I get the message it's downloaded, but it's not.

[sansisto]

I just downloaded open office. I have the English version. I asked for the English spell check. I clicked on everything I'm supposed to click on and I get the message that it's all downloaded. When I type a line to see how the spell check works, it tells me every word is spelled wrong. If I type "thiis," for example, it tells me it's wrong and has no suggestions.

How do I get a spell check if everything in my machine says it's already there?

[RoryOF]

Delete or rename your OpenOffice user profile. As you are using Windows do this by:

Close OpenOffice and the Quickstarter. Open File Explorer. Copy and paste %appdata%\OpenOffice\4 in the File Explorer Address Bar and press Enter. Delete or Rename the "user" folder. Start OpenOffice.

This cures most spellcheck problems.

When spellcheck is working correctly, if you right click on a wrong spelling, you should then get suggestions.

[sansisto]

It's worse now than it was before.

At least before, it "pretended" to do a spellcheck. Now it does nothing.

[RoryOF]

In what language are you working? Does that exact variety show up in the middle of the OO Status Bar (bottom bar on OO window)?

[sansisto]

On the bottom of the screen it says Italian. But I downloaded the English and I assumed that that would automatically include an English spellcheck. Everything else says English.,

I just tried typing a little something in Italian, with mistakes, and it tells me there are no mistakes. I just tried it again, asking for English, and it seems to work.

I'm at a Wi-Fi cafe, don't have internet at home at home, and I look it over more carefully.

Thanks.

[jrkrideau]

You may have to set the language.

Tools > Options > Language Settings > Languages > Select the Version of English you want.

Also check that the Default Paragraph and Default Character Styles are set to English.

[sansisto]

Okay, I'm starting to lose my patience.

I thought the problem was solved. But it's not.

I downloaded the English version of OO. I finally got the English spellcheck to work.

So I just tried to download the Italian spellcheck.

Now, I've got OO in Italian, with English spellcheck, and no Italian spellcheck.

I've been trying to download this thing for months.

What I need is the English version of OO, with both an English spellcheck and an Italian spellcheck.

[Bill]

Sounds like you downloaded an Italian language pack which has files for changing the UI language, but what you should download is an Italian dictionary for spellcheck. Install the English version. That will install the English GUI and dictionary. Open AOO Writer and select Tools > Language > More Dictionaries Online, then download an Italian dictionary and install it. That is what SpellCheck needs to be able to check Italian text.

[sansisto]

I tried this. I click on tools, language, more dictionaries online. There are too many choices. I chose dictionaries with spell checker or something. And nothing changed.

Would it be possible to get two OO programs on my computer, one in English and one in Italian?

[Hagar Delest]

First, you can remove the Italian language pack to avoid the UI in Italian.
See the tutorial to set the correct language: [Troubleshooting] Spell check in OpenOffice.

Please add [Solved] at the beginning of the title in your first post (top of the topic) with the edit button if your issue has been fixed.

[sansisto]

Nothing works. I give up. I'll use paper dictionaries.

[Bill]

I tried this. I click on tools, language, more dictionaries online. There are too many choices.

I only see two choices, one labeled "spell checker" and one labeled "surnames".

I chose dictionaries with spell checker or something. And nothing changed.

If you downloaded the one labeled "spell checker", did you use the Extension Manager in AOO to install the dictionary file?

Would it be possible to get two OO programs on my computer, one in English and one in Italian?

There's no reason to even try that. One program works fine when the spell check dictionaries are properly installed and configured. I downloaded the Italian spell check dictionary, installed it, then started a new document, changed the document language to Italian and SpellCheck worked fine for Italian text.