All Words Are Misspelled

[parl8256]

Both Writer and Impress are set up to check words as I type them (I haven't used the other portions of OOo). It shows a squiggly red underline if the word doesn't match the dictionary. The errors have been everywhere since I upgraded from Oracle OpenOffice 3.3 (?) to Apache OpenOffice 3.4, a short while ago.

After reading some of the threads here, I went to my Administrator account and checked the status of Tools, Options, Language Options, Languages and it looked good (English USA) all around. And when I opened an existing document in the administrator account, nothing was misspelled. But when I returned to my user account, every word is still misspelled. And if I create a new document with a test phrase (Now is the time for all good men), it's misspelled too.

Is there an access privilege problem? My user account isn't privileged and I expect to keep it that way. Do I need to go into the location of the dictionary (or dictionaries) and change an attribute? I don't usually have to do this in Windows. I'm more familiar with that in Linux (and Apache OpenOffice works fine in Ubuntu, even in a non-privileged account).

Although I'm still mostly using Windows, I'm doing as much as I can with programs which will transition to Linux when the time comes.

Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

[RoryOF]

Go to the Default paragraph style for your user account, by /Format /Styles and Formatting, First icon from left on that window, Right click on Default, select Modify and choose Fonts tab, the correct language is not set on the dropdown. Otherwise you may need to go carefully through the spell check tutorials
http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/ ... ?f=74&t=67
http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/ ... 74&t=16512

[rbatzell]

Hello, I am have the exact same problem after installing 3.4.1; I tried re-installing but alas, all words continue to be misspelled, and the dictionary is definitely set to the English (USA) in all the right places.

[RoryOF]

With respect, it can't be. You have missed some point in the tutorial. Spell check does work!

[Hagar Delest]

Reset your OpenOffice user profile.

[Bill]

I've been able to reproduce the "all words underlined" syndrome by downgrading from AOO 3.4.1 to OOo 3.3 without resetting the user profile. After a subsequent upgrade to AOO 3.4.1, all words are still underlined and the Extension Manager shows no dictionaries installed which others have also reported. Resetting the user profile fixes both problems.

[MLJ]

I have this problem, too. having uninstalled my earlier copy of Open Office, I have now re-installed a new version but the problem of the spell check finding every word wrongly spelt persists. Surely there must be an answer for this problem?

[Bill]

I have this problem, too. having uninstalled my earlier copy of Open Office, I have now re-installed a new version but the problem of the spell check finding every word wrongly spelt persists. Surely there must be an answer for this problem?

See above. THe answer is "reset your user profile", not re-install or try a different version.

[FJCC]

A tutorial about the user profile: http://forum.openoffice.org/en/forum/vi ... 74&t=12426

[RoryOF]

I have this problem, too. having uninstalled my earlier copy of Open Office, I have now re-installed a new version but the problem of the spell check finding every word wrongly spelt persists. Surely there must be an answer for this problem?

See above. THe answer is "reset your user profile", not re-install or try a different version.

Because the User Profile contains a User's customisation, including his templates, his dictionaries, his toolbars (items such as a professional writer might have), a reinstall of OpenOffice in general does not install a new user profile, instead picking up the old one so as to preserve the user's working environment. So reinstalling does not reset the profile - you have to follow the instructions in the above tutorial.

[MLJ]

I have tried to follow the tutorial but find too many differences between that and my Windows 7 that I just lose the sequence and have found it incomprehensible. At present all I can do is fail on the spell check and use a dictionary! The same applies to my portable apps OpenOffice on my data stick which I use on public computers.

[RoryOF]

I can't help with the detail of Windows 7; my Windows are 2000 and XP, but I mostly use Ubuntu. Perhaps some Windows 7 User will be able to help.

[Hagar Delest]

What do you mean exactly? Could you point out some differences that are not explained in the tutorial? It could help other users.

[Bill]

I have tried to follow the tutorial but find too many differences between that and my Windows 7 that I just lose the sequence and have found it incomprehensible. At present all I can do is fail on the spell check and use a dictionary! The same applies to my portable apps OpenOffice on my data stick which I use on public computers.

Re: Spell check problems

[MLJ]

Bill, can't find what you mean by 'Right-click the quickstarter in the systray and select Exit' - what is 'quickstarter'? No place on systray gives me 'exit' Following the rest of your method, the task manager has soffice files as 00 but when trying to change the name in the roaming folder I get unable to change as file in use by other program! Thsi is the sort of problem I have in trying to follow instructions that do not match my operating system.

[RoryOF]

An alternate method: Ctrl Shift Esc to start the TaskManager and kill any soffice processes shown on the Processes tab. Ignore the warnings about horrible things happening. Now close TaskManager and delete or rename the User folder.

[Bill]

Bill, can't find what you mean by 'Right-click the quickstarter in the systray and select Exit' - what is 'quickstarter'? No place on systray gives me 'exit'

Hover the mouse pointer over each icon in the systray. The tooltip for one of those should say "Quickstarter". If none show Quickstarter, then the Quickstarter is already closed and you can move on to the next step.

Following the rest of your method, the task manager has soffice files as 00 but when trying to change the name in the roaming folder I get unable to change as file in use by other program!

Windows Explorer shows files. The task manager shows processes. You have to kill the soffice processes (select the process and click the End Process button). You can't rename the user profile filder if you leave any soffice process running.

Thsi is the sort of problem I have in trying to follow instructions that do not match my operating system.

The instructions do match your operating system.

[kpjc]

The replies I have read are either so complicated or plain wrong. I did reinstall Open Office in desperation but the problem remained, I will now copy my folders and delete Open Office.

[casbunnie]

I am having this issue now and the tutorial is useless for windows 8.1

[Hagar Delest]

Why is it useless for Win 8.1?

[casbunnie]

The differences between windows 8.1 and 7/vista/xp are wildly different that you can't follow the steps provided. Also, when I get into the program folders, there is no folder called "user". I've checked every folder within the main one, but I don't seem to have that one. Sorry :/

[Hagar Delest]

when I get into the program folders, there is no folder called "user".

Certainly. The profile is not in the program folder.
Read the tutorial again, I'm quite sure it's the same. There is a trick to search for %appdata in the file browser.

[Bill]

The differences between windows 8.1 and 7/vista/xp are wildly different...

The instructions for 8.1, 7 and Vista are the same. Use the instructions for Vista. Only the instructions for XP are different.

[RusselB]

There is a trick to search for %appdata in the file browser.

The trick is to bring up the Windows search (press the Windows key on your keyboard) then type in %appdata% in the search box. Note that both % symbols are required.

[sierrakitty]

I am having this same issue with OO 4.1.2 running Windows 10. Any suggestions? Anyone else have that issue? It's funny because there was no problem until 4.1.2 but I can't seem to go back to an older version.

[Bill]

The suggested fix hasn't changed. Reset your user profile. Close AOO. Hit the Windows key and type %appdata% in the search box and press Enter. Rename the OpenOffice folder.

[Cyberpope67]

SOLVED on my computer; hope it helps you-all:

TOOLS>>Option>>Language Settings>>Writing Aids

In Top box on right, deselect "OpenOffice.org New Thesaurus"

Perhaps the red line only denotes that synonyms exist?

[Bill]

It doesn't work for me. The problem is usually caused by a missing SpellCheck dictionary. Resetting the user profile will re-install the dictionary. Deselecting "OpenOffice.org New Thesaurus" won't. You may have some corrupt files which are causing words to be underlined, but deselecting "OpenOffice.org New Thesaurus" will only mask the problem, not fix it. It may be necessary to reset the user profile and/or perform a clean install of OpenOffice to remove the corrupt files.

[Cyberpope67]

I tried the resetting user profile to no avail, then discovered this, which did fix it for me. . .

[Bill]

Then you have something that is malfunctioning on your system. "OpenOffice .org New Thesaurus" is enabled by default on all clean installations for everyone, but I don't recall anyone reporting having to disable the thesaurus to fix the problem. On the other hand, there are several reports every week that resetting the user profile does fix the problem.

The red underline does not denote that a synonym exists. It denotes that a word is misspelled (assuming that SpellCheck is working correctly on a system).