Autocorrect strange problem (MSW 2003)

[JPh12]

With MS Word 2003 I sometimes encounter this weird problem: after usin
Autocorrect in the Spelling and Grammar tool, I realize that a word
auto-corrected has been used by MSWord to replace another, unrelate
word. Moreover, that replacement occurred at once *all over* th
document (every instance of that word is replaced).

All I've been able to figure out is that the word being replaced in th
document is a word I previously added to my dictionary (e.g. a person'
name).

Perhaps my MSW installation got corrupted. But I thought I'd ask in cas
this is a known issue. I have a lot of autocorrect entries, maybe that'
a problem

 

[Stefan Blom]

In Tools | AutoCorrect Options, click the AutoCorrect tab. See if the word
and its replacement are now listed among the AutoCorrect entries. If you
find it, delete it.

 

[JPh12]

;494295']In Tools | AutoCorrect Options, click the AutoCorrect tab. Se
if the word
and its replacement are now listed among the AutoCorrect entries. If yo

find it, delete it.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

JPh12 [/i]

[/QUOTE]

It doesn't. The problem is not that a new entry is added to th
Autocorrect list. That problem is that the replacement occurs in al
instances simultaneously while I'm still running the Spell checkin
tool. It happens in the background, so I don't notice it (althoug
sometimes there is a slight delay). Only later do I realize th
substitution occurred all over the document.
This is most unusual, I admit

 

[Stefan Blom]

Do you have the option to "Automatically use suggestions from the spelling
checker" selected in the AutoCorrect dialog box? If so, try clearing the
option. (Since I don't use that option myself, I'm not sure if it can do
what you are describing, although it sounds like a possible culprit.)

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

;494295']In Tools | AutoCorrect Options, click the AutoCorrect tab. See
if the word
and its replacement are now listed among the AutoCorrect entries. If you

find it, delete it.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

JPh12 [/i]

It doesn't. The problem is not that a new entry is added to the
Autocorrect list. That problem is that the replacement occurs in all
instances simultaneously while I'm still running the Spell checking
tool. It happens in the background, so I don't notice it (although
sometimes there is a slight delay). Only later do I realize the
substitution occurred all over the document.
This is most unusual, I admit.
[/QUOTE]

 

[JPh12]

;494299']Do you have the option to "Automatically use suggestions fro
the spelling
checker" selected in the AutoCorrect dialog box? If so, try clearing th

option. (Since I don't use that option myself, I'm not sure if it can d

what you are describing, although it sounds like a possible culprit.)

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

JPh12 [/i]

[/QUOTE]

Thank you for following up. You're making a good point, but it's not s
convenient to use the spell checker with automatic suggestions disable
since one has to go back to the text and make the correction by hand
The reason I use spell checker so much is because I rely on it to ad
accents (I write in French). As a result, my spell checking session
last a long time and maybe this extensive use strains the software? Ye
I'd be surprised to have found a bug

 

[Peter T. Daniels]

;494299']Do you have the option to "Automatically use suggestions from
the spelling
checker" selected in the AutoCorrect dialog box? If so, try clearing the

option. (Since I don't use that option myself, I'm not sure if it can do

what you are describing, although it sounds like a possible culprit.)

JPh12 [/i]

Thank you for following up. You're making a good point, but it's not so
convenient to use the spell checker with automatic suggestions disabled
since one has to go back to the text and make the correction by hand.
The reason I use spell checker so much is because I rely on it to add
accents (I write in French). As a result, my spell checking sessions
last a long time and maybe this extensive use strains the software? Yet
I'd be surprised to have found a bug.[/QUOTE]

Stefan isn't suggesting turning off "Automatically
suggest" (Spellcheck wouldn't be much use without it), but
"Automatically _use_ suggestions."

I once had a word processor that offered to change every instance of a
mistake when it found one, but I don't think it was Word. (I almost
never use Spellcheck because my texts are usually full of foreign
words and marking each one for a language, or for Do Not Check, is
tedious indeed.)

 

[JPh12]

On May 12, 12:36*pm, JPh12
Stefan isn't suggesting turning off "Automaticall
suggest" (Spellcheck wouldn't be much use without it), bu
"Automatically _use_ suggestions.

Thanks. I'd missed that because the Automatically _use_ suggestions bo
wasn't active -- I see now that Check_spelling_as_you_type has to b
enabled first. Hopefully that will do the trick

But on second thought, since it wasn't enabled I guess I wasn't using i
(I don't check spelling as I type). If so that can't be the source o
the problem

 

[Stefan Blom]

This is strange. With a manual spell check, I wouldn't expect anything to
change unless I clicked the Change All button...

Are you running some sort of add-in?

 

[JPh12]

;494308']This is strange. With a manual spell check, I wouldn't expec
anything to
change unless I clicked the Change All button...

Are you running some sort of add-in?

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

JPh12 [/i]

[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure I understand what you refer to when you say "I wouldn'
expect anything to change". I was saying I doub
Check_spelling_as_you_type could be the problem since the box is graye
out unless I use Check_spelling_as_you_type which I never do.

Actually I did use an add-in called Writer Outliner (the demo version)
I disabled it, although it still shows on my main toolbar. Perhaps thi
caused a problem with Autocorrect (the problem does not always comes u
though, that's why it's hard to reproduce/debug)

 

[Stefan Blom]

My point was simply that a manual spell check shouldn't change anything on
its own (without manual intervention). Therefore, something else must be
going on.

I'm not familiar with the Writer Outliner add-in. What does it do? Are you
sure that you disabled it properly? See the sections that discuss add-ins in
the Knowledge Base article at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/921541/en-us/
(How to troubleshoot problems that occur when you start or use Word).

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

;494308']This is strange. With a manual spell check, I wouldn't expect
anything to
change unless I clicked the Change All button...

Are you running some sort of add-in?

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

JPh12 [/i]

I'm not sure I understand what you refer to when you say "I wouldn't
expect anything to change". I was saying I doubt
Check_spelling_as_you_type could be the problem since the box is grayed
out unless I use Check_spelling_as_you_type which I never do.

Actually I did use an add-in called Writer Outliner (the demo version).
I disabled it, although it still shows on my main toolbar. Perhaps this
caused a problem with Autocorrect (the problem does not always comes up
though, that's why it's hard to reproduce/debug)?
[/QUOTE]

 

[JPh12]

;494312']My point was simply that a manual spell check shouldn't chang
anything on
its own (without manual intervention). Therefore, something else must b

going on.

I'm not familiar with the Writer Outliner add-in. What does it do? Ar
you
sure that you disabled it properly? See the sections that discus
add-ins in
the Knowledge Base article a
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/921541/en-us/
(How to troubleshoot problems that occur when you start or use Word).

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

JPh12 [/i]

[/QUOTE]

The reason I believed something was changing while running the manua
spell checker is that I sometimes noticed a delay when autocorrecting.
thought that could be when a spurious substitution was being performe
in the background all over the document. I know this sound strange. It'
hard to check because I work with large documents and don't know what'
being replaced -- I find out much later when correcting.

It's still not clear to me why you thought automatically_use_suggestion
was the culprit since, from what I can see, it's not active in manua
spell checking. Or did I miss something?

Writing Outliner is an application that adds an outline panel an
corkboard to Word. I used other add-ins over time and disabled them.
don't see them on my Templates and add-ins manager so I assume they'r
gone

 

[Stefan Blom]

"Automatically use suggestions from the spelling checker" was (apparently) a
dead end, since it isn't relevant when you run spell check manually. My
mistake.

Strange behavior in Word is often the result of one or more poorly designed
add-ins, which is why it may be worth looking into the troubleshooter in the
Knowledge Base article. (To be clear, it also covers other topics than
add-ins.)

We probably won't get much further with this right now, but please post back
if you find additional symptoms/possible explanations. Good luck!

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

;494312']My point was simply that a manual spell check shouldn't change
anything on
its own (without manual intervention). Therefore, something else must be

going on.

I'm not familiar with the Writer Outliner add-in. What does it do? Are
you
sure that you disabled it properly? See the sections that discuss
add-ins in
the Knowledge Base article at
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/921541/en-us/
(How to troubleshoot problems that occur when you start or use Word).

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

JPh12 [/i]

The reason I believed something was changing while running the manual
spell checker is that I sometimes noticed a delay when autocorrecting. I
thought that could be when a spurious substitution was being performed
in the background all over the document. I know this sound strange. It's
hard to check because I work with large documents and don't know what's
being replaced -- I find out much later when correcting.

It's still not clear to me why you thought automatically_use_suggestions
was the culprit since, from what I can see, it's not active in manual
spell checking. Or did I miss something?

Writing Outliner is an application that adds an outline panel and
corkboard to Word. I used other add-ins over time and disabled them. I
don't see them on my Templates and add-ins manager so I assume they're
gone.
[/QUOTE]