1. Go to https://registry.paratext.org
2. Log in to the site with your email address
3. Click on your username at the top right
   1. Select “My Profile”:
4. Click on “Change…” next to your Registration name:
5. Enter the updated name:

   

   1. Ensure the name is available.
6. Click the Change button.
7. Your new name will be effective immediately and you will receive a new registration code by email.
8. Copy/Paste your new registration name and registration code into Paratext:
   1. Paratext 9: Paratext menu > Help > Registration Information.
   2. Paratext 8: Tools menu > Registration Information.
9. Restart Paratext.

For a more complete explanation of the implications of changing your name, please see this complete article: Change a user’s Registration Name

Please see the System Requirements for Paratext page.

Paratext 8 is no longer supported.

Find Your Existing Registration Code

Copy/Paste Registration Code from Paratext

You can copy/paste your existing code from Paratext:

1. Paratext 9: Go to the Paratext menu > Help > Registration Information.
   1. Paratext 8: Go to Tools > Registration Information.
2. Your Registration Code should look similar to this: W9GYM2-CUK4ET-7RPVGV-JWEPG6-WBTE8P:
   

Find Registration Code in an Email

1. You could also search for an email with your Registration Code:
   1. From: admin [at] paratext.org
   2. Subject: “Your registration code for Paratext”

Enter Registration Code in Paratext

1. If you are opening Paratext for the first time:
   1. Paste the Registration information in the Registration Information window that appears.
2. If you reset your code: copy/paste your Registration Code in this location:
   1. Paratext 9: Go to the Paratext menu > Help > Registration Information.
   2. Paratext 8: Go to Tools > Registration Information.

Video: How to Enter Registration Code

The video below (starting at 4:48) describes how to enter your registration information and registration code in Paratext.

To get started with Paratext for FREE, register here.

Reset your Registration Code

If you cannot find your registration code, you can reset it with these instructions: I lost my registration code.

You can use Paratext in many different languages from around the world. Follow these instructions to change the language you use Paratext in.

Paratext

1. Go to the Paratext menu > Paratext settings.
2. Click on the Interface Language drop-down:
   
3. Click the language you want to use:
   
4. Click OK.

Paratext Lite

1. Tap the Paratext menu > Options:
   
2. Tap the Interface Language drop-down:
   
3. Tap the language you want to use:
   
4. Tap OK.

The Paratext Help system inside of Paratext is quite comprehensive. When you have a question, you can search the built-in Help for answers. In the process you may learn some new features you didn’t know about! Use the Help menu or the Help search box in Paratext to find help on a topic.

The video below shows how to use the Help system in Paratext.

Main Version

The version of Paratext is shown in the upper-left corner of the Paratext window:

Paratext 9 (and higher)

Paratext 8

Minor Version

You can also find the specific/minor version of Paratext that you have installed:

Paratext 9

1. Go to the Paratext menu > About Paratext:

Paratext 8

1. Go to the Help menu > About Paratext:

Paratext projects have two names (see Project menu > Project Settings > Project Properties):

• Full Name: For example, “Hawaiian Pidgin Translation Project” (1)
• Short Name: For example, “hwc21” (2)

It is very simple to change a project’s Full Name, but more complicated/involved to change a project’s Short Name.

Instructions to make these changes are below.

Change a Project’s Full Name

To change a project’s Full Name, follow these instructions:

1. Click on the Project’s menu:
   
2. Go to Project > Project Settings > Project Properties…
3. Click Manage Registration:
   
4. On the Paratext Registry website:
   1. Change the Project Full Name:
      
5. Scroll down and click the Save Changes button.
6. Go back to Paratext.
7. Verify the Full Name has changed:
   
8. Click OK.

Change a Project’s Short Name

To change a project’s Short Name, follow these instructions to Use the Convert Project Tool.

Yes, you can use Paratext on multiple computers or devices! You can even use the same Paratext registration information on multiple devices.

To start working on a different device:

1. Do a Send/Receive on the computer / device you are currently working on.
2. Then, do a Send/Receive on the computer / device that you are going to start working on.

For example, if you are working on Device A and you want to switch to Device B:

1. Do a Send/Receive on the Device A.
2. Do a Send/Receive on Device B.

This will keep your project(s) synchronized across multiple devices. Just repeat this process anytime you want to switch devices.

The video below (starting at 4:48) describes how to enter your registration information and registration code in Paratext.

To get started with Paratext for FREE, register here.

Do you need to change the organization you are registered with? You can do this at any time, but you need to be aware of two things first:

• Your registration must be accepted by the membership approver of the new organization, and it may take a while, depending on how responsive they are.
• If your registration is approved, you will receive a new registration code that must be entered into Paratext to continue to have full functionality.

Request Membership of an Organization

Here is how to request membership of an organization for those with an existing registration.

1. Go to https://registry.paratext.org and log in using the email account that you registered with.
2. Click on your name at the top-right of the page:
   
   1. Click My Profile.
3. Scroll down to Primary Organisation.
4. Click Request membership of an organisation:
   
5. Search for and select your organization:
   
   1. Click the Request button.
6. If you are not part of any organization listed, you may Request to be an Independent Translator

Change Membership to a Different Organization

If you see “Requested membership of [name of organization]”, this means your request is in process.

If it has taken too long, or you requested membership of the wrong organization, you may make another request as follows:

1. Go to https://registry.paratext.org/orgs
2. Search for your correct organization’s name and find it in the list below:
   
3. Do NOT click the View button.
4. Instead click the down arrow next to the View button:
   
   1. Click Request Membership.

Request to be an Independent Translator (no Organization)

If you are not with an organization but are involved in a Bible translation project that follows the FOBAI Translation Standards, you may Request to be approved as an independent translator.

Yes. To add a text as a Paratext resource, the text must first be uploaded to the Digital Bible Library after passing required checks in Paratext. Once in the DBL, the owner may choose to license it to specific organizations, to all vetted Paratext users, or to every Paratext user.

• If you are the rightsholder of a text you wish to add, you may work with the DBL curator in your organization to upload the text and make it available.
• If you wish to request the addition of someone else’s text as a resource, you should contact the rights-holder and refer them to the text resources page to explain how we will use the resource:

On January 14th, 2020 Microsoft ended support for Windows 7.

Paratext may still run on Windows 7, but it is no longer officially supported.  Some people have had difficulty installing Paratext 9 on Windows 7, and it is likely that future versions of Paratext will not run on Windows 7. We no longer test our software on Windows 7, and if you need support, we may ask you to move to Windows 10.

Also, please be aware that you are more vulnerable to being hacked if you are using Windows 7 because it will not receive security updates when vulnerabilities are discovered.   This is especially important if you work in a sensitive location. Microsoft discusses this in their end-of-support announcement:

After January 14, 2020, PCs running Windows 7 no longer receive security updates. Therefore, it’s important that you upgrade to a modern operating system such as Windows 10, which can provide the latest security updates to help keep you and your data safer. In addition, Microsoft customer service is no longer available to provide Windows 7 technical support. Related services for Windows 7 are also also being discontinued over time …

If you continue to use Windows 7 after support has ended, your PC will still work, but it will be more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Your PC will continue to start and run, but will no longer receive software updates, including security updates, from Microsoft.

A lot of the functionality in Paratext 9 is the same, but there have been significant changes to the menus, how windows work and how to open things. Paratext 9 also includes Enhanced Resources, texts with information about the underlying Greek or Hebrew words.

Menus

An awkwardness of using Paratext since it began is how the menus change or apply depending on what your active project is. How often have you gone looking for a command, or realized you just ran a check or tool on the wrong project because you forgot what you’d last clicked in? In Paratext 9, this confusion is minimized because the menu commands applying to specific projects are launched from that project window. Menus for global Paratext functions are launched from the top left icon. Menus are not displayed when not needed, giving you more room for text.

Windows

Arranging windows of different projects or components was either a tedious manual process, or a fully automatic one if you used a stacked arrangement. In Paratext 9, it is easier to arrange windows than in the manual process of earlier versions, while you can adjust your arrangement to make one window larger and another smaller, which was impossible in a stacked arrangement.

Open

Rather than several different menu commands for opening different things, like a special command to open Biblical Term renderings, another for dictionaries, another for Notes lists, in Paratext 9 all of these things can be opened from the same Open dialog.

Enhanced resources

Paratext 9 has new enhanced Scripture resources which have been tagged with information about the Greek and Hebrew words found in the source text. This allows lookups to be performed for lexical entries, images, and maps pertaining to the source language text. These resources are being translated into many languages of wider communication. Existing Paratext 8 resource texts are also available in Paratext 9.

The comprehensive list of new features is found here.

No. Paratext 8 and Paratext 9 share the same data structure, so projects won’t require migration from Paratext 8 to Paratext 9. Members working on a shared project can use Paratext 8 or Paratext 9 and share changes with each other.

No. There is just one edition which can be used by all users. It is available as either an Online or Offline installer.

Paratext 9 version numbering works like Paratext 8 numbering – 9.0.x.y

If x is between 1 and 49, it is an alpha. Alpha versions are for early adopters only and are usually not fully featured or fully functional. They should not be used with live project data.

If x is Between 50 and 99 it is a beta. Beta versions are more functional, more feature-complete and stable than an alpha and may be appropriate to use with live projects. Sometimes a beta is offered as a “release candidate” to indicate it is a relatively stable beta version. Release candidates are the final beta versions before stable release versions.

If x is 100 or over, it is a full stable release. For example, 9.0.100.1 or greater.

The current version can be downloaded here: https://paratext.org/download/currentversion/

The Paratext Board of Governors wishes to make Paratext available to all Bible translators with as few restrictions as possible. In the past, there were complaints about the difficulty of obtaining licenses for Paratext. The new registration system starting with Paratext 8 has been designed to decentralize the process of obtaining licenses. Now the approval process is managed by more than 250 organizations, each for their own personnel. Organizations and church groups are being added all the time by filling out a simple form found on this site’s registration information page. Here is how it works:

Any organization may request to become a Paratext Organization. There are two criteria:

1.     They must agree to follow the standards for Bible translation set forth by the Forum of Bible Agencies International.  This is a checkbox on the form.
2.     They must abide by the Paratext Terms of Use, in the section entitled Global Principles.  Although this is not made explicit on the organization registration form, it is in the confirmation email that is sent when the registration is received.

If any Bible translator does not have access to Paratext and its excellent set of resources for translators today, it is probably because they have not registered their organization.  In the rare case that a request is rejected, it is most often because the group is not involved in Bible translation. The only other cases of rejection are where they claim not to comply with FOBAI translation standards or have violated the Paratext Terms of Use in some way.

If you are using an older web browser, pages on the Registry website may fail to load. If you see a “Browser Unsupported” message, you’ll need to install or upgrade to a modern web browser instead. We recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

The following browser versions (and older) are known to be problematic: Chrome 27, Firefox 25, Safari 6, Internet Explorer 10.

The resources available to you will vary based on the group you belong to: Paratext User, Qualified Translator, or Qualified Translator in an Approved Organisation. Resources are available based on the licence the rights-holder has assigned to the resource in the Digital Bible Library. There are currently over 1,600 texts in the Digital Bible Library, although not all of them will be licensed for distribution in Paratext.  Any DBL resource that is licensed for distribution in Paratext will be available to be installed in Paratext. Resources that have an open license will be available to all users. Other resources will only be licensed for use by projects with certain organizations.

See Text Resources in Paratext

Yes.

To obtain resource files for offline installation, you will need to copy them from a computer that has already downloaded them in Paratext. Please follow the instructions below.

Source Computer

Download/Update Resources

First, on the source computer, you must first download/update the Resources that you want to install.

If you already have all of the Resources you want on the source computer, skip to the Copy Resources to USB Drive section below:

1. Paratext 9: Go to the Paratext menu > Download/Install Resources…
   1. Paratext 8: Go to File > Download/Install Resources…
2. Choose Internet (or Folder if you have them locally already).
3. Select the Resources that you want to copy/update for the offline installation.
4. Click Download/Install.
5. Wait for the Download/Install to finish.

Copy Resources to USB Drive

Once you have all of the Resources you want to install downloaded/updated:

1. Go to My Paratext 9 Projects\_Resources directory.
   
   1. Older installs: My Paratext 8 Projects\_Resources.
2. Copy all the files in that directory to a USB drive.

Target Computer (Offline)

1. Put the USB drive in the target computer.
2. Paratext 9: Go to the Paratext Menu > Download/Install Resources…
   1. Paratext 8: Go to File > Download/Install Resources…
3. Click the Browse button:
   
   1. Navigate to the USB drive.
   2. Click OK.
4. Select the Resources you want to install.
5. Click Download/Install.

Text resources are downloaded directly into Paratext from the menu. (In Paratext 8, this is File > Download/Install Resources. In Paratext 9 Download/Install resources is in the Paratext menu). Resources come from the Digital Bible Library where they are licenced for use by Bible Translators.

Some users have been getting an error message that BYZ, HEB, and/or other resources are corrupt:

Only BYZ is Corrupt (Quick Fix)

Please follow these instructions if only BYZ is corrupt:

1. Make sure Paratext is closed.
2. Go to the My Paratext 8 Projects/_Resources directory
   1. Newer installs: My Paratext 9 Projects/_Resources.
3. Remove the BYZ.p8z file.
4. Download the new BYZ.p8z file from here: https://paratext.org/files/resources/BYZ.p8z.
5. Copy the new BYZ.p8z file to your _Resources directory.
6. Open Paratext and verify BYZ appears correctly in Paratext.
7. Delete the old resource file.

Multiple Corrupt Files

Please follow these instructions to fix multiple corrupted files:

1. Download the Paratext 9.1 installer if you have not already: https://paratext.org/download
2. Save your current layout (if necessary): Paratext menu > Layout > Save current layout.
   1. Note: Uninstalling may cause Paratext to forget which windows were open.
3. Make sure Paratext is closed.
4. Go to the My Paratext 8 Projects/_Resources directory
   1. Newer installs: My Paratext 9 Projects/_Resources.
5. Remove the files for the Source Language resources that are corrupt (for example: BYZ.p8z, HEB.p8z, GRK.p8z)
   1. Suggestion: move them to the Desktop.
6. Uninstall Paratext 9.1.
   1. Choose Keep Settings.
      
   2. Note: Uninstalling will NOT remove any Project data.
7. Run the Paratext 9.1 installer.
8. Download and update to the latest Paratext 9.1 patch from https://paratext.org/download
   1. For example: Patch 9 1 104 39
9. Verify that that corresponding resources (for example: BYZ.p8z, HEB.p8z, or GRK.p8z) were restored to the _Resources directory.
10. Open Paratext and verify they appear correctly in Paratext.
11. Delete the old resource files.

Changes in patch 9.1.104.59

(since 9.1.104.39)

• Exception: Paratext System.NullReferenceException ChangeListForm.cs:157

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTXE-55626

• Exception: Paratext System.OverflowException CustomWindowTitleBar.cs:499

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTXE-51927

• Exception: Paratext System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException MegaMenu.cs:881

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTXE-55787

• Saved layout dialog refers to an obsolete menu category

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTX-20883

• RegexPal does not open showing the text of the selected project.

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTX-20828

• Exception: Biblical Terms tool throws restore memento exception at wrong time

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTX-20799

• The line separating the scripture text area and foot pane seems invisible

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTX-20588

• Exception: Hyphenation data being modified while loading

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTX-20888

• PtxUtils.Progress.ProgressCancelledException TextLoader.cs:0

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTXE-55804

• Exception: Paratext System.NullReferenceException ScriptureLinksHelper.cs:52

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTXE-53095

• Notes List Window keyboard shortcuts not functioning

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTX-20832

• Tools opened from project windows should inherit the Scripture navigation history from the project window’s scroll group

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTX-20814

• Exception: Paratext System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException DictionaryTab.cs:233

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTXE-56090

• Typing does not appear in main window after using A&P

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTX-20858

• Exception: Paratext System.ObjectDisposedException MegaMenu.cs:561

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTXE-56249

• Exception: Paratext System.NullReferenceException PlanVersionUpdater.cs:56

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTXE-55574

• Exception: Paratext System.InvalidOperationException OccurrencesFilters.cs:626

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTXE-56365

• Show only latest org project plans for most users. Allow org admins to also show org plans in development.

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTX-20929

• Exception: Paratext System.NullReferenceException BiblicalTermsForm.cs:515

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTXE-56488

• Exception: Paratext System.ArgumentException ProgressInfo.cs:701

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTXE-54922

• Paratext Live exception with Translation Priority filter

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTXS-28816

• Exception: Error while processing chapter verse check when verse is missing

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTX-20934

• Paratext not shutting down properly

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTXS-28854

• BCV is disabled in new floating window opened from another FloatWindow by right click.

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTX-20881

• Target Invalid message (remove\ipr from the check for references)

https://paratext.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/PTX-20105

Please see the System Requirements for Paratext page.

Paratext 8 is no longer supported.

Paratext 8 support ended on December 31, 2021. Paratext 8 will continue to work with Paratext 9, but we would encourage you to upgrade to Paratext 9 as soon as possible.

See our important announcement about Paratext 8.

Some users have been getting an error message that BYZ, HEB, and/or other resources are corrupt:

Only BYZ is Corrupt (Quick Fix)

Please follow these instructions if only BYZ is corrupt:

1. Make sure Paratext is closed.
2. Go to the My Paratext 8 Projects/_Resources directory
   1. Newer installs: My Paratext 9 Projects/_Resources.
3. Remove the BYZ.p8z file.
4. Download the new BYZ.p8z file from here: https://paratext.org/files/resources/BYZ.p8z.
5. Copy the new BYZ.p8z file to your _Resources directory.
6. Open Paratext and verify BYZ appears correctly in Paratext.
7. Delete the old resource file.

Multiple Corrupt Files

Please follow these instructions to fix multiple corrupted files:

1. Download the Paratext 9.1 installer if you have not already: https://paratext.org/download
2. Save your current layout (if necessary): Paratext menu > Layout > Save current layout.
   1. Note: Uninstalling may cause Paratext to forget which windows were open.
3. Make sure Paratext is closed.
4. Go to the My Paratext 8 Projects/_Resources directory
   1. Newer installs: My Paratext 9 Projects/_Resources.
5. Remove the files for the Source Language resources that are corrupt (for example: BYZ.p8z, HEB.p8z, GRK.p8z)
   1. Suggestion: move them to the Desktop.
6. Uninstall Paratext 9.1.
   1. Choose Keep Settings.
      
   2. Note: Uninstalling will NOT remove any Project data.
7. Run the Paratext 9.1 installer.
8. Download and update to the latest Paratext 9.1 patch from https://paratext.org/download
   1. For example: Patch 9 1 104 39
9. Verify that that corresponding resources (for example: BYZ.p8z, HEB.p8z, or GRK.p8z) were restored to the _Resources directory.
10. Open Paratext and verify they appear correctly in Paratext.
11. Delete the old resource files.

Yes. Installing Paratext 9 does not remove Paratext 8 from your computer. The two versions use the same project folder, and there is no need to migrate projects like there was when moving from Paratext 7 to Paratext 8. Team members can share projects together even while some are on Paratext 8 and some on Paratext 9.

We would advise caution in opening both versions at the same time. Both versions read and write the same files in each project. If you make changes in one version, then changes in the same project in the other version, some of your changes might not be saved. You will get a warning message if you open one while the other is already open. We would advise you to heed the warning and close one before you open the other.

If after installing Paratext 9 you wish to remove Paratext 8, you can uninstall it from the Windows Settings App, (the gear in the start menu > Apps > find Paratext 8 in the list and click Uninstall) or from the Control Panel. (Programs and Features > Find Paratext 8 in the list, right click and choose Uninstall).

No. Your Paratext 8 registration will work in Paratext 9. When you install Paratext 9, it will detect your registration info if Paratext 8 is installed on your computer.

A lot of the functionality in Paratext 9 is the same, but there have been significant changes to the menus, how windows work and how to open things. Paratext 9 also includes Enhanced Resources, texts with information about the underlying Greek or Hebrew words.

Menus

An awkwardness of using Paratext since it began is how the menus change or apply depending on what your active project is. How often have you gone looking for a command, or realized you just ran a check or tool on the wrong project because you forgot what you’d last clicked in? In Paratext 9, this confusion is minimized because the menu commands applying to specific projects are launched from that project window. Menus for global Paratext functions are launched from the top left icon. Menus are not displayed when not needed, giving you more room for text.

Windows

Arranging windows of different projects or components was either a tedious manual process, or a fully automatic one if you used a stacked arrangement. In Paratext 9, it is easier to arrange windows than in the manual process of earlier versions, while you can adjust your arrangement to make one window larger and another smaller, which was impossible in a stacked arrangement.

Open

Rather than several different menu commands for opening different things, like a special command to open Biblical Term renderings, another for dictionaries, another for Notes lists, in Paratext 9 all of these things can be opened from the same Open dialog.

Enhanced resources

Paratext 9 has new enhanced Scripture resources which have been tagged with information about the Greek and Hebrew words found in the source text. This allows lookups to be performed for lexical entries, images, and maps pertaining to the source language text. These resources are being translated into many languages of wider communication. Existing Paratext 8 resource texts are also available in Paratext 9.

The comprehensive list of new features is found here.

No. Paratext 8 and Paratext 9 share the same data structure, so projects won’t require migration from Paratext 8 to Paratext 9. Members working on a shared project can use Paratext 8 or Paratext 9 and share changes with each other.

Paratext 9 version numbering works like Paratext 8 numbering – 9.0.x.y

If x is between 1 and 49, it is an alpha. Alpha versions are for early adopters only and are usually not fully featured or fully functional. They should not be used with live project data.

If x is Between 50 and 99 it is a beta. Beta versions are more functional, more feature-complete and stable than an alpha and may be appropriate to use with live projects. Sometimes a beta is offered as a “release candidate” to indicate it is a relatively stable beta version. Release candidates are the final beta versions before stable release versions.

If x is 100 or over, it is a full stable release. For example, 9.0.100.1 or greater.

The current version can be downloaded here: https://paratext.org/download/currentversion/

Yes, anyone can download, install, and use Paratext, but registration is mandatory. For people who are not vetted as having a role in Bible translation there are limitations, explained on the registration page of this site.

Yes, Paratext 9 projects can be accessed by Publishing Assistant.
For more information on Publishing Assistant go to https://pubassist.paratext.org/

Since Paratext 8 and Paratext 9 can run on the same computer, and Paratext 8 users and Paratext 9 users can work together in the same shared project.  We would encourage consultants to upgrade to the new version, but if you stay on 8, you will be able to continue consulting with teams who are using Paratext 9. In the same way, you can continue to consult for a team using 8 after you upgrade to 9.

No. It is possible for Paratext 8 users and Paratext 9 users to work on the same project.
There are a few minor issues if this is the case. See this FAQ for details

Yes. There is no need to migrate projects from Paratext 8 to Paratext 9. However, there may be a few small inconveniences when working with a shared project in both versions.

• If the project includes figures, the markers for these may appear different in Paratext 9 than in Paratext 8, and it may be hard to edit figures in both versions.
• If the project uses Ruby glossing (a special need for Japanese language texts), these glosses may not be visible for Paratext 8 users.
• When creating a new project in Paratext 9, you can create it using USFM3 or USFM2. Paratext 8 does not fully support USFM 3 but it will open such projects.
• Certain project plans may only be applied and edited in version 9.  However, the progress is shared between both 8 and 9.

No. You can download and install Paratext at any time, but you must register in order to use it. Registration is free to everyone.

Text resources are downloaded directly into Paratext from the menu. (In Paratext 8, this is File > Download/Install Resources. In Paratext 9 Download/Install resources is in the Paratext menu). Resources come from the Digital Bible Library where they are licenced for use by Bible Translators.

1. Go to https://registry.paratext.org
2. Log in to the site with your email address
3. Click on your username at the top right
   1. Select “My Profile”:
4. Click on “Change…” next to your Registration name:
5. Enter the updated name:

   

   1. Ensure the name is available.
6. Click the Change button.
7. Your new name will be effective immediately and you will receive a new registration code by email.
8. Copy/Paste your new registration name and registration code into Paratext:
   1. Paratext 9: Paratext menu > Help > Registration Information.
   2. Paratext 8: Tools menu > Registration Information.
9. Restart Paratext.

For a more complete explanation of the implications of changing your name, please see this complete article: Change a user’s Registration Name

Change Email Address

If you want to change the email you use to login to the registry, this takes several steps. The steps depend on whether you were using Google to authenticate your existing address or not. It would be good to go through this process before you close your first email account.

Original Email was a Google Account

New Email is a Different Google Account

1. Log in to the Paratext Registry (with your original email address).
2. Click your name at the top right > Settings:
   
   
3. Click Change in the Identities section:
   
4. Your browser will bring up the list of Google accounts it knows about. Pick the one you want.
   1. If the one you want is not in the list, click “Use another account”.
5. If necessary, login to the selected Google account.
6. If Google asks to give permission for registry.paratext.org to access your info, click Yes.

When this is finished, you should now see your new address in the Google section of Identities, and you can now start using your new email to login to the registry.

New Email is NOT a Google Account

1. Log in to the Paratext Registry (with your original email address).
2. Click your name at the top right > Settings:
   
3. Click Unlink in the identity section:
   
4. When prompted, enter your new email address.
   1. An email with a verification link will be sent to your new email address.
5. Go to your Inbox (for your new email account) and click the verification link from Paratext.
6. Now the registry will ask for a login password. This does not have to be the same as your email password.
7. When you set the password you should be able to login using your new email and your new password.

Original Email was NOT a Google Account

1. Log in to the Paratext Registry (with your original email address).
2. Click your name at the top right > My Profile.
3. Click Add New Email and put in your new email address.
4. The registry will send an email with a verification link that you must click to verify your email.
5. Go to your email and click on the link in the message.
6. Back in the Registry:
   1. Click on your name > My Profile
   2. Each email address on your profile should have a trash can by it.
   3. Click the trash can by your first email to discard it.

The password you set up to login to the registry is not changed when you change your email. You can log on to the registry using the new email and your existing password.

If you no longer have access to your original email address

You still may be able to login to the registry if you were not using Google authentication:

1. Log in to the Paratext Registry with your old email and the password you set up for the registry
2. Proceed to change your email
3. If you used Google authentication, or if you have forgotten your registry password, you will need assistance to get your new email address into the system.
   1. Contact your Paratext supporter or submit a request for help.

Add an Additional Email Address

You can add a second email address to your profile, this is relatively simple.

1. Log in to the Paratext Registry (with your original email address).
2. Click your name at the top right > My Profile.
3. Click Add email Address to add a second email.
4. Click the verification link in your email inbox.

Remove Email Address

Follow these steps to remove an email address from the Paratext Registry.

First be sure that you have a new email address associated with your account:

1. Log in to the Paratext Registry.
2. Click your name at the top right > My Profile.
3. In the email address section:
   1. Check for your new email address.
   2. If your new email address is not listed, follow the steps above to add/change your email address.

Once you have added/changed to the new email address:

1. Click your name at the top right > My Profile.
2. If you still see your old email address:
   1. Click the trash icon for the old email address.

Change Password for the Paratext Registry

If you want to change your password for the Paratext registry:

1. Click on your name at top right > Settings
2. There is a section called Password where you can change your password.

If your new email is based on Google, you can use the Google authentication method if you wish (where you login to your Google account in the browser and Google tells the Paratext registry that you are you).

1. Click on your name at top right > Settings
2. Click the link for the Google authentication method in the Password section.
3. Google will ask if you give permission for registry.paratext.org to access some of your account information
4. Grant access and you can then use the Google authentication to login to the registry.

Final Step: For All Users

After changing your email in the registry, you need to enter your new email in Paratext. The registration information dialog, along with your user name and registration code saves your email.  To change this:

1. Go to the Paratext menu > Help > Registration Information
2. Put your new email in the email box.

Paratext sends this information to the Paratext team whenever you send feedback such as a problem report or suggestion, and using an old email address would mean the Paratext team has difficulties contacting you with suggestions or advice.

Find your Existing Registration Code

You can find your existing Registration Code by following these instructions: Find my Registration Code.

Generate a New Code (Reset Your Registration Code)

If your computer dies, is stolen, or you cannot find your code, you can generate a new code.

To generate a new code:

1. Log in to registry.paratext.org
2. Click on your name in the top right corner (1).
   1. Click Registration (2):
      
3. Click the Generate button:
   
4. Click copy to copy the new code:
   
   1. The new code will also be sent to you by email.
5. For each device where you use Paratext, copy/paste the new code into Paratext:
   1. Paratext 9: Go to the Paratext menu > Help > Registration Information.
   2. Paratext 8: Go to Tools > Registration Information.
   3. Paratext Lite: Go to the Main menu > More arrow > Registration.

Yes! As a veteran Bible translator or consultant, we expect you may want to continue involvement after retirement. However, this is sometimes difficult if your work email address is removed. Your organization’s policy might also require you to be moved out of their Paratext organization as you no longer have an active role under their supervision.

Fear not! We want to honor your many years of commitment and sacrifice in helping make God’s Word accessible to people around the world! To do this, there is a new Paratext organization called the Platinum Group. When a member in good standing with a Bible translation organization retires, the organization’s administrator can move them to the Platinum Group with a few words of explanation. The registry administrators will see that and approve it without any questions. This way, you will maintain access to all of the resources you had before and can continue working or consulting in Paratext.

Of course, your access to the projects that you worked on previously will be determined by the managing organization.

We trust this will be helpful and encouraging for our retirees. You have sacrificed so much to make God’s Word accessible in the languages and formats that people clearly understand! Thank you and may God bless you with a deeper relationship with Him. 🙏

How to Move a User to Platinum Group

To move a retired member, please have an organization’s administrator email admin@paratext.org and request that the retiree be moved to the Platinum Group.

Find Your Existing Registration Code

Copy/Paste Registration Code from Paratext

You can copy/paste your existing code from Paratext:

1. Paratext 9: Go to the Paratext menu > Help > Registration Information.
   1. Paratext 8: Go to Tools > Registration Information.
2. Your Registration Code should look similar to this: W9GYM2-CUK4ET-7RPVGV-JWEPG6-WBTE8P:
   

Find Registration Code in an Email

1. You could also search for an email with your Registration Code:
   1. From: admin [at] paratext.org
   2. Subject: “Your registration code for Paratext”

Enter Registration Code in Paratext

1. If you are opening Paratext for the first time:
   1. Paste the Registration information in the Registration Information window that appears.
2. If you reset your code: copy/paste your Registration Code in this location:
   1. Paratext 9: Go to the Paratext menu > Help > Registration Information.
   2. Paratext 8: Go to Tools > Registration Information.

Video: How to Enter Registration Code

The video below (starting at 4:48) describes how to enter your registration information and registration code in Paratext.

To get started with Paratext for FREE, register here.

Reset your Registration Code

If you cannot find your registration code, you can reset it with these instructions: I lost my registration code.

Go to the Paratext Registry to manage your email subscriptions to the Paratext News articles, as well as signing up up to help improve Paratext.

Manage Email Subscriptions

1. Login to the Paratext Registry
2. Click on your name at top right > Settings.
3. Scroll down to Notifications:
   1. You see which email address is subscribed to get notifications, Paratext News, and/or to Help Improve Paratext:
      

Change Email Address

1. To change where you receive notifications:
   1. Choose the email address where you want to receive notifications
   2. Click Save
2. You can also add another email address to your profile by clicking the Profile link:
   

The notification daily digest refers to notifications from the registry, such as notifications of users being added or removed, or user roles changing in projects you are a member of.

Change Preferred Language

The notification section also lets you select your preferred language for Paratext news items:

To change your preferred language:

1. Choose the language you want from the drop-down
2. Click Save

Modify Subscriptions

1. If you want to receive Paratext News or Help Improve Paratext:
   1. Check the appropriate boxes
   2. Click Save
2. If you no longer want to receive Paratext News or Help Improve Paratext:
   1. Uncheck the appropriate boxes
   2. Click Save
      

We recommend that you stay subscribed to Paratext News, because these are emails about important developments about Paratext, as well as tips and tricks for using Paratext, that we’d like you to know about.

If you are the administrator of any Paratext project, you may register for someone who has difficulty accessing the internet or who does not have an e-mail address. Users registered in this way will be able to participate in projects and use resources, but will not be able to register projects of their own until they sign up for themselves.

1. Login to the Paratext Registry.
2. Click on the Users tab.
3. Click on the “Register New User” button (at the top of the page)
   
4. Fill out the form and you will receive the registration code after a delay if approval is necessary.

The registry can appear in a number of languages. If it is not detecting your desired language automatically, follow these steps to set your desired language:

1. Log in to the Paratext Registry.
2. Click on your name (upper-right corner).
   1. Click on My Profile.
3. Choose your desired language “Preferred Languages” drop-down:
   
4. Click the Save Changes button.

The video below (starting at 4:48) describes how to enter your registration information and registration code in Paratext.

To get started with Paratext for FREE, register here.

Do you need to change the organization you are registered with? You can do this at any time, but you need to be aware of two things first:

• Your registration must be accepted by the membership approver of the new organization, and it may take a while, depending on how responsive they are.
• If your registration is approved, you will receive a new registration code that must be entered into Paratext to continue to have full functionality.

Request Membership of an Organization

Here is how to request membership of an organization for those with an existing registration.

1. Go to https://registry.paratext.org and log in using the email account that you registered with.
2. Click on your name at the top-right of the page:
   
   1. Click My Profile.
3. Scroll down to Primary Organisation.
4. Click Request membership of an organisation:
   
5. Search for and select your organization:
   
   1. Click the Request button.
6. If you are not part of any organization listed, you may Request to be an Independent Translator

Change Membership to a Different Organization

If you see “Requested membership of [name of organization]”, this means your request is in process.

If it has taken too long, or you requested membership of the wrong organization, you may make another request as follows:

1. Go to https://registry.paratext.org/orgs
2. Search for your correct organization’s name and find it in the list below:
   
3. Do NOT click the View button.
4. Instead click the down arrow next to the View button:
   
   1. Click Request Membership.

Request to be an Independent Translator (no Organization)

If you are not with an organization but are involved in a Bible translation project that follows the FOBAI Translation Standards, you may Request to be approved as an independent translator.

You need to contact the Paratext Board of Governors to be considered as an independent translator, explaining the nature of your project. You may use this form.

No. Your Paratext 8 registration will work in Paratext 9. When you install Paratext 9, it will detect your registration info if Paratext 8 is installed on your computer.

A representative of your organization needs to register for Paratext and then log in to the registry to fill out this form which will go to the Paratext Board of Governors for consideration.

No. There is just one edition which can be used by all users. It is available as either an Online or Offline installer.

The Paratext Board of Governors wishes to make Paratext available to all Bible translators with as few restrictions as possible. In the past, there were complaints about the difficulty of obtaining licenses for Paratext. The new registration system starting with Paratext 8 has been designed to decentralize the process of obtaining licenses. Now the approval process is managed by more than 250 organizations, each for their own personnel. Organizations and church groups are being added all the time by filling out a simple form found on this site’s registration information page. Here is how it works:

Any organization may request to become a Paratext Organization. There are two criteria:

1.     They must agree to follow the standards for Bible translation set forth by the Forum of Bible Agencies International.  This is a checkbox on the form.
2.     They must abide by the Paratext Terms of Use, in the section entitled Global Principles.  Although this is not made explicit on the organization registration form, it is in the confirmation email that is sent when the registration is received.

If any Bible translator does not have access to Paratext and its excellent set of resources for translators today, it is probably because they have not registered their organization.  In the rare case that a request is rejected, it is most often because the group is not involved in Bible translation. The only other cases of rejection are where they claim not to comply with FOBAI translation standards or have violated the Paratext Terms of Use in some way.

Yes. Go to the delete project dialog, Project > Delete Project.  At the bottom left of the dialog look for the checkbox Also remove me from this project. If you check that box, you will be removed from the project as well as deleting the project from your computer.

If you don’t have the project you want to be removed from in Paratext, but are seeing it in your Send/Receive list, you have two options:

1. Download the project to your computer first and then delete it as explained above, removing yourself from the project.
2. You can simply hide the project in your send/receive list.  Go to File > Send/Receive Projects… Find the project in your list, hold down the ALT key and check the box for the project. The project will disappear from your list, and will appear in small type at the very bottom of the list. Should you want to reactivate it, you can go to the bottom of the list and do another ALT-click on the project to reactivate it.

If you have logged in to the Paratext registry with different accounts, you may have created a duplicate registration. This will create confusion, and team members won’t know which account to add to a project. To delete an incorrect registration, go to registry.paratext.org and log in to the account you want to delete. Click on your name at the top right, and go to Settings. At the bottom of the page there is a button to click to delete your account. If you are a member of any registered projects, the site will inform you that you must remove yourself from these projects first. A link will show you the list of projects you are a member of. You can remove yourself from a project within Paratext by going to Project > Delete Project, selecting the project to delete, and checking the box “Also remove me from this project.” You can also ask the project administrator to remove you from a project.

Once you have removed yourself from all projects, you can click the “Delete my account” button, and your registration will be removed.

If you have not been vetted as either a member of an approved organization or as an independent translator, you will not be able to register a projects. Please log into the Paratext Registry and select the organization you are part of on your profile page; once you are approved you will be able to register projects under your organisation.

If you need to request that your organisation be added to the Paratext Registry, you should follow the instructions in the “Organisation Registration” section found on the Registration page.

Unless your project is marked as confidential, certain information from your ParaTExt project will be visible to members of the Forum of Bible Agencies International. This includes:

• language and dialect
• scope of project (OT, NT, portions)
• translation type (new, revision)
• current status (active, completed, published)
• current level of progress (expressed as a percentage of the scope)
• rights holder
• country
• any comments you additionally provide.

To use Paratext, you will need a registration code (registration is free for all users). You can learn more about registration here.

• New user?
  • Sign into the Paratext Registry website and register as a new Paratext user (instructions below).
• Upgrading from Paratext 8?
  • Your existing Paratext registration code will continue to work. Click here to find your registration code.
• Paratext 7 user?
  • Sign into the Paratext Registry website and supply a valid Paratext 7 name and code. If you forgot your Paratext 7 info, please contact us.

Video: How to Register as a User

You can watch the video below to see how registration works, or continue to the written instructions below.

1. Sign in using an email address

To sign in to the Registry website, you must provide a valid email address.

The Paratext Registry will let you sign in with any valid email address. When you type in your address, if a G appears to the left of your address, you don’t need a separate password. You can simply sign in to your existing Google account to log in to the registry. For all other addresses, you have to create a password, and then confirm your email address by clicking YES in the link that you receive by email.

Paratext 7 users: You do NOT need to use the same email address that you registered with in Paratext 7.

No email address? The administrator of a translation organization can add you to the Registry directly and send you a registration code. You will be able to use Paratext, participate in projects and use resources, but you will not be able to register projects of your own. If you do get an email address later, you can follow the above steps at a later date and claim your Paratext identity using your Paratext registration code. This will enable you to register projects.

2. Register as a Paratext User

Once you are signed in, you must fill out the New Paratext User registration form. Be sure to choose your organization (if your organization is not listed, leave it blank). Your request must be approved by the organization and this process shouldn’t take too long. If you need to get started sooner, you can following the cues on-screen to receive a temporary code.

Paratext 7 users: You will need to have your old code. Your registration name will remain unchanged, but you will be issued a new code.

3. Get a Paratext Registration Code

1. You will receive an email with your Registration Code
   1. Copy the Registration Code.

See Find Registration Code in Email for more help.

4. Activate Paratext

1. When you first launch Paratext, it will prompt you for your registration information:
   1. Paste your new code into the dialog and click OK to activate Paratext.

You can also access this dialog at any time via the Paratext menu > Help > Registration.

See How do I Find and Enter my Registration Code for more help.

The Paratext Registry will let you create a sign in with any valid email address, but if you then request a registration code as a member of a translation organization, your organization’s approver may expect you to be using your organizational email address, as this makes it easier to confirm your identity. It will also typically keep you from having to create and remember a password: if your organization’s email is on Google Apps, you will see a “G” icon next to your email address and can simply sign in via Google.

If you are not a member of a translation organization, you can use any email address. If it is not a Google/Gmail address, you will be prompted to create a password.

To change your email address once you have registered, see How do I change my email in the registry?

Paratext 7 users: You do NOT need to use the same email address that you registered with in Paratext 7. Once you are signed in, just provide your existing Registration Name and Registration Code, and your existing identity will be linked to your new Paratext 8 registration.

See also: How to register as a Paratext user.

When you create a New Project (from the main menu in Paratext 9 or the File menu in Paratext 8)  you are given the option to register the project online. Project registration is only available to users who have been vetted by a Bible translation organization. Registered projects have additional features that are not available in Basic Tier projects as explained on the Registration page of this site.

When registering a project, Paratext requires an active Internet connection. It forwards you to a browser and you must sign in with the account you registered for Paratext with.  Once the registration entry is complete, Paratext links the Paratext project with the entry in the registry.

No. You can create an unregistered project with the functionality that is available on the Basic Tier of use. See the Registration page for details.

You can change your mind later and register the project to gain full functionality.

No. You can download and install Paratext at any time, but you must register in order to use it. Registration is free to everyone.

Install Paratext – Standard

The standard installer requires a good Internet connection: it will use the Internet to download any additional files not already installed on your computer.

To install on a different computer that is not connected to the Internet, please download the Offline installer and update below. It is larger and includes all the components that may be necessary to install Paratext offline.

1. Download latest Paratext installer.
2. Double-click the downloaded installer file (for example: Paratext_9.3.103.1_InstallerOnline.exe).
3. Agree to the license terms and click Install.
   1. This step might take a few minutes if the installer needs to install system components on your computer.
4. If a dialog appears and asks for your permission (or for administrator credentials) so the Installer can make changes to your computer:
   1. Click Yes and/or provide the credentials as required.
5. When the Updating Fonts step appears:
   1. Choose to update fonts and click Next.
6. When the Destination Folders step appears:
   1. Do not change the default unless you have a strong reason for doing so.
7. Click Install.
8. When the installation has completed click Finish and then Close.

Install Updates – Online

It is very important to install Paratext updates regularly. This ensures that you have the latest bug fixes, improvements, and features.

You can allow Paratext to automatically update or check for updates manually.

Enable Automatic Updates

If you are connected to a good internet connection, Paratext can download the latest update file and prompt you to install it (unless Paratext internet usage is turned off).

1. Click on the Paratext menu.
2. Click the Expand arrow if necessary.
3. Make sure Automatically update Paratext is selected:
   

Manually Check for Updates

If your internet is expensive or unreliable, you can wait to check for updates until you are connected to better internet.

1. Click on the Paratext menu.
2. Click the Expand arrow if necessary.
3. Make sure Automatically update Paratext is UNselected:
   
4. When you are connected to better internet, go to the Paratext menu > Help > Check for updates:
   
5. If Paratext is up-to-date, you will see this message:
   
   1. Click OK.
6. If an update is available, you will see this message:
   
   1. Click Start Download:
      
7. Once the download is complete:
   
   1. Click OK
   2. Restart Paratext
8. Note: If you want to save the update file for future use (for example: to distribute to other users), it is available in this general location:
   
   1. Enter the username for the current machine: C:\Users\{UserName}\AppData\Local\Paratext93\ParatextUpdate.

Install Updates

1. When prompted to install the latest update:
   
   1. Click OK.
2. Send/Receive your project(s) in Paratext.
3. Close Paratext.
4. Open Paratext.
5. When asked to install the update:
   
   1. Click Yes.
6. If a dialog appears and asks for your permission (or for administrator credentials) so the Installer can make changes to your computer:
   1. Click Yes and/or provide the credentials as required.
7. If you are asked if you want to reset all of your Paratext settings:
   
   1. Click No (unless you need to reset your settings).

Install Resources

1. To install resources from the Internet server, follow the steps in this video.

Install Paratext – Offline

• Use the Offline installer if you have a poor internet connection (it is larger and includes all the files that may be necessary to install Paratext offline).
• The offline files can also be used to install Paratext on multiple machines, and can be used with or without an Internet connection.
• To install offline, you will need:
  • The Offline installer
  • The latest update
  • Any text resources for offline installation (using the steps explained here)

1. Download the offline installer.
2. If there is an update, download the latest update file.
3. Double-click the downloaded installer file (for example: Paratext_9.3.103.1_InstallerOffline.exe).
4. Agree to the license terms and click Install.
   1. This step might take a few minutes if the installer needs to install system components on your computer.
5. If a dialog appears and asks for your permission (or for administrator credentials) so the Installer can make changes to your computer:
   1. Click Yes and/or provide the credentials as required.
6. When the Updating Fonts step appears:
   1. Choose to update fonts and click Next.
7. When the Destination Folders step appears:
   1. Do not change the default unless you have a strong reason for doing so.
8. Click Install.
9. When the installation has completed click Finish and then Close.
10. Follow the instructions to do an offline update to Paratext.

Update Paratext – Offline

1. Install the latest version of Paratext with the Offline installer (see above).
2. If there is an update, download the latest update file.
3. Make sure Paratext is closed.
4. Double-click the downloaded update file (for example: patch_9.3.103.12.msp).
5. Click Open.
6. If a dialog appears and asks for your permission (or for administrator credentials) so the Installer can make changes to your computer:
   1. Click Yes and/or provide the credentials as required.
7. Click Finish.

Install Resources – Offline

1. To install resources without an Internet connection, follow the steps explained here.

Install Paratext Beta

To install a beta version of Paratext, follow the instructions above but with these files.

Paratext Beta – Standard Installation

• Standard beta installer

Paratext Beta – Offline Installation

• Offline beta installer
• Latest beta update (when available)

Install Older Versions of Paratext

1. If you need to install an older version of Paratext, you can find instructions here.

Main Version

The version of Paratext is shown in the upper-left corner of the Paratext window:

Paratext 9 (and higher)

Paratext 8

Minor Version

You can also find the specific/minor version of Paratext that you have installed:

Paratext 9

1. Go to the Paratext menu > About Paratext:

Paratext 8

1. Go to the Help menu > About Paratext:

If you are seeing this type of error when installing Paratext:

Here are some steps to try to resolve this issue.

1. Install the latest version of the 2015 (and following) Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime.
   1. For example: vc_redist.x64.exe
2. Check for and install Windows updates
3. Please contact Paratext Support if you are still not able to resolve this issue.

Learn how to transfer your Paratext installation and files from one computer to another, including projects, resources, and saved layouts.

Install and Register Paratext on the New Computer

1. Install and update Paratext.
2. Enter your Registration information.

Transfer Projects

Old Computer

1. Go to Paratext menu > Send/Receive projects.
2. Send/Receive all of the projects that you want to transfer.

New Computer

1. Do a Send/Receive on the new computer:
   1. Select the same location as the Send/Receive from your old computer (#1 below).
   2. Select all of the projects that you want to receive (#2 below).
      
2. Click the Send/Receive projects button.

Transfer/Install Resources

You have two options to install resources on the new computer:

Install Resources from the Internet

1. Go to the Paratext menu > Download/Install Resources
2. Choose Internet
3. Select the resources you want to install
4. Click the Download/Install button.

Transfer Resources from your Old Computer

1. Follow the instructions to Install Resources Offline.

Transfer Saved Layouts

This will allow you to copy saved layouts to your new computer:

Old Computer

1. Go to your c:\My Paratext 9 Projects folder
   1. Older installs: c:\My Paratext 8 Projects folder
2. Copy the _WindowCollections folder to a USB drive or external location

New Computer

1. Install Paratext
2. Go to the c:\My Paratext 9 Projects\_WindowCollections folder
3. Paste the files
   1. From the _WindowCollections folder on the USB drive.
   2. To the _WindowCollections folder on your new computer.

Related Question

• Can I Use Paratext on Multiple Computers or Devices?

Yes, you can use Paratext on multiple computers or devices! You can even use the same Paratext registration information on multiple devices.

To start working on a different device:

1. Do a Send/Receive on the computer / device you are currently working on.
2. Then, do a Send/Receive on the computer / device that you are going to start working on.

For example, if you are working on Device A and you want to switch to Device B:

1. Do a Send/Receive on the Device A.
2. Do a Send/Receive on Device B.

This will keep your project(s) synchronized across multiple devices. Just repeat this process anytime you want to switch devices.

Sometimes Paratext downloads an update automatically, but the update fails. If that is the case, try these steps:

Run the update manually

1. Restart your computer.
2. Open the Run window:
   1. Press Windows + R
   2. OR Right-click on the Start Menu, then click Run
3. Copy/paste this into the Run window: %localappdata%
   
4. Press OK
5. Open the Paratext 9x folder for the version of Paratext you have. For example:
   1. Open Paratext90 if you have Paratext 9.0
   2. Open Paratext91 if you have Paratext 9.1
6. Open the ParatextUpdate folder
7. Run the install or update file there. For example:
   1. Paratext_9.1.104.1_InstallerOnline.exe
      OR
   2. patch_9.1.104.87.msp

Try a newly downloaded update file

If the update still fails, try to download the update file again:

1. Go to https://paratext.org/download
2. Download the version of the installer or the patch that you were using above, EXCEPT:
   1. If you had the InstallerONline before, download the InstallerOFFline file instead. For example: “Paratext 9 1 104 1 InstallerOffline”
3. After downloading the file, restart your computer.
4. Run the downloaded file.

Install Paratext – Standard

The standard installer requires a good Internet connection: it will use the Internet to download any additional files not already installed on your computer.

To install on a different computer that is not connected to the Internet, please download the Offline installer and update below. It is larger and includes all the components that may be necessary to install Paratext offline.

1. Download latest Paratext installer.
2. Double-click the downloaded installer file (for example: Paratext_9.3.103.1_InstallerOnline.exe).
3. Agree to the license terms and click Install.
   1. This step might take a few minutes if the installer needs to install system components on your computer.
4. If a dialog appears and asks for your permission (or for administrator credentials) so the Installer can make changes to your computer:
   1. Click Yes and/or provide the credentials as required.
5. When the Updating Fonts step appears:
   1. Choose to update fonts and click Next.
6. When the Destination Folders step appears:
   1. Do not change the default unless you have a strong reason for doing so.
7. Click Install.
8. When the installation has completed click Finish and then Close.

Install Updates – Online

It is very important to install Paratext updates regularly. This ensures that you have the latest bug fixes, improvements, and features.

You can allow Paratext to automatically update or check for updates manually.

Enable Automatic Updates

If you are connected to a good internet connection, Paratext can download the latest update file and prompt you to install it (unless Paratext internet usage is turned off).

1. Click on the Paratext menu.
2. Click the Expand arrow if necessary.
3. Make sure Automatically update Paratext is selected:
   

Manually Check for Updates

If your internet is expensive or unreliable, you can wait to check for updates until you are connected to better internet.

1. Click on the Paratext menu.
2. Click the Expand arrow if necessary.
3. Make sure Automatically update Paratext is UNselected:
   
4. When you are connected to better internet, go to the Paratext menu > Help > Check for updates:
   
5. If Paratext is up-to-date, you will see this message:
   
   1. Click OK.
6. If an update is available, you will see this message:
   
   1. Click Start Download:
      
7. Once the download is complete:
   
   1. Click OK
   2. Restart Paratext
8. Note: If you want to save the update file for future use (for example: to distribute to other users), it is available in this general location:
   
   1. Enter the username for the current machine: C:\Users\{UserName}\AppData\Local\Paratext93\ParatextUpdate.

Install Updates

1. When prompted to install the latest update:
   
   1. Click OK.
2. Send/Receive your project(s) in Paratext.
3. Close Paratext.
4. Open Paratext.
5. When asked to install the update:
   
   1. Click Yes.
6. If a dialog appears and asks for your permission (or for administrator credentials) so the Installer can make changes to your computer:
   1. Click Yes and/or provide the credentials as required.
7. If you are asked if you want to reset all of your Paratext settings:
   
   1. Click No (unless you need to reset your settings).

Install Resources

1. To install resources from the Internet server, follow the steps in this video.

Install Paratext – Offline

• Use the Offline installer if you have a poor internet connection (it is larger and includes all the files that may be necessary to install Paratext offline).
• The offline files can also be used to install Paratext on multiple machines, and can be used with or without an Internet connection.
• To install offline, you will need:
  • The Offline installer
  • The latest update
  • Any text resources for offline installation (using the steps explained here)

1. Download the offline installer.
2. If there is an update, download the latest update file.
3. Double-click the downloaded installer file (for example: Paratext_9.3.103.1_InstallerOffline.exe).
4. Agree to the license terms and click Install.
   1. This step might take a few minutes if the installer needs to install system components on your computer.
5. If a dialog appears and asks for your permission (or for administrator credentials) so the Installer can make changes to your computer:
   1. Click Yes and/or provide the credentials as required.
6. When the Updating Fonts step appears:
   1. Choose to update fonts and click Next.
7. When the Destination Folders step appears:
   1. Do not change the default unless you have a strong reason for doing so.
8. Click Install.
9. When the installation has completed click Finish and then Close.
10. Follow the instructions to do an offline update to Paratext.

Update Paratext – Offline

1. Install the latest version of Paratext with the Offline installer (see above).
2. If there is an update, download the latest update file.
3. Make sure Paratext is closed.
4. Double-click the downloaded update file (for example: patch_9.3.103.12.msp).
5. Click Open.
6. If a dialog appears and asks for your permission (or for administrator credentials) so the Installer can make changes to your computer:
   1. Click Yes and/or provide the credentials as required.
7. Click Finish.

Install Resources – Offline

1. To install resources without an Internet connection, follow the steps explained here.

Install Paratext Beta

To install a beta version of Paratext, follow the instructions above but with these files.

Paratext Beta – Standard Installation

• Standard beta installer

Paratext Beta – Offline Installation

• Offline beta installer
• Latest beta update (when available)

Install Older Versions of Paratext

1. If you need to install an older version of Paratext, you can find instructions here.

Paratext 8 support ended on December 31, 2021. Paratext 8 will continue to work with Paratext 9, but we would encourage you to upgrade to Paratext 9 as soon as possible.

See our important announcement about Paratext 8.

Sometimes Paratext downloads an update automatically, but the update fails. If that is the case, try these steps:

Run the update manually

1. Restart your computer.
2. Open the Run window:
   1. Press Windows + R
   2. OR Right-click on the Start Menu, then click Run
3. Copy/paste this into the Run window: %localappdata%
   
4. Press OK
5. Open the Paratext 9x folder for the version of Paratext you have. For example:
   1. Open Paratext90 if you have Paratext 9.0
   2. Open Paratext91 if you have Paratext 9.1
6. Open the ParatextUpdate folder
7. Run the install or update file there. For example:
   1. Paratext_9.1.104.1_InstallerOnline.exe
      OR
   2. patch_9.1.104.87.msp

Try a newly downloaded update file

If the update still fails, try to download the update file again:

1. Go to https://paratext.org/download
2. Download the version of the installer or the patch that you were using above, EXCEPT:
   1. If you had the InstallerONline before, download the InstallerOFFline file instead. For example: “Paratext 9 1 104 1 InstallerOffline”
3. After downloading the file, restart your computer.
4. Run the downloaded file.

No. Paratext 8 and Paratext 9 share the same data structure, so projects won’t require migration from Paratext 8 to Paratext 9. Members working on a shared project can use Paratext 8 or Paratext 9 and share changes with each other.

The person migrating the project will need to use Paratext 8 to migrate it. Paratext 9 does not have the ability to migrate Paratext 7 projects. But once the project is migrated, everyone on the team can work in the project in Paratext 9. There is no need to migrate a project from Paratext 8 to 9, migration is only needed when going from Paratext 7 to 8 or 9.

No. You can download and install Paratext at any time, but you must register in order to use it. Registration is free to everyone.

If you encounter an unexpected issue or bug in Paratext Lite, please try these steps to help solve the issue:

Update Paratext Lite

1. If possible, do a Send/Receive from Paratext Lite.
2. Try to update Paratext Lite from the Google Play Store.

Submit Feedback

If updating Paratext Lite does not fix the issue, please send feedback to let the Paratext developers know about the issue:

1. Tap the Setting menu in the upper-right corner of Paratext Lite:
   
2. Tap the more arrow at the bottom of the Settings menu:
   
3. Tap Submit Feedback:
   
4. Fill out the Feedback form with as much detail as you can, including what you were doing when you encountered the issue. For example:
   
5. Tap Submit.

Paratext Lite on an Android phone can help you do an Internet Send/Receive when your internet connection is limited. This can provide an affordable/easier/safer alternative to traveling with a computer to do Send/Receive.

Here are the normal steps to do this:

Step	Send/Receive Result
Do a USB drive or SD card Send/Receive in Paratext on the computer.
Do a USB/SD card Send/Receive in Paratext Lite.
Go to a location with a cell signal strong enough for mobile data.
Do an Internet Send/Receive in Paratext Lite.
Do a USB/SD card Send/Receive in Paratext Lite.
Do a USB/SD card Send/Receive in Paratext on the computer.

SD Card Send/Receive Info

To do an SD card Send/Receive with Paratext Lite, you may need:

• A micro SD card to SD card adapter to connect the SD card into your computer.
• To remove the battery on your Android device to insert/remove the SD card.

USB Drive Send/Receive Info

Note: Due to limitations on Android devices, USB Send/Receive may not work properly on all Android devices. SD card Send/Receive works much more consistently across devices.

To do a USB Send/Receive with Paratext Lite, you will probably need an “On the Go” USB adapter, like this one:

The answer is: “it depends.”  In general, many organizations ask you not to make changes to the stages since that allows progress to be measured uniformly across the organization. If you have a doubt about this, ask your supervisor for your organization’s guidelines.

Yes.  If there is a task that your team does not do (and is not required to do), then it is fine to delete it.  Some of the base plans were intentionally developed to be very inclusive since it is easier to remove unneeded tasks than to create new ones.

Yes, there is no problem reordering the tasks in one of the standard plans to match your team’s workflow.  Just be sure to check that the three settings in the lower right-hand corner of the project plan dialogue do not need to be adjusted because of the change.  When moving tasks around, these settings are disturbed and can change.

Yes, rewording the name of tasks is fine if it helps your team be more effective.

Adjust the “When can this task start?” setting to include all stages where the task can be worked on.

In the example above, the drafting of the back translation must be completed in stage three.  If I want to allow the team to work on the back translation in any of the earlier stages, then I change the “When can this task start?” setting to “Any time.”

Tasks should be placed in the stage in which they have to be completed.

While an individual may upgrade to Paratext 8 to become familiar with its features, the team project should not be migrated until the team is ready. It is possible for the administrator to do a test migration of the data, but then the project must be deleted from Paratext 8 and remigrated when the team is ready to switch.

We know that scheduling a time to migrate can be very difficult in places where teams are spread out in remote locations. To help, we have a working document on Deployment Strategy that talks about various team scenarios and how best to handle migration of their data.

At first glance, there is not much that is different in the main working windows. So if you are comfortable using Paratext 7.5, you should have a smooth transition to 8. A number of the new features are optional to use and you don’t need to dive right in. However we would encourage you to use the help file and to get training for Paratext 8 so that you can work more efficiently. We hope to provide an online training program for Paratext 8. When it is ready, it will be available on the Help page.

The Paratext 7 Send/Receive server will continue to work for a period of time after the release of 8, but we won’t have the capability to continue to support both platforms for long.  We will give you as much time as we can to upgrade to 8, but we recommend that you try to upgrade within nine months of the stable release.

Paratext 7 and 8 may be installed simultaneously on the same computer but not for sharing the same project. If you are a consultant or administrator who works with more than one project, you may need to continue to use Paratext 7 with certain teams until they are able to migrate to 8.  It is important not to confuse the two versions of Paratext! Once a project’s data has been migrated to 8, any notes you write in 7 won’t be seen in 8. Likewise, if the team has shared the project with you in 8, be sure they have removed their project from 7. If they reverted back to 7, you won’t be getting their updates in 8.

Paratext began as a tool to help Bible translators do exegesis of the original Greek and Hebrew texts. It was expanded into a translation environment and became the tool of choice for the United Bible Societies. SIL, on the other hand, had started developing a similar product, but one that would integrate with the lexical data that a translation team would collect as part of their foundational linguistic research in a language group. Their product was called FieldWorks Translation Editor, affectionately know as “T-E”. As UBS’ Paratext gained popularity, the two organizations found themselves in competition with each other. In 2010, administrators and developers from the two organizations got together and made the challenging decision to combine development efforts into a single product. Because Paratext had the biggest user base, it seemed the best way forward was to merge critical features from Translation Editor into Paratext, thus creating ParaTExt. In Paratext 7 the TE in the logo was a tribute to collaboration that helped improve the Paratext we all use today. Since Paratext 8, we no longer capitalize the TE in the logo.

Yes, Paratext 7 may continue to be used after installing version 8. However, the data will not be shared between versions 7 and 8; Paratext 8 can not collaborate with Paratext 7 and vice versa.  Users must migrate their data from 7 to 8 using the migrate feature in Paratext 8.

Yes and No. Although Paratext 8 Scripture files are stored on your hard drive in the same USFM format as in Paratext 7.x, there are a number of different types of data that are also synchronized between users. This requires the use of a new Send/Receive server. Paratext 7 projects must go through a one way migration to Paratext 8 and are stored in a new My Paratext 8 Projects folder. After the migration, data can only be shared between them by exporting and importing books manually between the two programs.

No. Due to the changes in the new version, data can’t be shared back to Paratext 7.x via Send/Receive. This is the reason for a new Paratext 8 data directory and send/receive server. As a team, you must coordinate the migration of your data to Paratext 8 together. You can run Paratext 7 alongside of Paratext 8 as needed to access projects that have not yet been migrated. Paratext 8 will only be able to open Paratext 7 projects after completing the migration process. At that point it is advised to remove the project from Paratext 7 to prevent users from accidentally editing the data in 7.

When you work in Paratext 8, it will list the Paratext 7 projects on your computer in the Open Project/Resource… dialog, and also in the Send/Receive Projects… dialog. When an administrator opens them in this way, the two step Migration process is initiated.

1. Online project registration via the Paratext Registry
2. Migration of the data

It is not necessary to do both steps at once. The migration can be completed at a later time, when the team is ready.

Data migration should only be performed after the entire team does a Send/Receive and the administrator has the latest version of the data. After the migration, changes to the Paratext 7 data can’t be synchronized with 8, and the team must stop editing that project in Paratext 7.

More detailed information is available on the Migration Help page.

A comprehensive list of changes since Paratext 7.5 can be found in the following post: What’s new in Paratext 8?