePad.

(21) "Choose Font Size for Menus" for the Winsteps Analysis window and other Windows applications:

This works for me on Windows 11, but not on Windows 8.1.

The default menu font is Segoe UI, font style: Regular, size 9. This setting is in the Windows Registry. You can change this for Winsteps and some other Windows apps here. The font size box displays.

When you click OK, Windows asks you to confirm that you want to change the Windows registry.

The font change is made when you reboot your computer.

Windows uses this font size in many places. If you do not want it, then click on "Default Text Font for Menus", and reboot your computer again.

Before:

After reboot: Point-size 12, Bold:

(22) "Default Text Font for Menus" for the Winsteps Analysis window and other Windows applications:

This resets the Winsteps menu font to the Windows default. Then reboot your computer.

OK:

Click on this to accept the settings. Some settings go into effect the next time you start Winsteps. The changes are permanent until you change them again.

Cancel:

Do not change the previous settings.

Help:

Displays this page of the Help file

Reset to default values and restart:

Resets these settings to their default values, then restart Winsteps.

Current settings are in file Winsteps.ini in your Windows AppData area.