[Solved] Can't add words to dictionary

[Ant-33]

Hi,
I've recently replaced my computer, and installed a new copy of OpenOffice. I put my user dictionaries in the en-gb directory, and they show up and work as expected for spell-checking. However, when I right click on a red-underlined word I do not get the 'add' option. When I go to the manage dictionaries dialogue it lets me 'edit' a dictionary, but won't allow me to add a word.

In the past, what I've described above has always worked for me, but now, for some reason, it doesn't. I'd appreciate any pointers as to how to solve this.
Many thanks
Kind regards
Tony

[jrkrideau]

Is there any chance that when you reinstalled the dictionaries that Windows 10 locked them?

BTW, when you say it lets me 'edit' a dictionary does this mean that you can actually change a word or just that AOO opens the dictionary?

[RoryOF]

I've just checked. On my computers, right-clicking on a spelling error gives the "Add" option, but only permits adding the word to a user dictionary which is currently being used.

[Ant-33]

Is there any chance that when you reinstalled the dictionaries that Windows 10 locked them?

BTW, when you say it lets me 'edit' a dictionary does this mean that you can actually change a word or just that AOO opens the dictionary?

Hi there - many thanks for your reply. I looked at the permissions on the en-gb folder, and it was marked as read only, together with its contents (the dictionaries). I used admin to change this, but the change didn't stick for some reason. I also went into the 'security' tab, and checked 'all' permissions for users. That change did stick, so I'm not sure why the 'read-only' won't go away. I'm not sure what you mean by locked them, but I'm guessing it's that?

When I said it lets me 'edit' a dictionary I meant that it just opens the dictionary - I can't change the words.

@RoryOF - Thank you -yes, it's one I've currently got checked and in use that I'm trying to add to - the 'add' option doesn't even show, though.

Thank you again.
Tony

[RoryOF]

With OpenOffice closed - i.e., at system level, try changing the permissions on the dictionaries once more. It may be that you had OO last time, which could have prevented the permission change sticking.

The add option may not show if OO believes that the dictionary cannot be added to (a guess on my part).

[Ant-33]

With OpenOffice closed - i.e., at system level, try changing the permissions on the dictionaries once more. It may be that you had OO last time, which could have prevented the permission change sticking.

The add option may not show if OO believes that the dictionary cannot be added to (a guess on my part).

Thanks for your suggestion - it seems likely to be tied to the read-only on the en-gb directory and its contents.

Not sure what's going on, though. When I try what you suggested, the change from read-only still doesn't stick. I even rebooted the computer and tried it with nothing else running, but still no luck. I guess there's something about managing permissions that I don't understand.
Cheers, Tony

[RoryOF]

As I am many years away from having been a regular Windows user, I think you should wait for advice from someone more familiar with current Windows usage.

[Ant-33]

Thank you, RoryOF.

Looking more closely at the permissions it seems the settings I'm changing are being overridden by inheriting permissions from 'Program Files (x86)'. I'm not knowledgeable enough to know how to stop it doing that, or how safe it is to do so. Also, there doesn't seem to be a path setting for dictionaries in the options for OO, so it's as though it's inherently designed to be not modifiable by the user. Strange.

If anyone knows a way around this, I'd be grateful to hear it.
Cheers, Tony

[Ant-33]

Solved...

Thanks for all the help, folks. I think the thing that's changed is that user dictionaries no longer reside with the supplied ones. I had put mine in the same directory, and that doesn't work. Now I've moved my user dictionaries into AppData/OpenOffice/4/user/wordbook and it works perfectly.
Thanks again
Tony

[Bill]

Solved...

Thanks for all the help, folks. I think the thing that's changed is that user dictionaries no longer reside with the supplied ones. I had put mine in the same directory, and that doesn't work. Now I've moved my user dictionaries into AppData/OpenOffice/4/user/wordbook and it works perfectly.
Thanks again
Tony

I was about to post asking how you changed the path to the user dictionaries from the "wordbook" folder. I recall that some path options were removed years ago because changing the paths caused problems.

Regarding the Read-only box on the folder, that box is used to change the read-only attribute for files in the folder. It is not an indicator that the folder itself is or is not read-only.

[Ant-33]

I was about to post asking how you changed the path to the user dictionaries from the "wordbook" folder. I recall that some path options were removed years ago because changing the paths caused problems.

Regarding the Read-only box on the folder, that box is used to change the read-only attribute for files in the folder. It is not an indicator that the folder itself is or is not read-only.

Yes, maybe somewhere along the way the developers separated the user dictionaries from the supplied ones, and I didn't realise that. Once upon a time I'm pretty sure they were in the same place (although I could be remembering wrongly).

So, I guess the permissions on the files and folders in the Program Files (x86) subfolder aren't at issue for this.

Thanks again for all the feedback
Cheers, Tony