Microsoft KB Archive/66932

Changing the Location of STDUSER.DIC

PSS ID Number: Q66932 Article last modified on 04-12-1993

1.00 1.10 1.10a WINDOWS

Summary: The Microsoft Word for Windows main update dictionary STDUSER.DIC always appears in the same directory as the main dictionary files LEX-AM.DAT and LEX-AM.DLL. To specify a different location of the supplemental dictionary, use one of the following methods: 1. Specify a UTIL-PATH in the [Microsoft Word] section in your WIN.INI. Move the main dictionary files (LEX-AM.DAT and LEX-AM.DLL) into the UTIL-PATH directory. STDUSER.DIC automatically appears in the same directory as the main dictionary. Each user on a network must use his or her own UTIL-PATH directory and a copy of the main dictionary. 2. Specify a full path to a user dictionary in the Utilities Spelling dialog box, as follows: a. From the Utilities menu, choose Spelling. b. Choose Options. c. Type a full path name of the user dictionary in the Supplemental list box (for example, c:.dic). This dictionary must be in a directory accessible by the user. Word for Windows still tries to create STDUSER.DIC in the same directory as the main dictionaries. If Word for Windows is installed on a read-only drive, this action may cause the following error: Cannot create main update dictionary You can avoid the error by creating STDUSER.DIC in the read-only directory beforehand. This prevents the spelling checker from trying to create STDUSER.DIC itself, and allows the user to specify a different supplemental dictionary. Attempting to modify STDUSER.DIC (or any user dictionary in a read-only directory) causes an error. 3. Modify the UtilSpelling macro to change the supplemental dictionary automatically. The following is an example: Sub MAIN Dim dlg As UtilSpelling GetCurValues dlg dlg.SuppDic = “C:.DIC” On Error Goto Done Dialog dlg Done: End Sub This method is similar to the method above. Each user on a network must use his or her own UtilSpelling macro stored in his or her own NORMAL.DOT file. The location of NORMAL.DOT can be specified by a DOT-PATH entry in the [Microsoft Word] section of the WIN.INI.

More Information: Word for Windows includes three types of dictionaries, as follows: 1. The main dictionary consists of the files LEX-AM.DAT and LEX-AM.DLL. Its location can be specified by the UTIL-PATH entry in the [Microsoft Word] section of the WIN.INI. 2. The main update dictionary is STDUSER.DIC. It always appears in the same directory as the main dictionary. 3. The user dictionaries are specified in the Supplemental Dictionary list box of the Utilities Spelling dialog box. A user dictionary will be automatically listed in the Supplemental Dictionary list box if it has a .DIC extension and is in the same directory as the main dictionary. A full path name may be used to specify a user dictionary in another directory.

Reference(s): “Microsoft Word for Windows User’s Reference,” pages 224-225 and pages 331-334

Additional reference words: w4wproof w4wmacro speller dictionary 1.00 1.10 1.10a