Spellchecker not working

[Fustrated User]

I have a problem - the spellchecker seems to be highly inconsistent in OpenOffice.

When I first create a document, spellchecking works fine. There is no issue when spellchecking the document whatsoever. However, when I close the file, exit OpenOffice, then reopen the document, spellchecking now fails.

Regardless of whatever I type in, spellchecking does not work. The Spellcheckers returns a Spellcheck is complete message.

This is fustrating me immensely, and I have found no way to correct this. Is this a known bug or am I doing something wrong? Would appreciate any help ASAP. Thanks!

[The Liquidator]

Hi

Select tools\options\language settings\language and make sure that the "default language" is the one you wish to work in. If not, correct the setting.

When you are showing your language there should be a blue "tick" next to the language name. If there is not, you do not have the dictionary for that language installed.

Also, for good measure Select tools\options\language settings\writing aids and "edit" available language modules to make sure yours is there. Again it should carry the blue "tick".

You should have no problem now but come back and let us know.

Ian

[lopicma]

The dictionary has stopped working all together! I am using MS Outlook and the MS dictionary, and am wondering if this has broken it. They were co-existing without a problem for a while. I recently moved the MS dictionary from a network share to the local hard drive.

I have performed the suggestions in this thread, repaired the install, and even erased the dictionary files in the ..\share\wordbook\english\ folder.

My next move is to reinstall, and is not something I want to have to do on a regular basis.

[The Liquidator]

Hi

When you checked the language settings, was your chosen language marked with a "tick"?

[peadarog]

I had the same problem with my dictionaries. Initially, my settings were wrong. I corrected them as per the instructions on this page. I still had the same problem, whereby the spellcheck would complete instantaneously without finding a single mistake. This problem however, only seems to affect documents which existed before I set up the dictionary correctly. Spellcheck works perfectly for new documents. Therefore, to solve the problem for older documents, I copy and paste them into a new document. Then I run spellcheck -- with no problems! -- and resave. Hope this helps somebody,

Peadar

[barryr]

"When you are showing your language there should be a blue "tick" next to the language name. If there is not, you do not have the dictionary for that language installed. "

Why oh why is this information not in the help files? Surely that would save some people many hours of grief! The intuitive reading of the langauge set up box is that if it says "English (Canada), the files for "English (Canada) are in place and should work.

[blabla]

This is a bummer, I know. After having done it for OOo 1.1.0 I lost it and had to do it again for OOo 1.1.1.

1. Open the I:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org1.1.1\share\dict\ooo path and check whether the directory contains the hyph, dict and thes files for your desired language.
2. If not you can download them from http://lingucomponent.openoffice.org/download_dictionary.html and put them into the above directory.
3. Now open the dictionary.lst file in that directory with a text editor and check whether the hyph, dict and thes files for your desired language are listed. If not type them in using the same syntax as for the other ones. Save and exit.
4.Now do the necessary changes in the tools -> options -> language settings.
5. Finally exit OOo incl. Quickstarter before the changes take effect.

And bingo says Ingo

PS.: I've been told that the dic installer works under OOo 1.1.1, but not having used it I wouldn't know where to find it. If you know it would take care of step 2 and 3 for you.

[Guest]

[quote="Fustrated User"]I have a problem - the spellchecker seems to be highly inconsistent in OpenOffice.

When I first create a document, spellchecking works fine. There is no issue when spellchecking the document whatsoever. However, when I close the file, exit OpenOffice, then reopen the document, spellchecking now fails.

I am in exactly the same boat. I use OpenOffice on an XP system. Worked fine for a while, but now it no longer works. I have deleted most of the dictionaries, and only kept the English UK (closest to Australian I have). Now OpenOFfice complains about the German dictionary and settings being wrong. I have clicked and clicked trying to set language preferences to English UK. I Have followed the help documetation and web documentation with pictures to a T. Still not working.

-F.

[blabla]

Hi,

have you gone through all the steps I listed?

I am asking because it sounds like you did some work on the dict, hyph and thes files in the dict directory, but did not actually change the dictionary.lst file...

Ingo

[JID]

My symptom is that, within a single text document, some parts are spell-checked and others are not (including autospellcheck when enabled).

I'm using OpenOffice 1.1.2 on an XP Pro system. The document concerned has a chequered past. It started as a Word2000 document, has been saved as RTF from WordPad under XP. I've tried combinations of saving as .rtf and .swx to no avail.

Here's a representation of the document to show what is happening -

<Block of text number 1 with speling error>
<Block of text number 2 with identical speling error>

Both tools/spellcheck/check and tools/spellcheck/autospellcheck show the spelling error in <Block of text number 2 with identical speling error> but show no such error in <Block of text number 1 with speling error>.

The phenomenon looks just like the feature in MS Word which allows certain parts of a document to be excluded from spell checking. However this does not seem to be a feature of OpenOffice 1.1.2. I've tried various language and dictionary settings with no effect but I didn't expect much since they apply to the whole document and this a phenomenon which shows different treatment of different parts of the same document.

All ideas, including ways of analysing the underlying .swx format, are welcome!
[Above text spellchecked with OpenOffice!]
_________________
JID
jid@flying-boat.co.uk

[blabla]

not exactly an answer to your question, but you might want to try copying and pasting the entire document into a new one and then run your spellcheck

[JID]

Copying and pasting avoids the problem but only if no formatting is copied. That is how I'm surviving for now.
_________________
JID
jid@flying-boat.co.uk

[JID]

I spotted a "rumour" that this is font-related. Under format/character/font check that your font has a tick ("check mark " to the transatlantic folks). If not, OOffice will not spellcheck the text involved. More about this in the topic "Spell-checking and language problems". Its a question of "installing a dictionary" apparently- which I will now find out how to do!
_________________
JID
jid@flying-boat.co.uk

[nursewhen]

Hello,

My spell check which was working like a dream has just bitten the dust.

I have a blue tick on the language, I've downloaded the dictionaries again just to to be sure, my dictionaries.lst file looks OK, my font is Times New Roman. I copied my old document into a new one, no luck.

Have there been any further developments on how to get it working again?

[esperantisto]

What is the language of the text you try to check (Format -> Character)?