To get the best of both worlds, run inside a Windows XP virtual machine on your modern PC. You get the stability of old software with the hardware speed of new machines.

Insert the CD-ROM (or mount the ISO file). Open the drive and locate Setup.exe . Step 2: Run the installer as Administrator. Step 3: Choose "Typical Installation" when prompted. Step 4: During font installation, select "Install Urdu Fonts." Step 5: Restart your computer when prompted. Activation and Copy Protection Older versions of Inpage 3.20 used a hardware dongle (parallel port key). If you have a modern PC without a parallel port, you cannot use the dongle. Some cracked versions exit the dongle requirement, but using them is risky (malware). Instead, look for the later "Inpage 2009" or "Inpage 3.0 Standard" without dongle requirements for modern use. Common Issues and Troubleshooting in Inpage 3.20 Even the best software has quirks. Here are the most frequent problems with Inpage 3.20 and how to fix them. Issue 1: "Cannot Find Dongle" Error Cause: The parallel port key is missing or the driver is not loaded. Solution: Use a USB-to-Parallel adapter (not always reliable) or switch to a patched .exe file (use at your own risk). Issue 2: Urdu Text Appears as Garbage Characters Cause: You opened a file on a PC missing the Inpage fonts ( Unicode.fot , Nastaliq.fot ). Solution: Reinstall the Inpage fonts from the CD. Copy the Fonts folder from the installation directory to C:\Windows\Fonts . Issue 3: Images Don't Display (Blank Box) Cause: Inpage 3.20 uses OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) that breaks if you move the image file. Solution: Always keep image files in the same folder as the .inp document. Reinsert the image via File > Import > Picture . Issue 4: Crashing on Save Cause: File corruption or low virtual memory. Solution: Use "Save As" to create a new file. Work in chunks—don't put 100 pages in one single file. Inpage 3.20 vs. Modern Alternatives Why would anyone still use a 20+ year old software? The answer lies in workflow.

Inpage 3.20 is not dead. It is resting—and still running, reliably, in a press somewhere, printing the morning news. Do you still use Inpage 3.20? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below. For more Urdu computing tutorials, subscribe to our newsletter.

Released in the early 2000s as an update to the legacy Inpage 3.0, bridged the gap between traditional calligraphy and the modern Windows environment. For journalists, publishers, and graphic designers, this version became synonymous with reliability. It offered a stable, feature-rich platform for creating newspapers, magazines, religious texts, and digital documents without the bloat of modern software.