WillMaker Troubleshooting

Any time you have a question about WillMaker & Trust, help is close at hand. The key to answering your question is knowing which help resource to consult. The table below shows which help resource to use for the type of help you need.

What You Need Help Resource to Consult

Help with interview questions

Helpful Information

In-depth legal information

The Legal Manual

Help locating a lawyer

Nolo's Lawyer Directory

Help using the program

This Users' Manual

Technical problems

This Users' Manual or FAQ

Additional assistance

WillMaker Technical Support

Technical Difficulties

If you encounter a technical difficulty while running the program, this manual is your first resource to consult. Which section you read depends on the type of problem you're experiencing:

  • If you're having trouble printing from the program, see Correcting Printing Problems below.
  • If you're having trouble with the program's Web Update feature (discussed in Updating Your Version of the Program), see Handling Web Update Problems below.
  • If you're encountering an error message, consult the WillMaker Error Message table. This table explains the meaning of each error message and describes what to do if you encounter it.

If none of the above situations apply and you can't find a section of this manual that helps with your problem, look in the WillMaker Technical Support FAQ online; you may find advice relevant to your problem.

Correcting Printing Problems

If you're having a printing problem in WillMaker & Trust, try the following remedies:

  • If you are having trouble getting your document to print, go to the Print Setup dialog box (File > Print Setup) and make sure the settings for your printer are correct, then click OK and try to print again. (Windows only.)
  • If you are not satisfied with the formatting of a printed document, go to the Print Options dialog box (File > Print Options) to make adjustments. For example, if you're getting a page with very little text and lots of hash marks ("////"), try making the bottom margin larger (changing it from 0.45 inch to 0.6 inch will usually correct the problem). (For information about why hash marks are legally necessary, see Reviewing Your Document.)

If neither of the above suggestions help, you can export your document to PDF and print it using Adobe Reader. You can download Adobe Reader for free from www.adobe.com. Please contact Nolo Technical Support to report the problem, so we can investigate and fix it, see below.

Handling Web Update Problems

If you encounter problems with the program's Web Update feature (see Updating Your Version of the Program), check the table below. If any of the situations listed there apply to you, try the suggested remedy for your problem.

Caution: Web Update isn't designed to work with proxy servers and other corporate VPN configurations. If you are trying to update the program behind a corporate proxy server and getting various error messages, you won't be able to use Web Update. Web Update is designed for the home user with a basic firewall. Unfortunately, we can't support proxy servers and other corporate VPN (Virtual Private Network) security configurations.

If you are: Try this remedy for your problem:
Encountering a "User Access Control" dialog box when the update finishes (Windows) ... Click Continue in the dialog box or enter an administrator password as prompted.
Using a firewall or security application and receiving warnings ... Add "f1.nolo.com" to the "trusted site" list. If you still can't complete the update after making this addition, you may need to turn off your firewall program while retrieving the update, then turn it back on.

Contacting WillMaker Technical Support

If none of the above suggestions help, and you can't find relevant advice in the WillMaker Technical Support FAQ; -- contact Nolo Technical Support.

When contacting Nolo Technical Support about a Web Update problem, include the following details in addition to those normally required for other types of problems:

  • the type of Internet connection you have (modem dial-up, DSL, or other), and
  • the name of your Internet service provider.

If you're encountering a problem that isn't addressed in this section of the Users' Manual, you may find an answer in the WillMaker Technical Support FAQ, which contains answers to common user questions and problems.

If you can't find a solution on the FAQ page, contact us: https://www.nolo.com/customer-support/longform-willmakertechsup.

Information to Have on Hand

When you contact Nolo Technical Support about a problem, please include the following information in your email:

  • the version of WillMaker & Trust you're running (which should be 18.0 or higher), located at Help > About WillMaker
  • the point in the program where the problem occurred
  • whether you can duplicate the problem
  • the brand and model of computer you are using
  • the brand and model of printer (if you are having trouble printing)
  • the name of your Internet service provider and the type of Internet connection you have (if you are having a problem that involves connecting to the Internet)
  • which version of which operating system your computer is running (for example, Windows 10 or Mac OS 10.11), and
  • the amount of RAM on your computer.

If you're not sure which model of computer you have, how much RAM it has or which version of the operating system it's running, see below.

Finding Information About Your Computer System

How you find information about your computer system depends on which operating system it's running.

Windows 8:

  • Choose Settings > Control Panel > System and Security > System.

    Windows 10:

    • Choose Start > Settings > System > About.

    Mac OS:

    • Choose Apple Menu > About this Mac.

    (WillMaker does not support Windows 7 after version 2020.)