Word 12.1.1 "Help": Edit-and-save custom dictionary confusion

[Norman R. Nager, Ph.D.]

Please help clear up my confusion with Word 12.1.1/Help directions for
editing my custom dictionary. Even though I read and re-read the directions
a couple times, I ended up corrupting my custom dictionary and having to
replace it with a recent back up copy. (Please see below for directions I
found in Word 12.1.1/Help.)

It is unclear, first, which format to use for converting the custom
dictionary and, then, exactly how to save.

I tried a couple different options, including in Mac format for converting.
I also tried command-S and save in .dic after deleting some words and after
having it open a text file containing some words I wished to add.

When I logged out and back in, it was either as if I had made no changes in
several attempts to edit or, in my very last attempt, as if the custom
dictionary was unusable. In that case, when I re-directed the preferences
to the custom dictionary, it was grayed out and inaccessible for creating a
path.

Is this a problem with 12.1.1 or any version of Office 2008?

Respectfully, Norm

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Norman:

The Custom Dictionary is a plain text Unicode file. If you convert it (at
all, to anything) it won't work.

Use Preferences>Spelling and Grammar>Custom Dictionaries>Edit to edit it.

When you have finished, Save it, then simply Close it.

Then Use Preferences>Spelling and Grammar to turn your spell-checking back
on.

Don't convert it, don't play with the file extensions, do not Save As...
Word knows what it is, and it knows where it got it. Most of the problems
you see in here are caused by people trying to "help" by doing 'something
else' or doing it in a different application.

Yes, it is a bad mechanism, yes, it is flaky, yes, the dictionary is very
susceptible to damage and I do hope they will fix it soon.

But if you do exactly as they say in the Help, it will work.

Cheers

Please help clear up my confusion with Word 12.1.1/Help directions for
editing my custom dictionary. Even though I read and re-read the directions
a couple times, I ended up corrupting my custom dictionary and having to
replace it with a recent back up copy. (Please see below for directions I
found in Word 12.1.1/Help.)

It is unclear, first, which format to use for converting the custom
dictionary and, then, exactly how to save.

I tried a couple different options, including in Mac format for converting.
I also tried command-S and save in .dic after deleting some words and after
having it open a text file containing some words I wished to add.

When I logged out and back in, it was either as if I had made no changes in
several attempts to edit or, in my very last attempt, as if the custom
dictionary was unusable. In that case, when I re-directed the preferences
to the custom dictionary, it was grayed out and inaccessible for creating a
path.

Is this a problem with 12.1.1 or any version of Office 2008?

Respectfully, Norm

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Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]