Category: Geeks r Us
So I bought the newest form of Microsoft office. I spent an outrageous amount of money on the new university package of office 2013. However, it isn't working. It crashes every time I try to open it, and makes my computer, including my screen reader, freeze up entirely. I've tried everything on their website to fix it short of rewriting the documentation, which I don't have the know how to do. So my first question is if anyone can help with that.
Secondly, I tried looking at google docs to see if I could use it for the upcoming college semester. I found articles explaining how to set up jaws for google docs, and I followed the instructions. I got a document to open, but I can't seem to get anything to type in the document. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?
I'm running jaws 13 on windows seven if that helps anybody. I hope I can get some answers. Thanks in advance.
Hi Cody,
Have you installed Office 2013 on your system or are you running the versions of the programs available in the Cloud?
I'm not sure why Office should freeze, but you may be out of luck with that configuration. Office 2013 wasn't officially supported until JAWS 14 and even that support was a bit flaky, so I don't know how far you'll get with JAWS 13.
I downloaded and installed it onto my system. It took two tries to do it, but I eventually did it.
Yes Cody. Jaws, if that is your screen reader needs to be 14 to work with Office 2013.
I use it all the time, but use the downloaded version not the box.
these versions are not different really, but how it is installed might be.
The advantage of the online version is you get updates as long as your subscription is current. The box set is only what you have in the box, and will update only until Office 2014 or whatever is available.
First, you have a return, so unless you are going to get Jaws 14, I'd use that return and purchase Office 2010.
I wouldn't think it was crashing your system actually, just that it is not working with you Jaws, so if you don't see that, you'd think the system had crashed.
Office 2010 is good, and you'll not be lacking anything useful. 2013 is better, but only in the sense it works better with on and offline application, meaning it is easy to use on any computer you sit at, even if that computer doesn't have office. It works with your online account.
If you are going down, completely remove office, via add and remove, before you install the 2010.
A last note. Any time you purchase a Microsoft product, you receive free tech support. They will even do a connect repair with you.
You can hear exactly what they do, and you have to accept it, so no danger there.
Post more if you have questions about anything I've written.
I see we were posting at the same time.
Your main issue is Jaws doesn't support it with your version.
Ah, that would explain it. I'll see what I can do about that. Thank you.
Cody, try using system access with office 2013. You can use it as a virtual screen reader withotu purchasing at
www.satogo.com
or
www.samobile.net
System access should work well with the latest version of microsoft office, and as I stated, they allow you to use the screen reader on any window's machine without you actually owning a copy.
If you want to use google docs, Chrome Vox might be a look. It is a screen reader made by google that is an extention for the Chrome and Chromium browsers and provides access to them. I use this setup on linux and have found google docs to be very accessible. The work flow for setting this up would be to download the Chrome browser from google for Windows. After you accomplish this, you would need to install the Chrome Vox extention into the browser. I am not sure if JAWS works with the chrome browser but I have heard that NVDA does. I can't test this as i do not have access to a Windows machine. If it really came down to it, you could have someone sighted install the extention into the browser for you, after which, the browser should begin speaking. Chrome Vox is very different than most screen readers when navigating the web. It is similar to the Rotor in IOS or granularity navigation in Talkback if you are familiar with either of these screen readers A list of keyboard shortcuts can be found at http://www.chromevox.com/keyboard_shortcuts.html but if you had any more specific questions I would be willing to help. When you actually open a google doc, navigation becomes more of what you would be accustomed to for an office application. For example, you use the cursor keys to move around in a document or between cells in a spreadsheet. In the presentation creation program, tab and shift+tab move between the different areas of the slide you are working on.
what about nvda? That 365 is still 2007 right? I am in the same boat. New machine with win 7 and no word or excell yet.
You can use all versions of office with Windows 7.
is the ddownloaded version Office 365 premium? is t that the thing you access from the web, wayne?
You mean the subscription Office.
The version I subscribe to his Office 2013 home premium. This version cost $99 per year if you pay up front, or $120 if you pay monthly.
It includes off and online versions or Office tools, Access, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, Send To OneNote, Word.
You can buy the business version for more per month that includes the rest of the office programs, but this version is pretty full functioned.
You can install it on 5 PC’s, and these PC’s don’t all have to be at the same location, just on your account.
I like it, because when they update, you update as long as you pay.
If you like and keep Office, you are paying around $200 or so every 2 or 3 years anyway, so this works out fine.
Sounds like great options, Wayne.