Installing ManualWorks on Your Computer

Installing a “trial ManualWorks” on your computer

ManualWorks is web-based, self-hosted software that you install on a server so that many people can use it through a web browser. That means you need to prepare a server. But before preparing one, you can install ManualWorks on your personal computer to review its features and check whether it fits the problems you want to solve.

If your server is already prepared, install ManualWorks by following the ManualWorks 6.0 Installation Guide.

Later, you can easily move documents you wrote on your computer to ManualWorks installed on a server with the Export and Import features.

Installing ManualWorks

Install ManualWorks in the following order.

This guide is based on Microsoft Windows 11.

  1. Install Java

  2. Download ManualWorks

  3. Extract ManualWorks

  4. Start ManualWorks

  5. Set up the basics with the ManualWorks installation wizard

  6. * Sign up on the 3Rabbitz website and get a trial license key

  7. Log in

  8. Import the sample documents

Installing Java

ManualWorks needs Java to run. ManualWorks 6.0 supports Java 8, 11, 17, 21, 25, and more. If one of these Java versions is already installed on your computer, you can skip this step.

Instead of Oracle Java, install Eclipse Temurin(one of the OpenJDK distributions), which has no licensing issues.

As of January 2026, we recommend using Java 25. To install Java 25, your computer must be running a 64-bit operating system.

1

Download the Java installer

  1. In a web browser, go to the Eclipse Temurin site.

  2. Download Temurin(JDK 25 LTS | WINDOWS | X64).

2

Install Java

Run the downloaded installer with the msi extension.

Continue with the default values, and along the way, check the option that 1sets JAVA_HOME.

If you can't set JAVA_HOME this way, see Setting the JAVA_HOME Environment Variable.

3

Check the installation

  1. Start Windows PowerShell.

    • Press the Windows key + R shortcut.

    • Type powershell in the Run window and click OK.

  1. In Windows PowerShell, type the following and press Enter.

java -version

Downloading ManualWorks

Download ManualWorks from the 3Rabbitz website.

On the ManualWorks 6.0 (latest version) tab, download the installation file for the Windows operating system.

Extracting ManualWorks

Extract the downloaded ManualWorks installation file(zip file).

Extract it where ManualWorks will live, such as C:/3rabbitz. Or extract it and then move the folder where you want it. From here on, this folder is called 3RABBITZ_HOME.

Starting ManualWorks

  1. In Windows Explorer, go to the 3RABBITZ_HOME/bin folder.

  2. Run the startup.bat file.

ManualWorks installation wizard

Enter the following in the web browser's address bar. The installation wizard appears.

http://127.0.0.1:1975

1

Accept the EULA

You must accept the end user license agreement to go to the next step.

2

Enter the license key

  1. First, you need to get a license key.

  2. Go to the 3Rabbitz website and 1sign up.

    • Or 2log in with Facebook, Google, Naver, or another account.

  1. After logging in, go to My Profile.

  2. Click the <3Issue License> link.

  1. Enter the 4server ID and click the 5 button. For the server ID, see the following.

  1. Copy the issued license key and paste it into the license key field of the installation wizard.

3

Set up the basics

Choose the basic settings. We recommend keeping the default values.

4

Create a user

Create a user with the “Admin” permission. You can add or change users later.

Logging in to ManualWorks

Log in with the user you created earlier.

Importing the sample documents

For some people, ManualWorks feels unfamiliar at first. Creating documents and chapters, and using the editor, can feel awkward. Well-made sample documents help here. Import the sample documents in the following order.

  1. Click the following address to download the sample documents(March 26, 2025 version).

https://www.3rabbitz.com/3rabbitz_files/manualworks_6_0_samples.zip

  1. Select the <1Menu> panel.

  2. Go to the <2Tool | Import> menu.

  3. Click the <3Upload> link and select the file you downloaded.

  1. The imported sample documents appear on the <4Dashboard>.

    • ManualWorks 6.0 Administrator Guide

    • ManualWorks 6.0 User Guide

    • ManualWorks 6.0 Installation Guide

    • 3Rabbitz Template Document

Stopping ManualWorks

Stopping with shutdown.bat

  1. In Windows Explorer, go to the 3RABBITZ_HOME/bin folder.

  2. Run the shutdown.bat file.

Stopping with the Ctrl + C shortcut in the console window

  1. When you start ManualWorks, a console window appears. Select that console window.

  2. Press the Ctrl + C shortcut.

Closing the console window with 1 also stops ManualWorks. To start it again, run startup.bat.

References

See the following documents.

Running as a Windows Service

How to run ManualWorks automatically when your computer starts. If you keep using ManualWorks on your computer, we recommend registering it as a Windows service.

ManualWorks 6.0 User Guide

The ManualWorks user guide. We recommend starting with the editor guide.

ManualWorks 6.0 Administration Guide

The ManualWorks administrator guide. ManualWorks is usually installed on a server, so the administration guide needed for operating and managing ManualWorks is separate from the user guide.