Spell Check in Outlook Express stopped working?
Infopackets Reader Ken K. writes:
" Dear Dennis,
I can't seem to get my Spell Check to work in Outlook Express. Whenever I try to run the spell check, Windows gives me an error message. I don't know how to correct this problem. Can you help? "
My Response:
Believe it or not, I've been asked this question many times.
My own experience when searching for the answer to this question has always turned up quite a few results using Google -- most of which contained outdated information.
I decided to do some thorough digging and eventually came across two Microsoft Knowledge Base articles (#178328 and #224176), which appear to be related to this issue:
- #178238: Spell Checker or Custom Dictionary Errors in Outlook Express This is applicable to MS Outlook Express versions 4 ~ 5.5 (Windows 95, 98, 2000).
- #224176: Spelling Checker Does Not Run on Message in Outlook Express 5 This is applicable to MS Outlook Express versions 5 ~ 6 (Windows NT, 95, 98, 2000, and XP).
Without reiterating everything that is listed on both these pages, here's a quick run-down:
Symptoms
Spell check suddenly stops working for no apparent reason, and an error message is displayed that the operation could not be completed.
Cause
A value in the Windows Registry needs to be reset.
Resolution
Modify values in your Windows Registry, as outlined in either of the above MS Knowledge Base Articles (#178238 or #224176). Note: Before playing with your registry, back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore it if a problem arises.
How to back up, restore, and edit the registry
There is a Microsoft Knowledge Base Article which outlines how to go about using the Windows Registry if you've never done it before:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;256986
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