OpenOffice guru sought

[Hitcher]

Techie question. Having recently uploaded the OpenOffice suite onto the new laptop, everything works except the spell checker. Is it looking for a dictionary it can't find? Is there something in the settings that I should have selected or may have selected erroneously?

Please don't tell me I have to buy MS Office. I have just dumped Thunderbird as the laptop's email client in preference for Windows Mail. Is my love affair with open-source products finally at an end?

[terbang]

Not sure about the spell checker on openoffice but thunderbird has lots of add ons that make it a good equivalent to MS office. Mind you I run Linux and am sort of welded to it. I use open office and it spell checks, but it may be the yank version. will check.

[mashman]

Don't know anything about OpenOffice, but usually with dictionaries they're set in the application options somewhere (usually using a Custom dictionaries button) and have the extension .dic (do a search for .dic files on your hard drive)... then again it could be completely different for OpenOffice... Failing that RTFM... or install MS Oriffice...

[dhunt]

It may not come with the spell checker you prefer installed.

Try using the wizard
File->Wizards->install new dictionaries (Then follow the instructions)

[vifferman]

My son's a guru about stuff like this - I'll ask him and get back to you. (Might take a while, as he doesn't surface till around midday).

[martybabe]

Open your document - select all of the text and then Format > Character > then select the language of the new dictionary you installed.To fix the problem, you need to go to File > Wizards > Install New Dictionaries




Don't know if this helps but apparently it won't install a dictionary until you select a language.

[scracha]

It doesn't have a spell checker for Kiwi Unglish so the easiest way is to go Tools, Options, Language Settings and select UK English (or that ghastly American excuse for English if you must).

[Hitcher]

It has English (New Zealand) in its selection of drop-down items. But you're saying that this is meaningless in terms of a dictionary?

[dhunt]

It has English (New Zealand) in its selection of drop-down items. But you're saying that this is meaningless in terms of a dictionary?

Yes - Unless you install the NZ dictionary (See my earlier post)

[Hitcher]

Yes - Unless you install the NZ dictionary (See my earlier post)

Roger that. I shall have a play this evening.

[WRT]

I can't believe Hitcher is asking for a dictionary. It's like Eistein asking for a calculator*.









Sorry, cant think of a famous Mathematician off the top of my head.

[Hitcher]

I can't believe Hitcher is asking for a dictionary. It's like Eistein asking for a calculator*.

It's not for me, you understand. It's for a friend...

[Hitcher]

Well, I've tried the wizard thingie, but still no result. What is the OpenOffice Quickstart of which they speak? I hate it when instructions are imprecise.

[scracha]

Dude, just change it to UK English. There's no difference apart from having a spell checker that works.

[dhunt]

Well, I've tried the wizard thingie, but still no result.

Umm what happened? Did you install the NZ dictionary? Maybe try closing OpenOffice and reopen it.

What is the OpenOffice Quickstart of which they speak? I hate it when instructions are imprecise.

It means OpenOffice loads quicker as part of it is already running.