# I'm a dolt: Why won't MS Word spell & grammar check for me?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [August 8, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114 "2005-08-08T15:26:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114/1 "2005-08-08T15:26:33Z")
Okay, dumb question time. I write my reports by using older reports. Thus I have a template, so to speak, to work from. Although it does cause typos when I overlook stuff, it saves a lot of work overall and makes life much easier than otherwise. But here’s the frustrating thing: I cannot spell or grammar check.
When I create a document _de novo_ I don’t have any problems in that regard. However, such is not the case with these recycled reports, _inter alia_. Even if I type in a deliberate misspelling, such as “scoobledykick,” which I just did, and hit the button for my spell & grammar check, I get a message that says:
> [@](#):
>
> The spelling and grammar check is complete.
> Text marked with “Do not check spelling or grammar” was skipped.
So I go to Options and I see that I’ve indicated that I want spelling and grammar checked as I type. I hit the “Recheck Document” button, which is supposed to reset the spelling/grammar, and do another spell/grammar check with no success. As one would predict, Help is no help.
Any Doper have advice for solving this problem? Your help will be helpful!
Thanks!
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### Author:  [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114/2 "2005-08-08T15:50:11Z")
> [@js\_africanus](#):
>
> Any Doper have advice for solving this problem? Your help will be helpful!
Try copying and pasting the existing document into a new document.
Then do a spelling recheck.
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### Author:  [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114/3 "2005-08-08T17:22:10Z")
I find that Word often ticks boxes while you’re not looking, sometimes frequently.
Check these:
- Tools\>Language\>Set Language - make sure the “Do not check spelling and grammar” box isn’t ticked
- Tools\>Options\>Spelling&Grammar tab - make sure that “Hide spelling errors in this document” isn’t ticked
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### Author:  [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114/4 "2005-08-08T17:23:33Z")
Oh, and “select all” before you try the first trick, it sounds like Word has “marked” certain selections as “Do not check spelling and grammar.” Because Word is stupid.
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### Author:  [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114/5 "2005-08-08T17:35:50Z")
> [@cowgirl](#):
>
> I find that Word often ticks boxes while you’re not looking, sometimes frequently.
Why? I don’t expect you to know the answer to that. But for fuck’s sake, why the fuck would it do something so fucking stupid as that?!
> [@](#):
>
> Because Word is stupid.
Ah, yes, I see. At least the fix is intuitive and easy to figure out.
> [@](#):
>
> Check these:
>
> - Tools\>Language\>Set Language - make sure the “Do not check spelling and grammar” box isn’t ticked
What the fuck?! Why, in the name of all that’s holy and most that’s not, would that freaking choice be under ogdamn language preferences?! Mother of Pearl!!! Do they have some key choice about fonts under the word-count function?!
Assholes!
Well, on the plus side, the first trick worked perfectly. Now if only I can permanently uncheck that damn box for everything ever.
Thanks for the assistance!!
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### Author:  [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114/6 "2005-08-08T17:58:27Z")
Glad it’s sorted out. I spent days fighting that battle and I’m glad others can benefit from my experience.
As far as I know you can’t uncheck it forever, there’s a mysterious function that makes it check sometimes. (If you figure out the function, let me know.) But now you know where to look when it starts acting funny. It’s particularly charming the way that option is greyed out so it looks as if you’ve selected it deliberately.
Word is not only stupid but also a grade-A asshole. I think it gets off on hidden tricks like this.
Just yesterday I was trying to “track changes” and none of my changes were tracking, so I found that the “hilight changes on screen” box (which, until that point, I had no idea existed) had been un-ticked … Also, it regularly changes the language on random parts of my documents to “French (Canada).”
Fucker.
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2005, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114/7 "2005-08-09T02:04:59Z")
> [@js\_africanus](#):
>
> Why? I don’t expect you to know the answer to that. But for fuck’s sake, why the fuck would it do something so fucking stupid as that?!
I’m trying to figure out why it decided to dump everything I told it to add to “dictionary” for no apparent reason. Now I have to add in all the last names that aren’t spelling errors again. :dubious:
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### Author:  [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114/8 "2005-08-09T02:55:33Z")
Ok, I’m having the exact same problem as **js\_africanus** describes in his OP. In my case the solutions **cowgirl** suggested didn’t help.
Here’s what happens:
After clicking “Check spelling and grammar” I get the following message:
“Word cannot find the grammar file msgr??32.dll for.”
I click “OK”, then get the message:
“Word cannot find the spelling file MSSpell or mssp232.dll for.”
I click “OK”, then it tells me “The spelling and grammar check is complete. Text marked with “Do not check spelling or grammar” was skipped.”
It has checked a small portion (three paragraphs) of an eight page document.
So far, this is the only document I’ve had this problem with. If this never happens again, I’ll live with this one, but I’d really like to know the cure for this situation. As stated above, there were none of the boxes **cowgirl** mentioned accidentally ticked in my case, so what solved the OP’s problem didn’t work here.
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### Author:  [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2005, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114/9 "2005-08-09T03:22:25Z")
There are some conflicts based upon the version of Word you’re using, and the OS. In my case, Word from Office 97 behaved nicely in Win95 and Win98, but spellcheck went wonky when I went to XP Pro. I had to download and install a new file-I Googled for the fix.
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### Author:  [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114/10 "2005-08-09T03:40:05Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#):
>
> There are some conflicts based upon the version of Word you’re using, and the OS. In my case, Word from Office 97 behaved nicely in Win95 and Win98, but spellcheck went wonky when I went to XP Pro. I had to download and install a new file-I Googled for the fix.
Ok, that’s it then. My original document was written in Office '97. I updated using XP.
Thanks…but why the _HELL_ isn’t Microsoft’s stuff compatible with it’s own?? :mad:
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### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2005, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114/11 "2005-08-09T03:45:37Z")
> [@John Carter of Mars](#):
>
> Thanks…but why the _HELL_ isn’t Microsoft’s stuff compatible with it’s own?? :mad:
$$$
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### Author:  [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2005, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114/12 "2005-08-09T12:37:41Z")
> [@John Carter of Mars](#):
>
> …but why the _HELL_ isn’t Microsoft’s stuff compatible with it’s own?? :mad:
because
> [@me](#):
>
> Word is not only stupid but also a grade-A asshole.
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### Author:  [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114/13 "2005-08-09T14:33:55Z")
> [@John Carter of Mars](#):
>
> Thanks…but why the _HELL_ isn’t Microsoft’s stuff compatible with it’s own??
I’ll second what **cowgirl** had to say on that one. But there is also something else which I’ve discovered, which may not be true, but it seems to work on some things. When a program says you’re missing a .dll, that seems to mean that you’re missing some sort of “helper program.” (Quotes because that’s what I call a .dll.) So, as I understand it, the helper programs from '97 may not be on XP. What you can try is to get the exact names of the .dll and google for it. If you can find a source that looks trustworthy enough, you can install the .dll and that should do it.
I’ve done it before and I don’t recall how it’s done. But, IIRC, there are some sites that have large catalogues of .dlls free for the taking.
**Caveat lector!** It’s worked for me in the past, but I cannot promise it won’t fuck up your computer!
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### Author:  [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2005, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114/14 "2005-08-10T03:56:31Z")
> [@js\_africanus](#):
>
> **Caveat lector!** It’s worked for me in the past, but I cannot promise it won’t fuck up your computer!
Thanks for the info, but I can promise you it won’t fuck up _MY_ computer! Download a program from an unknown source? I’d rather eat ball bearings and shit razor blades. :eek:
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### Author:  [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-dolt-why-wont-ms-word-spell-grammar-check-for-me/316114/15 "2005-08-10T13:37:32Z")
> [@John Carter of Mars](#):
>
> I’d rather eat ball bearings and shit razor blades. :eek:
You can do that?