Updates should feel boring. Open Releases. Confirm XWord-Windows.exe or XWord-macOS.zip. Install over or beside the old copy according to how you first installed the crossword client.
Windows update
Download the new exe. Run it. Open a .puz to prove the client still works. No winget upgrade was verified. Keep the ticket line updated with the new tag when it matters for labs.
macOS update
Download a fresh zip. Replace the app. Prove one open. No brew upgrade was verified. Prefer the same unzip location you documented earlier.
Linux update
Rebuild from the tag you want. Record the new commit hash. Source path: Linux install.
Uninstall
Windows: use the installed program removal path for your OS version, or remove the folder if you used a portable-style layout. macOS: move the app to Trash. Back up puzzles first on shared desks.
Leftovers
Search for old shortcuts that still point at Softonic mirrors. Delete those. Keep the Releases bookmark as the only door for future crossword updates.
Shared desk pin
Shared desks should pin the Releases URL beside the OS version. After every reimage, prove one local crossword open before workshops begin. Travel laptops should download once on a trusted network, then solve offline with puzzles already on disk.
Club download discipline
Club volunteers invent Softonic mirrors when a first launch is blocked. Prefer returning to GitHub Releases for mrichards42/xword instead. Write the exact filename on the machine ticket so the next bump stays honest for the whole room.
Classroom images
Classroom images drift when someone keeps a private copy of an old exe. Prefer the current tag that still ships XWord-Windows.exe and XWord-macOS.zip together. Linux builders should document their wxWidgets version beside the commit they built.
Family PCs
Family PCs benefit from a boring puzzle folder path. Keep Across Lite or a browser board as a fallback until the new window feels normal. Subscription newspaper apps remain optional for archives and are a different job than a local .puz client.
Publisher note
Across Bind publishes install maps for people who searched for crossword software. Upstream XWord remains GPL-3.0. When Releases change asset names, re-check the live list before you refresh a lab image.
Lab and travel
Lab and travel notes also matter for crossword habits. Pin the puzzle folder path beside the installer name. After every blocked SmartScreen or Gatekeeper prompt, return to the same GitHub Releases URL instead of inventing a second download mid-session. That boring rhythm keeps shared desks honest.
Desk logistics
- Ticket line: OS, asset name, puzzle folder
- Demo door: one official path for volunteers
- Travel rule: trusted network first
Write the OS version, asset name, and puzzle folder on one ticket line. Clubs should assign a single demo door so volunteers stop mixing Across Lite, browser tabs, and XWord without notes. Travel kits should carry puzzles on disk only when policy allows encrypted storage.
After the first week
Only then add Package Manager downloaders, heavy layout floating, or diagramless drills. Prefer one documented update habit. Re-check Releases whenever upstream publishes a new tag that still lists your OS asset.
Related
More desk notes
Prefer one Releases bookmark in the browser profile used for installs. Refuse email attachments that claim to be a crossword updater. After every lab reimage, open one cached .puz before you call the image ready for students. Keep Across Lite only as a labeled fallback, never as a silent second installer path without a ticket note.
Frequently asked questions
How do I update crossword on Windows?
Download the current XWord-Windows.exe from GitHub Releases and run it. Prefer the same filename family you documented on the machine ticket. No winget upgrade line was verified on this review date.
How do I uninstall on macOS?
Remove the XWord app you extracted from XWord-macOS.zip. Clear leftover shortcuts if any remain in the Dock. Puzzle files in your own folders stay until you delete them yourself.
Do puzzle files delete on uninstall?
Usually no. Puzzle files live where you saved them on disk. Back up the puzzle folder before you delete anything on a shared desk that other solvers still use each week for club practice.