OFF97: Error Message: "Word Cannot Find the Thesaurus File Msth32.dll"

ID: Q197604

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Office 97 for Windows, Service Release 2 (SR-2)

SYMPTOMS

When you try to use the thesaurus in Microsoft Word 97, the following error message may appear:

Word cannot find the thesaurus file msth32.dll for <language>.

where <language> is any of the following:


   German (Austrian)              German (Liechtenstein)
   German (Standard)              German (Swiss)
   Spanish (Argentina)            Spanish (Bolivia)
   Spanish (Chile)                Spanish (Colombia)
   Spanish (Costa Rica)           Spanish (Dominican Republic)
   Spanish (Ecuador)              Spanish (El Salvador)
   Spanish (Guatemala)            Spanish (Honduras)
   Spanish (International Sort)   Spanish (Mexico)
   Spanish (Nicaragua)            Spanish (Panama)
   Spanish (Paraguay)             Spanish (Peru)
   Spanish (Puerto Rico)          Spanish (Traditional Sort)
   Spanish (Uruguay)              Spanish (Venezuela)
   Danish                         French (Belgian)
   French (Canadian)              French (Luxembourg)
   French (Standard)              French (Swiss)

CAUSE

This problem may occur if the following conditions are true:

You have installed any of the following packages of proofing tools on your computer:
Alki German Proofing Tools
Alki Spanish Proofing Tools
Alki Comprehensive Thesaurus
Alki French Proofing Tools (original release)
Alki Danish Proofing Tools (original release)
-and-

Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 or Microsoft Word 97 SR-2 is installed on your computer. This can include any of the following scenarios:
- Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 or Microsoft Word 97 SR-2 is installed on a computer where no previous installation of Microsoft Office 97 exists (or existed).
- The Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 Patch is applied to a computer where a previous installation of Microsoft Office 97 SR-1 or Microsoft Word 97 SR-1 exists.
- Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 or Microsoft Word 97 SR-2 has been installed over an existing installation of Microsoft Office 97 or Microsoft Word 97.

Specifically, the problem occurs because a necessary file, Msth32.dll, was not present on your computer when either Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 or Microsoft Word 97 SR-2 was installed, or if the Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 Patch was applied.

RESOLUTION

French or Danish

To obtain the upgraded kits for the French or Danish Proofing Tools:

If you are within the United States or Canada, you can request the updated version of either the French Proofing Tools or the Danish Proofing Tools by contacting Alki Software at (800) 669-9673, or via e-mail at sales@alki.com.

If you are outside the United States and Canada, contact your local Microsoft subsidiary and request the upgraded versions of the French or the Nordic Proofing Tools bundle for Microsoft Office 97 SR-2.

Spanish, German, or Comprehensive Thesaurus

To correct the problem for the Spanish, German, and Comprehensive Thesaurus, you must have a copy of one of the following programs:

Microsoft Office 97 (base level)

Microsoft Office 97 SR-1

Microsoft Word 97 (base level)

Microsoft Word 97 SR-1

If you already have a Microsoft Office 97 or Microsoft Word 97, base level or SR-1, compact disc, proceed with the following steps. If you do not have any of these programs, you may obtain a free copy of Microsoft Word 97 or Microsoft Word 97 SR-1 from Microsoft:

If you are in the United States, contact Microsoft Technical Support and request that a copy of either Microsoft Word 97 (base level) or Microsoft Word 97 SR-1 be sent to you.

If you are outside the United States, contact your local Microsoft subsidiary and request that a copy of either Microsoft Word 97 (base level) or Microsoft Word 97 SR-1 be sent to you.

After you have the required software, perform the following steps:

Insert the Microsoft Office 97 (base level or SR-1) or Microsoft Word 97 (base level or SR-1) compact disc into your CD-ROM drive.

Using the Windows Explorer, go to the following folder on the compact disc:
Os\Msapps\Proof

Right-click the file Msth32.dll. On the shortcut menu, click Copy.

Using the Windows Explorer, go to the following folder on your computer's hard disk:
Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Proof

On the Edit menu, click Paste.

You should now have a copy of Msth32.dll in your Proof folder. When you use the thesaurus in Microsoft Word 97, you should not receive the error message shown earlier in this article.

MORE INFORMATION

This is a known problem that may occur because of a change in the design of the thesaurus feature in Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 and Microsoft Word 97 SR-2.

The thesaurus feature included in Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 and Microsoft Word 97 SR-2 uses a different set of files than the thesaurus feature in earlier versions of Microsoft Office 97 and Microsoft Word 97. Because of this, third-party proofing tools packages may not work correctly when you install them on a computer where the old thesaurus files are not available; for example, a computer where Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 or Microsoft Word 97 SR-2 is installed.

If you install any of the proofing tools packages listed earlier in this article, one the following error messages may appear when installation is complete:

Setup was unable to locate some of the files that Office 97 requires in order to run Proofing Tools. Rerun Office 97 Setup, making sure you install Office's Proofing Tools files to complete the setup.

-or-

Setup was unable to locate some of the files that Office 97 requires in order to run Proofing Tools. Rerun Office 97 Setup. If you have the SR-2 version of Word 97 on your computer, please read Thes.txt on Disk1 of the Proofing Tools disk(s).

Otherwise rerun Office 97 Setup, making sure you install Office's Proofing Tools files to complete the setup.

One of these error messages appears if the Msth32.dll file is not present on your system. If you rerun Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 or Microsoft Word 97 SR-2 Setup, the missing file still is not available, due to the change mentioned earlier in this article.

NOTE: If you install Microsoft Office 97 SR-2 or Microsoft Word 97 SR-2 on a computer where Microsoft Office 97 or Microsoft Word 97, base level or SR-1, is installed, the Msth32.dll file is present, and you should not receive the error message. Also, note that the functionality of the spelling checker and the hyphenation feature is not affected by this problem.

For more information about Alki proofing tools for Microsoft Office 97, please go to the following address:

http://proofing.com/support/

The third-party contact information included in this article is provided to help you find the technical support you need. This contact information is subject to change without notice. Microsoft in no way guarantees the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

Additional query words: OFF97 sr2 sr2a sr2-a


Keywords          : kbdta offsetup 
Version           : WINDOWS:97
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: July 28, 1999