OOo 3.0 spell checker not working

[lowgo]

My Spell Checker on OOo 3.0 doesn't work. It doe not work on old or new documents at all. All I get is the spell checker is done and says every thing is fine and then it only gives the option to end it.
The auto spell checker works on new documents at the time they are being made. Thats it and not very helpful for older documents.

[TheGurkha]

Hi and welcome to the forums.

Try this thread: [Tutorial] Spell check and Language configuration.

If this has answered your question please go to your first post and use the Edit button, and add [Solved] to the start of the title. You can use the green tick icon at the same time if you like.

[Lysmachia]

Have you found out how to fix this problem. I am also having this problem and would love to have a solution to it. Thanks for any help.

[TheGurkha]

Have you found out how to fix this problem. I am also having this problem and would love to have a solution to it. Thanks for any help.

Have you been through the tutorial in the second post?

[AbbyLea]

I have tried the tutorial, I've tried riffling through all the options this program has to offer, and restarting in case it was my computer causing the problem; none of this has worked. There is something wrong with the spell checker. I type in "ladsjfakshgkahdfkjd" on purpose and it says it is correct. However, the auto-correct works in most cases, such as "andthe" is corrected to "and the." Please help with something other than the tutorial.

[Hagar Delest]

However, the auto-correct works in most cases, such as "andthe" is corrected to "and the.".

It seems to tell that the dictionary has a trouble, see here perhaps: [Solved] Odd Spell Check Disaster after update.

[solmersa]

Indeed the spell checker is not working fine. Some troubles and the fix that worked for me below:

1. Tools - Language - Paragraph or All Text, does not put a check mark in the current selected. You can try 100 times to select a language there and won't get a check mark in the selected one.

2. It also lists options not available in your installation. For example, Spanish (spain) and that dictionary is not installed so thinking that Spanish is your language you will select it and after that when you spell check it will say everything is OK when it fact it could not check nothing because that Language / Locale is not available. The weird behavior that the Spell Check Dialog says it is complete and closes is caused by this, you can see in the dialog that in fact no Dictionary is selected.

Hint: it should not display languages / locales not available and when trying to check with a Language not available it should display a warning to let you know that the language is not available so it will skip Spell Checking for that section.

3. If you have installed Spanish (MyCountry) it may show in the Tools - Language - For Selection | Paragraph | All Text, but if you select Spanish (spain) "For Selection" and "for Paragraph" and for "All Text" suddenly your installed Spanish (MyCountry) will not longer appear in the list that appear in those menus and you won't be able to select it from that Menu. That means you spell checking likely won't work.

To fix that you will have to go Tools - Options - Language Settings - And choose your Language (Country), i.e. Spanish (MyCountry) as the default language for documents and you likely will to check the option "For the Current Document Only". After that it will show up in the Menu at Tools - Language.

And be sure an ABC check, appears to the left of your Language (country) because that means you have that installed, if it does not appear it means that you don't have installed that Dictionary and no matter what you do it won't work.

4. If your language is installed (see last paragraph) and it still does not work, you should Select all the text (Edit - Select All) and choose Tools - Language - For Selection and select YourLanguage (country), the one installed.

With that it should work.

Some ideas for improvements.

a. It should not show not installed Dictionaries and let you know when you select a non installed Dictionary as your language / locale.

b. If checking without Dictionaries it should display a message to let you know that it is bypassing the spell check.

c. It should have a default dictionary installed for each Language and use that if not better choice is available.

c. Better help and hints for the end user will be very much appreciated as to let you know you don't have Dictionaries installed and how to install one.

[solmersa]

Also remember after you install a dictionary extension to close OpenOffice and the QuickStarter, in case of doubt about how to close the QuckStarter, you can reboot your computer.

[Hagar Delest]

1. Tools - Language - Paragraph or All Text, does not put a check mark in the current selected. You can try 100 times to select a language there and won't get a check mark in the selected one.

Of course! as you've said later in your own post, if there is no blue checkmark it means that the dictionary is not installed.

2. It also lists options not available in your installation. For example, Spanish (spain) and that dictionary is not installed so thinking that Spanish is your language you will select it and after that when you spell check it will say everything is OK when it fact it could not check nothing because that Language / Locale is not available. The weird behavior that the Spell Check Dialog says it is complete and closes is caused by this, you can see in the dialog that in fact no Dictionary is selected.

Hint: it should not display languages / locales not available and when trying to check with a Language not available it should display a warning to let you know that the language is not available so it will skip Spell Checking for that section.

a. Spanish is installed by default with the 3.0 (together with English and French).
b. The warning is the lack of blue checkmark. If you want a specific popup warning: [Tutorial] Reporting bugs or suggestions.

3. If you have installed Spanish (MyCountry) it may show in the Tools - Language - For Selection | Paragraph | All Text, but if you select Spanish (spain) "For Selection" and "for Paragraph" and for "All Text" suddenly your installed Spanish (MyCountry) will not longer appear in the list that appear in those menus and you won't be able to select it from that Menu. That means you spell checking likely won't work.

Why not??? This menu list is build from the default language and from the already used languages in the document. Apply once your language and it will appear in the list.

To fix that you will have to go Tools - Options - Language Settings - And choose your Language (Country), i.e. Spanish (MyCountry) as the default language for documents and you likely will to check the option "For the Current Document Only". After that it will show up in the Menu at Tools - Language.

Why checking the For the Current Document Only option???

4. If your language is installed (see last paragraph) and it still does not work, you should Select all the text (Edit - Select All) and choose Tools - Language - For Selection and select YourLanguage (country), the one installed.

Don't do that, it's a direct formatting that can be easily removed afterwards, and you'll lose the language setting. Use the styles instead.

a. It should not show not installed Dictionaries and let you know when you select a non installed Dictionary as your language / locale.

As said, you can see the non installed dics that have no blue checkmark. If someone send you a document written in a language you don't have, it should however show what is this language!

b. If checking without Dictionaries it should display a message to let you know that it is bypassing the spell check.

Make a request: [Tutorial] Reporting bugs or suggestions.

c. It should have a default dictionary installed for each Language and use that if not better choice is available.

So any user should get the tons of dictionary files he would never use? Better have no dic at all and make them downloaded separately, installer will be smaller and users won't have to remove all the dics they don't want.

c. Better help and hints for the end user will be very much appreciated as to let you know you don't have Dictionaries installed and how to install one.

You can help by contributing to the help files. Again, make a report: [Tutorial] Reporting bugs or suggestions. Tell what would be the best help text. But again, blue checkmark = installed, else not installed. To install, Tools>Languages>More dictionaries online.

BTW, have you read the tutorial? If there is something still unclear, just tell it.

[solmersa]

Hi Hagar, the following comments are not intended to be confrontative just explanatory, I appreciate several of your answers.

Of course! as you've said later in your own post, if there is no blue checkmark it means that the dictionary is not installed.

Not I mean that even when the Dictionary is installed you select Language - Paragraph | All Text, and choose the installed dictionary and yet don't get a visual feedback (checkmark) that it has been selected as you get in Selection.

a. Spanish is installed by default with the 3.0 (together with English and French).

I hope that were the case, maybe in Ubuntu, but in Windows there was not Spanish and certainly not French. I checked in the Language Settings.

Why not??? This menu list is build from the default language and from the already used languages in the document. Apply once your language and it will appear in the list.

Thanks for the tip, now I get it. But in a new document it also show spanish (spain) when my default is spanish (mycountry), even stranger it is showing swedish and in another new one portuguese, so it is pulling those maybe randomly and those did not come from my document as the document is new (unsaved). Seems like a bug.

b. The warning is the lack of blue checkmark. If you want a specific popup warning: [Tutorial] Reporting bugs or suggestions.

Yes I will do that.

Don't do that, it's a direct formatting that can be easily removed afterwards, and you'll lose the language setting. Use the styles instead.

I know it is a brute force approach, but when you need only the default language and things are getting weird this certainly will be a solution.

So any user should get the tons of dictionary files he would never use? Better have no dic at all and make them downloaded separately, installer will be smaller and users won't have to remove all the dics they don't want.

I mean the language for your install. Example Spanish (spain), if it is the spanish version, if you happens to be in spanish (mycountry), well it should use the default spanish (spain) instead of not checking at all the document. Lets call it a sensible default.

You can help by contributing to the help files. Again, make a report: [Tutorial] Reporting bugs or suggestions. Tell what would be the best help text. But again, blue checkmark = installed, else not installed. To install, Tools>Languages>More dictionaries online.

Yes I will do that. You can tell this need more polish as reading that several users are getting hit by the strange behavior mentioned above.

[Hagar Delest]

Not I mean that even when the Dictionary is installed you select Language - Paragraph | All Text, and choose the installed dictionary and yet don't get a visual feedback (checkmark) that it has been selected as you get in Selection.

You're absolutely right in fact. I just tried and I've to admit that I was thinking about the blue checkmark, not the one showing the selected language. Worth a bug report I think (but it may have been filed already, it's rather easy to see it).

I hope that were the case, maybe in Ubuntu, but in Windows there was not Spanish and certainly not French. I checked in the Language Settings.

That's strange, it is the case under Windows (I installed it under W2k and I had those dics). Check the Extension manager for that.

But in a new document it also show spanish (spain) when my default is spanish (mycountry), even stranger it is showing swedish and in another new one portuguese, so it is pulling those maybe randomly and those did not come from my document as the document is new (unsaved). Seems like a bug.

I think it's the language guessing feature in fact. I suppose that the list is build from the main language locale to avoid having all the sub-locales also listed. The only workaround I see would be to remove the main locale; but you may need it sometimes so not really a solution perhaps.

if you happens to be in spanish (mycountry), well it should use the default spanish (spain) instead of not checking at all the document. Lets call it a sensible default.

Well, it should be handled by the localization teams to bundle the right dic (if compatible with the license).

You can tell this need more polish as reading that several users are getting hit by the strange behavior mentioned above.

Oh yes, the language configuration is still something complex IMHO. But it has greatly improved, especially with the extensions (look at the sections dealing with 2.x version in the tutorial, what an adventure to install a dictionary without the wizard!).

[solmersa]

Yes the Extension Manager really works nice!.

And a Quick note to let you know that I put an enhancement request. The stuff as randomly pulling unrelated languages, is already there http://qa.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=39704 and so the other issues I mentioned. What surprises me is some of those go back to five years ago and still are open and reported as NEW, looks like the Spell Checker is not having love.

Thanks.

[maxymail]

Just sorted out my spell check.
Shut down text editor.
Open the OO main menu.
Go to Tools - then Extension manager.
Remove French and Spanish extensions.

Works great now.

[creivaj]

I uninstalled 3.2, and installed Openoffice 3.1 (Spanish version). I can switch to english and spanish and, in both cases, the spell checker works fine, and shows check marks.
Javier

[takiri]

The only solution that worked for me was to remove ~/.openoffice.org.
Then the spell checker started working.

[metalmurf]

Just sorted out my spell check.
Shut down text editor.
Open the OO main menu.
Go to Tools - then Extension manager.
Remove French and Spanish extensions.

Works great now.

This worked for me too. Except I had to go to C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\share\extensions
and delete all the folders except "dict-en"

Then it worked for me too.

[foxie299]

I had this problem. Turns out I didn't have the dictionary installed at all. After I installed and rebooted OOo, it worked just fine.

[alcer123]

My OO 3.3 had the Russian language in the status bar no matter what I did (suppose to be English) and after many hours of internet search and try, found that the fonts that I was using in the document were not installed (when following instruction pressing F11), so after choosing liberation fonts, the language automatically changed to English (which I was working with). SO I think it was the missing fonts the problem.

[dwwolfe67]

Is there something embedded in the odt file besides font selection that would cause this? Here's my situation: I've been using openoffice for school projects. After I save one, I just open the same file and re-save under a different name for the next project. There have been a few sessions when I create a new, fresh file, the spell-checker doesn't work (red underlining not active and selecting the spelling and grammar option just gives a "finished" message). I've checked the language, character and paragraph options as posted in this thread. BTW, I don't get a "font" tab for paragraph options. The problem migrates from desktop version to portable version and from file to file as I save new projects. I usually use default font of Times New Roman at 12pt, double-spaced.

[Hagar Delest]

There have been a few sessions when I create a new, fresh file, the spell-checker doesn't work (red underlining not active and selecting the spelling and grammar option just gives a "finished" message).

Do you create the file from right click? If so, check that one: 3.3 spellcheck default template fails on right-click.

[dwwolfe67]

Hagar,

Thanks for the reply. I believe that link answered my question. I might have right-clicked in explorer to generate the file initially. Since it's been a few weeks (I've slept many times since then), I don't remember. I'll try some of the steps in that thread. Meanwhile, I'll just create files using the "File/New" option or by the opening page.

I also noticed that if I copy and paste the text into a new file (created with File/New) the spelling checker turns on and works correctly.

Thanks again,

[adam_smith]

I have tried the tutorial, I've tried riffling through all the options this program has to offer, and restarting in case it was my computer causing the problem; none of this has worked. There is something wrong with the spell checker. I type in "ladsjfakshgkahdfkjd" on purpose and it says it is correct. However, the auto-correct works in most cases, such as "andthe" is corrected to "and the." Please help with something other than the tutorial

[Hagar Delest]

Can you upload a sample file (see How to attach a document here)?