any Word 2007 experts here who can help me with a Spell Check problem?

[ima_sinnic]

It seems Word is no longer recognizing any misspellings. I believe this started when I started "customizing" the dictionary, a long time ago. I have 2 "Custom dictionaries" listed in the Dictionary List, both are checked, one says "(Default)." I tested the checker by adding "piroplasmosis" to the so-called default dictionary, knowing the plural "piroplasmoses" and the misspelling "pirolasmosis" are both in the doc I'm currently working on, then ran Spell Check. As usual, it just said "spelling check is complete," meaning no errors were found. I also tried closing Word and reopening, then running Spell Check again. It never underlines anything in red anymore.

I have looked over all my "options" in Proofing to be sure everything is checked or not checked as it should be. I'm not sure what "check from the main dictionary only" means (what is the "main dictionary"? the default?) and tried it checked and unchecked and it didn't make any difference.

I hope I am not going to have to uninstall and reinstall this #%(&^ program! Any other ideas? I really appreciate any help!

[HopeHoops]

1. Just on a whim, make sure the "check as you type" or whatever it is called is turned on.

Then type something really stupid like "Grigsnorflormafummy" and see if it highlights it. DU just did.

[ima_sinnic]

3. that option is checked

it didn't notice "abyixuiol," though the DU spell checker did.
thanks for the idea, though.

[HopeHoops]

11. Yup - the dictionary choice is fucked.

That's a pisser to deal with. "Default" in M$ world doesn't mean the same thing as it does in the real world. What OS are you on? I don't have M$ office on any of my machines (use Open Office for everything). My daughter has the M$ Office "student" version because her college requires it. She's on Vista. The path to the dictionary is different based on the OS. If you're running Vista I can ask her to look at the path and e-mail it to me so I can post it in a reply. If you're NOT running Vista, see if you can find someone with M$ on your platform. Our other machines are XP, 98 and 95 (and Mac and Linux) so none of them will help.

On Edit: If you haven't already, cross-post this question in the "computers" forum.

[ima_sinnic]

12. I'm on XP

I see the path listed under "Custom dictionaries" as C:\Documents and Settings\(myname)\Application Data\Microsoft\UProof

Ironically, I have the so-called "Help Desk" version of MS Office--it was simply the lowest priced when I looked around Amazon to buy MS Office 2007 in the first place. I haven't seen any features that are different about it.

[Renew Deal]

2. Have you tried "rechecking the document?"

Click on the Office Button on the top left. Then click on "Word Options." Go to "Proofing." Click on "Recheck Document." This should reset spell checker.

[ima_sinnic]

5. that didn't do anything, either

since I was never shown any mistakes, I never "ignored" any, which I think is what that looks at again.

[meegbear]

4. The main dictionary is the default ...

Try this. Move the cursor to the start of the document, make a typing mistake and hit F7. This will bring up the Check Spelling and it should flag it. On the lower left of the dialog is an Options button, click it and it will bring you to Proofing. This will (hopefully) verify your settings.

[HereSince1628]

6. I am always impressed

by people who seem to have actually learned software that most of us use in a very trial and error sort of way.

My compliments to you.

[meegbear]

10. Thanks, used Office on Windows and Mac for years ...

just jumped on a box with Office 2007 and did what I would try.

[ima_sinnic]

7. thanks for clearing that up about "main"--hitting F7 just gets "the spelling check is complete"

[meegbear]

8. Even if you make an obvious spelling error?

[ima_sinnic]

9. yes (nt)

[HopeHoops]

13. After reviewing the posts so far, I still think the "default" path is either wrong or corrupt.

OP character length limit sucks. End of OP should read "path is either wrong or the dictionary file is corrupt".

If the path is correct and it still isn't picking up problems, the dictionary file may be corrupt. M$ products aren't known for their exception handling (other than the blue screen of death - for THAT they are VERY WELL known). If the path matches that of another machine with the M$ OS of the same flavor (with M$ Office 07), check the file size AND the "last modified" date of the dictionary file. If "last modified" is recent and the size is seriously off base, copy the one from the working machine onto your machine to overwrite the fucked up file.

What you've posted doesn't make sense unless something "vewwy vewwy sqwewwy is gowwing on. Heh heh heh heh heh".

Edited for grammar.

[ima_sinnic]

15. one thing that may have messed it up:

as a copy editor for an editing website, I have to go back and forth between American English and UK English, depending on client requests and their country. I have changed my "default language" many times, back and forth. Scrolling through one of my dictionaries, I see words like "organisation" (can't remember if I added that, but probably).

I think maybe the constant switching of "languages" may have corrupted it?

[HopeHoops]

18. I doubt it. Even the UK dictionary should pick up obvious gibberish.

Your best bet is to find someone with another XP/M$ Office 07 setup and get the default dictionary file from them.

Uninstall/reinstall is an option but it is a royal (CENSORED) (CENSORED) pain in the (CENSORED) (CENSORED) ass and I would rather (CENSORED) (CENSORED) a (CENSORED) (CENSORED) (CENSORED) horse than (CENSORED) (CENSORED) do that.

[ima_sinnic]

21. hee hee--yes, I agree about the (CENSORED) pain in the (CENSORED) of uninstalling/reinstalling!

I did do as advised in the Microsoft forum link given below, which involved deleting a registry key (for me, means sweating bullets) and it worked!
thanks for your help!

[HopeHoops]

22. Just for future reference, WHICH registry key???

I hate when it turns out to be something stupid like that, especially since most people who would run into that problem don't have a fucking clue what the registry IS, much less how to delete something from it.

[Make7]

14. A thread over at MicroSoft that might be of help.

 
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en/innovateonoffice/thread/bb874240-16eb-4670-b72b-30a0ca5c4374#a2f3adf6-48c4-48a1-aa46-d67dbedb20cb


And a MicroSoft Support entry:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822005/en-us


Good luck.

[ima_sinnic]

16. thanks so much -- going now to check it out ... (nt)

[ima_sinnic]

19. the answer given in that thread worked like a charm

had to delete a registry key -- which always makes my heart beat faster -- heh -- but it did work without messing anything up!

thanks again!

[SalviaBlue]

17. I had the same problem at one time

and it turned out that "Do not check spelling or grammar" in my Language settings was checked.

Try going to the "Review" tab

select the "Set Language" button

this should open a window that has the "do not check spelling or grammar" choice ...

make sure it is not checked

PS: You may have to select all the text before you do this. For some reason I would have one paragraph with this setting and other without it. I have no idea how the box got checked in the first place. I think it was from text copied from another document.


Hope this helps.

[ima_sinnic]

20. thanks--I had looked at that also

I did find the solution in the Microsoft forum link given above, which was to delete a registry key, which forced Word to "rebuild" itself (or something like that--my amateur understanding of the process ...)