Download the zip here.
Unzip and run SETUP.EXE in the unzipped folder SudokuSetup. A "Sudoku" shortcut is placed on the desktop. Delete the temporary folder SudokuSetup.
Use Control Panel "Add or Remove Programs" if you wish to uninstall.
The rules are simple. To solve the puzzle, fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the all the numbers 1 to 9.
The game digits are centred in the middle of the cells. The starting digits are blue, subsequent digits are black.
If you click the "HintsOn" button or key Alt-H (ie hold down the "Alt" key and press the "H" key),
all allowable digits are shown in small grey at the bottom of empty boxes.
This makes it much easier to choose which to try.
The top of the cell is for personal notes - see below.
The arrow keys can be used to move around the grid. Use these if you can't see the edit cursor.
"Clear" Alt-L clears the grid so you can key in a game from an external source.
"New" Alt-N randomly picks a new game to play from the store in file "Sudoku.ini".
"Make" Alt-M generates a new game from random digits.
"Save" Alt-S and "Restore" Alt-R respectively save and restore the state of the game and notes to disk - file "Sudoku.log". You can switch off and resume play at a later date, or simply hold the position to avoid multiple undos.
"Undo" Alt-U resets the game digits to the state before your last keyed change or "Go" click. Successive "Undo"s will stop at the last "Clear", "New", "Make" or "Paste" game.
"HintsOn" Alt-H is described above. Clicking the button a second time (while it says "HintsOff") will hide the hints.
The "Go" Alt-G button was originally intended to make all the logic moves in order to reduce the grind. However, in most cases it solves the whole puzzle. If not, a second consecutive "Go" will do the next level moves.
"Copy" Alt-C will copy the game in the grid to the clipboard, nine lines of nine characters 1 to 9 with full point for blanks.
"Paste" Alt-P will copy the game on the clipboard to the grid. It expects 81 characters comprising 1 to 9 and full point for blanks, with/without the line ends, but will do it's best with the data available.
"Add" Alt-A will save the game in the grid to the store in file "Sudoku.ini" so it can be played again. See "New" above.
"Zap" Alt-Z will perminently remove the current game from the store in file "Sudoku.ini".
"Help" Alt-E was how you got to see this - file "Sudoku.htm".
Notes
You may write notes at the top of each cell.
Click at the top of the cell or press Return (Enter) to get into the note area.
Click the lower half of the cell or press Return again to get out.
Notes are cleared at a new game. They are saved, restored, but not undone.
Status bar
The first section displays messages.
The second section displays the winner's time in hours:minutes:seconds. (No win if timer reset, "Go" nor possibly "Restore".) Click on this to reset the winner.
The last section displays the current timer in hours:minutes:seconds. Click on this to reset the timer.
Getting started
Copy the following table to the clipboard, switch to Sudoku and click the "Paste" button.
| 8 | 9 | 6 | ||||||
| 4 | 1 | 5 | 7 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 | |||||
| 7 | 3 | |||||||
| 6 | 3 | 8 | ||||||
| 9 | 7 | 2 | ||||||
| 3 | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 9 | ||||
| 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
In the following more difficult game there are no lone hints.
But in the first column, the first and second rows both have the same hint "29", which means one must be "2" and the other must be "9", so the row below hinting "12" can really only be "1".
If you key in the "1", You will see the 3rd column 3rd row change from "124" to "24", which means it can only be "4", and so on.
| 7 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 1 | ||||
| 8 | 5 | 1 | ||||||
| 6 | 9 | |||||||
| 4 | 3 | 9 | 8 | |||||
| 5 | 6 | 8 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||
| 3 | 2 | |||||||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||||
| 2 | 4 | 9 |
For WinXP, Win2000, Win98
Disclaimer: This software and the accompanying files are distributed "as is" and without warranties.
The user must assume all risk.