PRA: Spelling Checker Not Running After MS Access Is Installed

ID: Q139502

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

After you install Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Access (in this specific order), you receive one of the following error messages when you use the spelling checker in a Microsoft program.

In Microsoft Access for Windows 95:
Can't open the main dictionary file.
In Microsoft Excel for Windows 95:
Cannot read main dictionary.
In Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95:
Sorry, unable to load the main spelling dictionary. You should run Setup and reinstall.
In Microsoft Project for Windows 95:
Cannot open dictionary. Try reinstalling the spelling checker. To install the spelling checker, run Microsoft Project Setup from your Microsoft Project disks.
In Microsoft Publisher for Windows 95:
Publisher cannot load the speller or dictionary. (This message can also be the result of a corrupt or missing custom.dic file.)


CAUSE

The Spelling key in the Microsoft Windows 95 Registry refers to mismatched versions of the spelling engine and main dictionary.


RESOLUTION

You can run the Setup program for Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher, or Microsoft Office to remove the spelling checker. After it is removed, you can run the same Setup program again to reinstall the spelling checker.

As an alternative, you can rebuild your original Office 95 registry entries by running Microsoft Office (or Microsoft Word) Setup. To do this, use the following command

<drive>:setup /y
where <drive> is the drive that contains the Office Setup disk. This parameter forces Microsoft Office for Windows 95 to go into maintenance mode. If you then click Reinstall, the Setup program will rewrite the registry based on your previous installation. Note that it will restore all of the program defaults.


STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Access for Windows 95 version 7.0.


MORE INFORMATION

NOTE: This article assumes that the Regional Settings in Control Panel is set to English (United States). If the regional setting is a different English version, such as English (British), this information still applies. However, you may need to substitute any references to the American English dictionary file (MSSP_AM.LEX) in the discussion below with the British English dictionary file (MSSP_BR.LEX).

When you install a Microsoft program and include the spelling checker, the Setup program copies a spelling engine (.DLL) and a dictionary file (.LEX) to a common folder on your computer:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Proof
This folder may contain two versions of the spelling checker because Microsoft programs can install different spelling engines and dictionary files. For example, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher, and Microsoft Office install the following spelling checker files: 

   Engine:       MSSP232.DLL
   Dictionary:   MSSP2_EN.LEX
Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Project, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Access install these different spelling checker files: 

   Engine:       MSSP32.DLL
   Dictionary:   MSSP_AM.LEX
To have two versions of the spelling checker usually does not cause a problem because the Windows Registry keeps track of only one main engine and dictionary. The Registry stores a Spelling key with an Engine value and a Dictionary value under the following entry:
[\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\Shared Tools\Proofing Tools\Spelling\1033\Normal]
If the spelling checker in Microsoft Word (also included with Microsoft Office and Microsoft Publisher) is installed at the time that you set up other Microsoft programs, the Registry's Engine and Dictionary values are not changed. This enables other Microsoft programs to use the Microsoft Word spelling engine (MSSP232.DLL) and dictionary (MSSP2_EN.LEX) because they are more robust than the other spelling engine and dictionary (MSSP32.DLL and MSSP_AM.LEX).

There is an exception, however, when Microsoft Access is the most recently installed program. If the Microsoft Word spelling checker is installed at the time that you set up Microsoft Access, and the MSSP_AM.LEX file is already installed, the Setup program updates the Registry incorrectly. The Setup program changes the Dictionary value to refer to the Microsoft Access dictionary file (MSSP_AM.LEX) but does not change the Engine value; it still refers to the other spelling engine (MSSP232.DLL). This means that the Registry has mismatched settings for the spelling engine and dictionary values and prevents the spelling checker from running in various Microsoft programs.

Additional query words: spell check word7 word95 


Keywords          : kbdta StpReg 
Version           : WINDOWS:4.1,7.0,97; winnt:3.51
Platform          : WINDOWS winnt 
Issue type        :

Last Reviewed: July 8, 1999