Downloading Course Designer 4
To install Course Designer 4 on the computer you are currently using, click the Download Now link below. The action to take after that depends on your web browser: On Internet Explorer, click "Run". On Firefox, click "Save File", and then double-click on the file in the Downloads window when the download completes. On Chrome, click the button for the downloaded file at the bottom of the window.
The installation file is only about 3 MB, and will download in a matter of seconds at modern internet connection speeds.
Are you downloading Course Designer 4 so you can switch your license to a different computer? After you have finished the download, run Course Designer 4 to get the request code for the new computer. Then request a new activation key for the new computer: Replacement Codes
Downloading Course Designer 4
Version: 4.34
Download Now (Windows, Linux, Chrome OS) - Using the Edge browser? View this video for help
Download Now (Mac) - See Mac Installation instructions below.
Downloading Course Designer 3
Future Versions
Beta version 4.35 - Not Currently Available
Beta version 5.0 - Not currently available
System Requirements
Windows
Course Designer 4 runs on any of the following versions of Microsoft Windows: XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, 11.Course Designer 4 requires a moderate-precision pointing device such as a mouse, trackpad, or virtual touchpad. A stylus (or "pen") that's identified as being "active", "digitizer" or "digital" should in general be adequate. But using Course Designer 4 in a situation where the only available pointing device is a capacitive stylus or a finger on a touchscreen is not recommended.
Mac
Course Designer 4 runs natively on macOS 10.7 (Lion), 10.8 (Mountain Lion), 10.9 (Mavericks), 10.10 (Yosemite), 10.11 (El Capitan), 10.12 (Sierra), 10.13 (High Sierra), 10.14 (Mojave), and most Macs running 10.15 (Catalina). The Mac version is only available in English.
Mac Installation (Big Sur and higher)
Important: Course Designer 4 is not currently able to run as a native Mac app on macOS 11 (Big Sur), macOS 12 (Monterey) or macOS 13 (Ventura). This is being worked on and is expected to be fixed in a future release.
It is still possible to run Course Designer 4 on the newer macOS using a different native Mac app that will run the Windows version of this application. So if you have an existing license or would like to purchase a new license, there are three options available:
- If you have a computer running an older Mac operating system or a PC with Windows, you can temporarily transfer your license to run Course Designer 4 to that computer. This license can be transferred back to a Mac with a newer OS when Course Designer 4 is again able to run natively.
- Course Designer 4 will run as a Windows program on paid/supported emulators for the latest macOS such as CrossOver or Parallels. We recommend the CodeWeavers CrossOver product if you wish to use a commercial product with good customer support. There is a 2-week free trial available for you to explore this option. More information on this second option is available in the article Crossover And Course Designer 4 Installation on the Mac OS.
- Course Designer 4 can also run on the latest macOS as a Windows program using the free/unsupported environment Porting Kit as well as Wine. These utilities are not commercial products and are maintained by the open source community. CD4 does function well with these options, having all the features of CrossOver that CD4 utilizes. More information on this third option is available in the article PortingKit And Course Designer 4 Installation on the Mac OS.
If you have additional questions about Course Designer 4 and Big Sur/Monterey/Ventura, please email bigsur@coursedesigner.com
Mac Installation (Catalina and earlier)
To install Course Designer 4 on the Mac:
- In Safari, click the Download Now (Mac) link to start the download. During the download, the download progress will be displayed on a little toolbar button called "Show downloads" in the top right corner of the Safari window.
- When the download is complete, the "Show downloads" button will display a downward-pointing arrow. Click the "Show downloads" button to open the "Downloads" window.
- Double-click on the downloaded file, cd434en.dmg . This will open a Finder window that shows the "Course Designer 4" application. On pre-Mavericks versions of Safari, Safari unfortunately opens the new window behind the Safari window, so you may need to move the Safari window to see the new Finder window.
- Use Finder's "File / New Finder Window" menu item to open a new Finder window.
- Drag and drop the "Course Designer 4" application into the Applications folder.
Linux and Chrome OS
The multi-language Windows executable for Course Designer 4 is generally able to run on Linux using the WINE software package. For the non-technically savvy, the easiest way to install and use WINE is with the CodeWeavers CrossOver commercial product or the open source project PlayOnLinux.
This is also true of Chromebooks that are able to run the CrossOver product. (Note: not all Chromebooks - particularly old ones - are capable of enabling what is called the 'Linux Development Environment' needed for software such as WINE/CrossOver to function.)
If you're unsure, the best way to discover this is to use the limited time trial versions of CrossOver and Course Designer 4 to see if your particular computer meets requirements.
Note that because Linux and Chrome OS often are run on relatively low performance hardware platforms, the 3D features of Course Designer may not be available. If you're unsure if Course Designer will meet your needs on these platforms, the best way to discover this is to use the limited time trial versions of CrossOver and Course Designer 4 to see if your particular computer meets requirements.
More information on these options are available in these articles:
- Linux: Crossover And Course Designer 4 Installation on Linux
- Chrome OS: Crossover And Course Designer 4 Installation on Chrome OS
