Document number: 15121

 

While checking a Microsoft Word 97 document or PowerPoint 97 presentation, you are often given a chance to add a word to the Office 97 spell checker. The next time the Office 97 spell checker comes across that word, you will not be queried as to its spelling. When you add a word, a file named custom.dic is updated. Any words you added to custom.dic while using Office 95 applications are preserved upon the conversion by PeopleSoft to Office 97. The file should also be part of your backup.

For information about Connected Backup, see Eureka!'s list of Connected documents.

Editing the custom.dic file:

If you accidentally add a misspelled word while spell checking a document, or would like to add a lot of words at once so that the spell checker will not force you to stop and add each one individually, you can edit the custom.dic file.

Follow these steps to edit the custom.dic file:

1. Launch Microsoft Word 97.
2. Make sure no other Office 97 files are open while making these changes.
   • You can leave the Microsoft Shortcut bar open, but you should close any Microsoft Access databases, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and Word documents.
3. Open the custom.dic file in Microsoft Word. It is located at c:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Proof\custom.dic.
4. Make your changes. Delete any words you have added by accident or add words that you don't want the spell checker to trip over.
5. Save the file by clicking on the File menu, and then Save.

   Alternatively, you can click on the Save icon or press { Ctrl}{ S}.

6. Close the custom.dic file.
7. If you open any Word 97 files, you may find that words you have just added to the custom.dic file are underlined in red. To make the underlining disappear, start the spell checker by pressing on { F7} or clicking on the Tools menu and then Spelling and Grammar....

The custom.dic file should now contain the changes you made, and will be used in all further spell checks.

 

PeopleSoft recommends that you follow the instructions above to edit the custom.dic file. For other Microsoft Word 97 help file instructions,

---

Finding the Microsoft Word 97 instructions for editing the custom.dic file

Although it is recommended to use the steps above, you can also use Microsoft's instructions for editing the custom.dic file:

1. Be sure that you are in Microsoft Word 97.
2. Click on the Office Assistant. If the Office Assistant is not showing on your screen, click on the question mark on your Microsoft Word 97 toolbar.
3. In the text field, type manage dictionary and click on the Search button.
4. Click on Create and manage a custom or supplemental dictionary.
5. On the resulting help screen, click on Add, delete, or edit words in a custom dictionary.
6. Follow the directions on that screen.

 

 

 

Created by the PeopleSoft Knowledge Management Team.
Copyright © 1999 All rights reserved.
Created: kcw 05/21/1998
Revised: pjb 08/10/1999