Stenograph Student New Computer Setup Guide User Guide

Stenograph Student New Computer Setup

Welcome to New Computer Setup Guide: Student Edition. This guide will help you get CATalyst installed along with all your files, get realtime working, and be able to record audio. Simply follow the directions and you’ll be up and running in no time ready for your next job. If you have a question or need assistance, please contact Technical Support at 1-800-323-4247.

System Requirements

Operating System
Windows 11
Computer Processor
An Intel Core 5 or 7, Intel Ultra 5, 7, or 9, or AMD Ryzen 5, 7, or 9 processor.

NOTE: There is a processor type called an ARM Processor. This processor is commonly called Snapdragon for Windows computers. This processor is not compatible with CATalyst due to driver incompatibility. Please be aware of what processor is on the computer before purchasing

• RAM
• 8 GB of RAM or more.
• If using CATalyst VP with Dragon Naturally Speaking, 16 GB of RAM or more is recommended.
• Hard Drive
• 256 GB hard drive or larger.

Ports

• A USB port for the writer to write Realtime, update the writer dictionary, and update the writer software.
• USB-C ports are compatible but require a USB-C to USB-A adapter. A Luminex II and NexGen writer can use a USB-C to USB-C cable.

Other Information

• Many CATalyst editing commands rely on the Function Keys (F1 – F12), especially the F4 key when inserting format symbols. Computer manufacturers have changed the default Function Keys to Activity Keys (increase/decrease volume, increase/decrease screen brightness,  etc.) and this can cause these editing commands to not function. If your computer’s Function Keys are Activity keys, consult your computer’s documentation or contact the manufacturer for assistance on changing the Activity Keys to Function Keys.
• Laptop and Desktop computers are beginning to use higher definition displays which can cause applications like CATalyst to appear blurry. If CATalyst appears blurry, the following article can help resolve this issue.
• CATalyst is not compatible with Mac computers due to hardware changes and Windows 10 no longer being supported. Click here for more information.
• While these are the minimum requirements for CATalyst, Stenograph cannot guarantee compatibility with all makes and models of computers. We recommend asking the store or manufacturer about their return policy just in case an issue arises.

CATalyst Student Version Features
CATalyst student version is for educational purposes. This version of CATalyst allows the user to access functions and features for the purpose of learning transcript production and dictionary maintenance. Certain features are limited or inaccessible. If you attempt to access a feature that is not available in the CATalyst Student Version, a message displays indicating the features unavailability.

AudioSync, Cloud Backup, and Realteam are not available in CATalyst Student version.

Manage Jobs

• All features are available.

Read

• All features are available.

Manage Notes

• Manage Notes capabilities are limited to printing steno notes.

Translate and Edit

• All features in Translate & Edit and Edit are available, however, the limit to the number of pages in a file is 50 pages.
• The following applies to the 50-page limit:
• If you write realtime, when the file reaches 50 pages, CATalyst saves the file, closes realtime and displays the following message:
• Realtime exceeds the 50-page limit for Student Version. Your file is saved.
• If you attempt to open a file that exceeds 50 pages or you are editing and, for example, make a layout change or copy and paste text which increases the number of pages to exceed 50, the following message displays:
• A Case CATalyst Student device limits the number of pages you may edit to 50. Any pages in excess of this limit will be deleted.
• If you open a file in error which contains more than 50 pages, exit without saving the file to keep the file unchanged.

Print
All features are available with a maximum print output of 50 Pages. Steno notes can be printed to PDF while writing realtime. Specific headers and footers which print on each page are embedded and cannot be changed.

They include:
Headers
Case CATalyst – Student Version

• By Stenograph
• Footers
• Not for Official Transcript Production

Educational Use Only

• Layouts
  All features are available. Specific headers and footers which print on each page are embedded and cannot be changed.
• Manage Dictionary
  All features are available.
• Wordlists
  All features are available.
• Import
  Import capabilities are limited to the following dictionaries: Stentura, RTF/CRE, and Case CATalyst 3.x format.

Export

• Export capabilities are limited to:
• Exporting dictionaries in RTF/CRE, Stentura, and Stenograph Writer format.
• Exporting to ASCII in Page Image format with a 50 page limit and embedded headers and footers.

Downloading CATalyst

Depending on your web browser there are different methods to download CATalyst. We will cover the two most common web browsers, Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
The difference between with IVT and without IVT is with IVT includes the Integrated Video Training videos that show basic features of CATalyst for new users as well as some other commonly used features. Downloading CATalyst with IVT is a larger download so the download time will increase.
If you are not sure which version to download, open CATalyst on another computer and go to Help, About Case CATalyst (Alt-h, a). On the top, left side, you will see Version: xx.xx Build: xxxxx. This is the version of CATalyst currently installed on your computer. Choose that version to download. Sometimes we are asked where to download the Student version or Edit version of CATalyst. The download of CATalyst is the same for all customers. What determines your access, Full, Edit, or Student, is your Product Key Code (PKC). Once the PKC is activated, then you will have access to CATalyst as well as the features associated with your PKC.

Google Chrome

1. Click the following link to access the Stenograph Downloads page.
2. Right click on the version of CATalyst you need to download, and choose Save link as… A Save As dialog box will appear. By default, the CATalyst Setup will be saved in your Downloads folder. To change to a different folder, click the save location on the left side. Click Save to begin downloading CATalyst.
3. In the upper right corner of Chrome there will be a download icon . Click the download icon and you should see Chrome has “blocked” the download. Click Keep, to download CATalyst.
4. Once the download is finished, click on the Setup to begin the installation

Microsoft Edge

1. Click the following link to access the Stenograph Downloads page. Click the version of CATalyst you need to download.
2. You will receive a security warning from Microsoft Edge saying the setup can’t be downloaded securely. Click the three dots next to the error and click Keep.

Another security warning will appear saying this file can’t be downloaded securely. Click Keep Anyway.

Once the download is completed, click Open file to begin the installation Installing CATalyst

1. If you’ve clicked on the Setup file in the previous steps, you should already be on the first screen that says, “Welcome to the Case CATalyst Version ‘X’ Setup Wizard”. Click Next NOTE: When you run the Setup, you may receive a message from Windows saying, “Do you wish to allow the following program from an unknown publisher to make changes to this computer?” Click Yes to continue.
2. At the License Agreement screen choose I accept the terms of the License Agreement and click Next.
3. On the Data Privacy screen, click Next.
4. In the Case CATalyst Security screen, type in your Product Key Code (PKC) and click Next.
   NOTE: If you do not have your PKC, click Next and you will be prompted to enter it the first time you run CATalyst.
5. At the Choose Components screen click Typical and click Next.
6. At the User Information screen, type in your name in the User Name: field and click Next
7. At the Remote Platform Recording – Virtual Cables screen, select I do not want to install Stenograph Virtual Cables and click Next. NOTE: If you are installing CATalyst 21 or lower, you can skip this step.
8. Confirm your settings and click Install. Now CATalyst will begin installing. NOTE: During installation, the Stenograph Writer drivers will be automatically installed. You may receive a Windows Security dialog box asking if you want to install the device software from Stenograph LLC. This is normal so click Install to install the driver.
9. When the installation is complete click Finish to close the Wizard.

Installing Writer Drivers

If you have installed CATalyst version 22.15 or higher on your computer, the USB writer drivers are automatically installed. However, if you installed version 21 or lower, you would need to install the drivers manually. Refer to our Solution Center article on installing the Stenograph Writer Drivers for assistance.

Setting Power Options

To keep this guide as short as possible, the following links will show you how to set the power options for Windows 11 computers.

Backing up files from CATalyst
Now you need to back up your files from the old computer so they can be restored to the new computer.

1. On your old computer, from Manage Jobs click on Tools, Backup (Ctrl-b).
2. The Backup dialog box displays. In this example we will be backing up our System Files to a USB flash drive.
   • On the left-hand side, in the Copy from: box, place a check next to the files and cases to back up.
   • On the right-hand side, in the Save in: box, click the down arrow and select the USB flash drive.
   • At the bottom of the dialog box is the File name: box. Type a name for the backup and click Save.
3. If your backup file contains audio, you may receive a dialog box letting you know that the backup contains audio. Choose Yes to continue backing up the file with audio, No to back up the file without audio, or Cancel to stop the backup and return to Manage Jobs.

Restoring Files into CATalyst
Now it’s time to bring your files onto your new computer. We’ll be using the Restore feature in CATalyst to bring the files in.

1. Open CATalyst on your new computer. You should be at the User Level. Double click on your name to go into the user. Your user will look like this.
   TIP: If you would like CATalyst to automatically log into your user when open the program, after you double click your name click Tools, Auto Logon. In the Auto Logon dialog box, left click the radio button next to Always start Case CATalyst with user: yourname, then click OK
2. Now click the Tools, Restore (Ctrl+r) to restore your files.
3. The Open window will appear. We need to browse where our files are located. In this example we will be restoring our System Files from a USB flash drive.
   • First on the left-hand side choose the USB flash drive so that CATalyst displays the files on the flash drive on the right-hand side of the window.
   • Then select systemfiles.zip and click Open.
4. The Restore window appears.
   • The left side of the window shows Restore jobs from and Subfile types panes. This pane shows what files you will be restoring.
   • The right side shows where your files will be restored to. Make sure that the Restore Jobs To option in the upper right corner is set to C:\Cat4\usr\yourname and that the Keep Case Structure box is checked. Then click OK.
5. A dialog box may open asking if you want to replace the existing file. This dialog box appears if CATalyst already has a file with the same name as the file you’re restoring. Since this is a new computer, CATalyst only has the default files and not any of your backed-up files. In this case you will want to choose Yes to All.
6. Once the restoration is finished, it will bring you back to the Manage Jobs screen. If there are other files you would like to restore, repeat this same process.

Testing Realtime

1. The last thing you need to do with your new computer is to test realtime to make sure it’s all working. To do this open CATalyst and from Manage Jobs click the Translate (Ctrl-t) icon on the Function Bar.
2. The Translate window will appear. In the lower left corner, click on Options
3. The Translate Options window will open.
   • Click on the Realtime tab at the top.
   • Under the Realtime tab on the left-hand side is the Realtime Writer field. Make sure it’s set to your writer. In this example we are using a Luminex II with a USB cable, so we are selecting Stenograph Writer USB.
4. Now you’re back to the Translate window.
   • In the top left-hand side next to Steno Source, you need make sure it says Writer.
   • You also need to click the down arrow next to Layout File and select your layout.
   • Then in the bottom left, type a file name in the File: field and click OK.

The Translate window will go away and a new file will open. You should see a dialog box appear that says Connected to Writer…Stroke a Key to Begin Writing. Write a few strokes on your writer and they should appear in the CATalyst transcript window.