WD2000: Cannot Check Spelling of Word 2000 Document in Earlier Version of Word

• Microsoft Word 2000

SYMPTOMS

When you try to check the spelling of a document created in Microsoft Word 2000 in an earlier version of Word, error messages similar to the following may appear:

• In Word 6.0 for Windows and Word 95 for Windows:

  Word cannot find the spelling file mssp2_??.lex for Unknown.

  When you click OK, the following message appears:

  The spelling check is complete.

  NOTE: When you click Language on the Tools menu, the language of the selected text is marked as no proofing.



• In Word 97 for Windows:

  Word cannot find the grammar file <filename> for <language>

  When you click OK, the following error message appears:

  Word cannot find the spelling file <filename.lex> for <language>.

  When you click OK, the following message appears:

  The spelling and grammar check is complete.

  NOTE: When you point to Language on the Tools menu and then click Set Language, the language of the selected text may be correctly selected.

CAUSE

Word 2000 provides additional language dialect proofing tools than earlier versions of Word. As a result, when you convert a Word document formatted in a specific language, an unsupported language format is not converted to the closest language available in your version of Word.

For example, if you have a Word 2000 document that has text formatted in Spanish (Modern Sort), when you open the document in an earlier version of Word, the language of the document either is retained (in Word 97) or is changed to no proofing (in Word 6.0/95). The earlier version of Word may not be able to retain or "understand" the formatted language of the text.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, install the appropriate non-English proofing tools for your version of Word, and then format the text of the document to the language you want to proof.

For additional information about non-English proofing tools for your version of Microsoft Word, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q186039 WD6X: WinWord: Alki Language Proofing Tools Available

Q186040 WD6X: NTWord 6.0: Alki Language Proofing Tools Available

Q186038 WD95: Alki Language Proofing Tools Available

Q186037 OFF97: Alki Language Proofing Tools Available

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about international and multilingual features in Microsoft Word 2000, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q212400 WD2000: General Information About International and Multilingual Features

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbdta wd2000
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug