if PhraseExpress doesn't work at all, shows the spinning rainbow wheel (busy indicator) or even crashes all the time, macOS security & privacy settings may block PhraseExpress if you skipped to make the essential important security settings in macOS for PhraseExpress.Solution: Configure PhraseExpress in the macOS security settings as described in chapter "Installation".Important: Apple seem to have decided that you must reconfirm these security settings after each PhraseExpress update. Unfortunately, it seems that there is nothing we can do about this inconvenience.
Please find the system requirements on the download pages of the Windows or Mac version.PhraseExpress doesn't work at all
- Check if PhraseExpress is actually running. The speech bubble program icon must be visible in the Windows system tray near the time and date info. If it is not running, click the Windows Start button type "PhraseExpress" and press ENTER .
If you still don't see the task tray icon, Windows may hide it in a popup menu. Click the task bar triangle icon and drag the PhraseExpress icon onto the task bar for quick access:
- If the PhraseExpress tray icon is gray-colored, PhraseExpress is temporarily disabled (see chapter "Temporarily disable PhraseExpress").
- Make sure that no "security" program such "Antivirus/AntiSpyware"-software is blocking the keyboard hook of PhraseExpress. Such programs have become quite aggressive and may especially locking up browsers from receiving automated text input. Look for options called "keylogger protection" or "sandboxing".
- Solution for Webroot SecureAnywhere
- Solution for Zemana Antilogger
- Solution for G-Data Internet Security
The PhraseExpress main program window must be minimized. Click the X button in the upper right of the program window to minimize the PhraseExpress program. If this fails, check, if any PhraseExpress dialog window is hidden under any other program window.If you have multiple PhraseExpress installations on different computers, try reproducing the issue on another computer. If it works on the other computer, it is very likely, that the configuration on the malfunctioning computer is the cause for the issue as PhraseExpress does not discriminate particular computers.It seems, that browser videos running in a window-less picture-in-picture mode moves away input focus from the actual target application, so PhraseExpress cannot insert text into the target applications. Solution: Close the window-less video.To isolate incompatibility issues, close any program that may process keyboard input or the clipboard (other clipboard managers, autotext utilities or special multimedia keyboard drivers, e.g. AutoHotkey, Synergy, Microsoft Intellipoint or browser autocomplete or password filling addons/features).Reset the PhraseExpress configuration to system defaults to resolve any configuration mistakes.Autotext does not work Autotext trouble-shooting videoPlease check the following:
- Does the desired phrase exist and is an autotext associated to the phrase?
- Does an unsuitable auto-text option prevent recognition?
- Text programs such as Microsoft Word may have an optional feature to automatically capitalize text at the beginning of a sentence. As a result, PhraseExpress cannot recognize autotext that starts with a lowercase letter, as it may be altered by the text program. Solution: Define another autotext in PhraseExpress that starts with uppercase letters or disable the uppercase automatic in the text program.
- Text input-aware applications detect keyboard input through a daisy-chain of "keyboard hooks". Some applications may break this chain and programs later in the queue are cut off from the text input; known programs include "Microsoft Powertoys Keyboard Manager", "VDOS", "Microsoft Intellitype".
Solution: Close and restart PhraseExpress to re-arrange the chain of keyboard hooks. Alternatively, exit any other application, that may listen for keyboard input to check for interferences. - Microsoft Windows 10/11 introduced a text suggestion feature that interferes with any application that insert text into an application.
Solution: Consider disabling text suggestions in the Windows settings Time & Language Typing - "Security" software ("antimalware" or "antivirus" programs that promise you security on the PC for money) my include features called "keyboard logger protection" or "keyboard hook detection" which puts itself before PhraseExpress and scrambles your keyboard input. Solution: Test whether deactivating any "security" functions restores compatibility. This may require a system restart after deactivation.Hotkey do not work If a hotkey does not work as expected, please check if you accidentally removed the hotkey definition:
- Open the main program window.
- Click the magnifying glass above the phrase tree and in the popup, select to search for hotkeys.
- Click into the search text box and press the actual hotkey.If no phrase shows up in the phrase, the hotkey is not associated to any phrase and you may need to assign the hotkey.If you expect the hotkey to trigger action in a program other than PhraseExpress and if you find a phrase, you may want to remove/change the hotkey association.PhraseExpress doesn't work with a particular program
- If using the Microsoft Edge browser, toggle the option "PhraseExpress Settings Expert Options Force focus change".
- Phrases can be restricted to specific applications. Make sure, that the Autotext is not excluded from the application in which you are trying to use it.
- PhraseExpress cannot insert text into target programs which have been launched with Administrative privileges. In such case, launch PhraseExpress with Administrative privileges as well by right-clicking the PhraseExpress tray icon:
- Some target applications may have non-standard text input fields, that may prevent external text injection, e.g. programs with high security requirements such as banking software or password depository utilities. Please consult the maker of the program to check whether they intentionally blocked text insertion.
- PhraseExpress supports a variety of text insertion methods. Please experiment with the paste method settings.
- Insert the phrase in Windows Notepad or Wordpad. These programs are quite basic with any known interference and a good way to verify, if the target application causes the issue. If PhraseExpress works in Notepad/Wordpad but doesn't work in your target application, it is very likely, that a feature or behavior of the target application is causing the malfunction as PhraseExpress does not discriminate particular applications.PhraseExpress doesn't work in Microsoft Edge Browser We are aware of incompatibility issues with Edge which seem to have been introduced by Microsoft with a recent Windows 10 "Creators" upgrade.Work around: Disable Option in PhraseExpress Settings Expert options Text output Force focus change.Alternatively, consider using another browser, such as FireFox.PhraseExpress doesn't work in Remote Desktop Remote Desktop may not properly tunnel the output of PhraseExpress running on the host computer into the Remote Desktop session. PhraseExpress has no measure to fix limitations in the Host RDP communication.Solution: Install and run within the Remote Desktop session.
Don't panic! It is very unlikely, that your phrases are gone - PhraseExpress does not have any function to delete your current phrase file.Solution for local phrase files:
- Tell PhraseExpress the phrase file location by loading the phrase file. The default phrase file name is "phrases.pexdb". The default phrase file path is described in manual chapter "Storage locations". Please note, that the default path changed with PhraseExpress v16.
- Microsoft Windows update may offer you to switch from local user accounts to a "Microsoft Account". This change may change the file directories where your user data is stored. Search the new location of your phrase file and load it in PhraseExpress.
- Deleted phrases can be restored from the recycle bin.
- Phrases may be hidden because of access right restrictions. E.g. if you restricted access to phrases to you only and then log onto your computer with a different user account, you won't be able to see your phrases.
- If the recycle bin is empty, try to restore an earlier phrase file from the backup.
- If option "File Restore" is disabled, experienced Windows users can manually restore a backup from the back repository.Related pagesManual backup restoreItems are missing in the phrase menu If you miss items in the phrase menu, please check following settings:
- The phrase may exist in a phrase menu but the menu may be to small. Press Arrow-Down or Page-Down to scroll through the menu or drag the menu window edges to resize it.
- Have you configured the item to be hidden from the phrase menu?
- Have you restricted the item to specific programs? In such case, the item is filtered from the phrase menu if necessary.
- Have access restrictions been applied to the item? Perhaps another user has withdrawn your read rights in the meantime?
- Check in the phrase tree view of the main program window, whether the phrase file/database containing the missing item is loaded at all. Use the search to find the element you are looking for.
Double letters in the beginning of a phrase output If the first few letters of a text insertion are doubled in any Office program (such as Word, Excel, Outlook or OneNote), then most likely the AutoCorrect feature of MS Office is enabled and interferes with the AutoCorrect feature of PhraseExpress.Solution: Delete the conflicting item either in PhraseExpress or in the target program.Text insertion is scrambled/garbled Please check the following if text is text inserted incompletely or with wrong characters:
Applications and web browser input forms may use Javascript to process your input which may interfere with the PhraseExpress text insertion. For example, Adobe Dreamweaver or software development software ("IDEs") can perform heavy text input processing. You may need to change the paste method to clipboard paste in such case. If you use the browser Apple Safari v5.1, you need to configure the paste method to "SendKey".If phrases are output with scrambled letters or special characters in a browser (Microsoft Windows "Edge" or Google "Chrome"), then this is most likely due to "security" software ("antimalware" or "antivirus" programs that promise you security on the PC for money). Solution: Test whether deactivating any "security" functions restores compatibility. This may require a system restart after deactivation. b1e95dc632