Support and activation
Most questions are about activation or about a line that stays silent. Both are covered below, and you can always write to myhama@hotmail.com - a real person answers, usually within one business day (Hong Kong time, UTC+8).
Activate your licence key
- Open either edition of the product -
<Brand>.dialogs.exeor<Brand>.vocab.exe. It does not matter which one you use first. - Right-click the floating window or the tray icon and choose Enter License Key…. If the trial has already finished, the reminder dialog takes you to the same window when you choose Yes.
- Paste the key you received by e-mail. Copy and paste is best; the box ignores dashes, spaces and letter case.
- Click Activate. The status bar turns green and reads Licensed – Permanent. The other edition adopts the licence the next time it starts, so you only do this once per language.
What a key looks like
- Format:
HZ1-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX- five groups, 22 characters in total. - One key per language. A ChineseBuddy key will not unlock FrenchBuddy.
- Each key covers both editions of that language.
- Keys do not expire, and they are not tied to a machine.
- Keep the e-mail you received: it is your proof of purchase if you ever need a re-issue.
If the key is rejected
- Paste the key rather than retyping it - the letters O and 0, and I and 1, are easy to confuse.
- Check you are using the key for this language.
- Make sure the whole key is in the box: five groups separated by dashes.
- Still rejected? Send us the product name, the first four characters of the key and a screenshot of the window, and we will re-issue it.
No sound? Start here
Every line is a real human recording (MP3) made by a native speaker and played from the files that ship with the app, so there is no voice to download or install.
- Check the system volume and that the right output device is selected.
- Open Settings and make sure Auto Play Voice is ticked.
- Press R to replay the current line immediately.
- Some cards have no recording yet - they stay silent by design and the app keeps cycling.
Trial questions, quickly
- The trial is seven days from the first launch, with every feature unlocked.
- It is recorded per Windows user account, so reinstalling does not restart it.
- When it ends you either enter a key or the app closes - nothing is deleted.
- Buying takes one e-mail; see how ordering works.
Support questions
Can I use the app while I am working on something else?
That is exactly what it is designed for. The window is small, can be docked to the top edge of the screen as a slim bar, and never takes focus away from the program you are using - press Ctrl+Alt+W to hide or show it instantly. Voices play on a timer you set, so you can read a few lines between tasks and still follow the conversation.
How do I activate a licence key?
Open either edition of the product, right-click the floating window or the tray icon, choose Enter License Key, paste the key and click Activate. The other edition picks the licence up automatically the next time it starts.
The activation window says my key is not valid.
Most often the key belongs to another language, or a character was mistyped when it was copied by hand. Paste it instead of typing, and remember that dashes, spaces and letter case are ignored. If it still fails, write to myhama@hotmail.com with the first four characters of the key and the product name.
Does one key unlock both apps?
Yes. Each language has one key, and it covers both the Dialogs edition and the Vocabulary edition of that language.
Can I use the same key on a second computer?
Yes. The licence is not tied to your hardware, so you can activate it on a new PC, or on a laptop as well as a desktop. The licence is meant for your own personal use.
Can I restart the trial by reinstalling?
No. The start of the trial is recorded per Windows user account in two places, so removing and reinstalling the app does not give you a new seven days. A first installation on a different PC behaves normally.
What happens when the 7 days are over?
A reminder appears - choose Yes to open the activation window, or No to close the app. If you close it, nothing is deleted and you can reopen it after buying a key.
Where are my settings kept?
In your Windows profile, under %AppData%\
There is no sound.
Every line is a real native-speaker recording, so check the system volume and the selected output device, and make sure Auto Play Voice is ticked in Settings. Press R to replay the current line. A few cards have no recording yet and stay silent by design.
How do I get the window out of the way?
Double-click it for Mini Mode, drag it to the top edge of the screen to dock it as a single line, lower the opacity in Settings, or hide it completely with Ctrl+Alt+W.
Do the apps send anything over the internet?
No. They work offline, there is no account and no telemetry. The only network use is when you choose to open the purchase page or the help pages.